Sterling Terrell

recovering economist

A Reader’s Books

A Reader’s Books

I have long agreed that glimpses into the collections of reader’s books are a window to their soul.

It’s like a personality test of sorts.

What has influenced them? What do they care about? What have they been wiling to spend their time considering?

I’m just saying…

If you invite me over and have a wall of books – you can bet I’ll stop and browse.

In inspecting the large libraries I’ve mentioned (Alsop, Cairns, Sontag) one would guess within five minutes that these libraries had been formed by one intellect. The look of a reader’s books on the shelf is a kind of signature, in my case suggesting that there’s a certain style of bookmaking—or maybe several styles—and these somehow reinforce my desire to read a book. I didn’t form my library, though, for the look of the books on the shelf. I formed it to read and I’ve read it, though, in the cases of some literatures (German, for example) at a somewhat attenuated pace.

-Larry McMurtry, Literary Life (Amazon)

You Write What You’ve Read

You Write What You’ve Read

I might add that in addition to the fact that you write what you’ve read, you also write what you’ve lived.

It’s true.

Enough studying and reading about economics, and I find the topic impossible to avoid.

Add to that the fact that it’s nearly impossible to remove your experience from your viewpoint – and you get this blog – an eclectic bag of books, cowboys, Saudi Arabia, economics, and rebellion.

McMurtry’s work is the same way with tales of cowboys, books, Hollywood, academia, and small towns.

Understand: Rereading books can be a special thing.

I could give several answers to that question but the simplest is that you write what you’ve read, to a large degree—and, just as importantly, you write what you will someday reread. I am now entering the time of rereading and am assembling the one hundred books or so that I keep with me to reread as long as I’m here.

-Larry McMurtry, Literary Life (Amazon)

Sterling Terrell