🤫 Book Lovers Only!

(with a Boxing Day giveaway)

Yesterday I spent a couple hours in a large hospital waiting area to serve as a designated driver for someone having an outpatient procedure. When a nurse came out to tell a man that their loved one was awake and they could come back to see them, the nurse said, “Oh wow, you’re reading a real book! You don’t see that much these days.”

As you can imagine, that grabbed my attention.

“I have a real book too!” I said from across the room, holding high my copy of Bruce Holsinger’s Culpability. Then, the oddest thing happened—everyone broke into applause! In response, the other book reader smiled and held up his fist in solidarity.

Two things occurred to me about that applause.

1. Clearly, I’m out of touch. Nurses see a lot of people in waiting rooms—is it really so rare to see someone reading a real book these days? In November I took four flights between Newark, NJ, Dallas, TX, and Santa Fe, NM. Last time I wrote about how wonderful the conference I attended was—but to be truthful, I was equally excited to be transported there, even when I experienced delays.

   Ah, the uninterrupted time to read a book this affords! During my flights I read one paperback novel (Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, which since its 1999 release has remained on banned book lists, and I wanted to find out why) and half of another novel (Barbara Conrey’s A Fine Layer of Dust, exploring a man’s complex response to his wife’s desire to act as a surrogate for another woman’s pregnancy).

2. People’s actions may not be aligning with their values. Any of the people in that waiting room, applauding because they thought reading a book was a good idea, could have been doing so. They weren’t there due to emergency—all the procedures done in this area were by appointment. And it’s not a matter of finances. While I tend to buy my books so I can refer to their exemplary writing craft—for my own edification, for my Your Novel Year class, for my blogs about writing craft, and for my book, Crafting Story Movement—our public libraries are full of books that are free to borrow. In fact, I’ve sometimes bought a book after falling in love with a library copy for the reasons listed above!

Our modern reality is this: everyone else in that waiting room—and all my seat mates on those November flights—had been on their phones. Phones that bombard us with so much incoming information, studies have shown, that they have compromised our very ability to focus for, say, the length of a novel. This is why novelists study craft: so they can seduce readers—and themselves—into the experience of a novel and never let them go.

In keeping with today’s theme, and in honor of the holiday season, I want to thank all of my readers who love actual books with a giveaway. One lucky subscriber will receive one of my paperback books—your choice. I know many of you have already read my work, but keep in mind, extra copies make great gifts! I’ll gladly sign and personalize the book for the winner (or their chosen recipient).

Book lovers, here’s how to enter

Since I’ve been building this list for more than 10 years, answer this question:

*How did we meet?—or if we haven’t met, how did you learn about my work? Leave your answer by replying either in the comments or by return email.

A random winner (U.S. only, sorry—please read nothing into that about my politics, it’s just a money consideration!) will be drawn on Boxing Day, Dec. 26—and I’ll be in touch to see which book you’d like to receive!

Choose from:

The Art of Falling: Penelope Sparrow blames her imperfect body for the loss of her dream dance career, but due to its inherent strength, she miraculously survives what should have been a deadly fall. Will her first friends outside the dance world help her remobilize and help her find a more meaningful career?

The Far End of Happy: On the day of his suicide standoff, the three women closest to a despairing must face impossible choices and shameful secrets if they are to face the uncertainty of the family’s future.

Crafting Story Movement: Techniques to Engage Readers and Drive Your Story Forward: For novelists of any level seeking fresh inspiration from the world of movement and more than a hundred published excerpts, this book looks at literature as a transfer of energy from writer, through story, to the reader.

Happy winter holidays to you all, and good luck!

Kathryn