Surrounded by Books

We had a tiny flat and our kitchen table - my father's huge wooden worktable where we ate all our meals - was in an alcove, surrounded by four walls of book. Without getting out of our chairs, we could simply reach behind us and, yes, pluck! the appropriate book off a shelf. That was my father's idea, so that there would always be active discussions at meals, and so that I or any guest could find a reference in a trice. My father loved to call out directions from his end of the table like a mad navigator on a small boat: 'A bit more to the right, nine o'clock please, forty-five degrees left...' Over the years, certain thick or oversized volumes became landmarks by which we steered: 'The grey cover two inches to the right of The Child's New Illustrated Encyclopedia ("new" about forty years previous), below One Thousand and One Wonderful Things; about ten inches above Engines and Power...' And when the book was retrieved successfully from the shelf, my father would let out a sigh, as if just the right unreachable itch had been scratched. (Anne Michaels, The Winter Vault)

As much as I love the idea of having a dedicated library in a house, there is also something infinitely appealing about having books simply surrounding you in the spaces you live in. I love the idea of a living room lined with bookshelves complete with rolling ladders (like the ones in Beauty and the Beast). In fact, when I opened the September 2010 issue of InStyle and found the pictures of Diane von Furstenberg's house I absolutely fell in love with her living room. Not the furniture and art so much, but the walls of books with rolling ladders. It is perfect. The other day I was reading The Winter Vault and came across this description of Avery's childhood dining room. I think I re-read this passage about ten times. And I read it out loud to at least three different people. Books in a dining room. How brilliant! Why have I never considered this possibility before? Perhaps one day my house will simply have books in every single room. How delightful would that be? I also love his father's relief when the proper book is pulled from the shelf. Selecting the perfect volume, finding the right book, can be such a wonderful feeling that it is almost healing.

Yesterday I told you about how much I love to be completely immersed in literature. Today I spent the whole day doing layout for Ballyhoo with my co-editor. It was probably one of the most delightful days I've had in a long time. I was actually so engrossed in it that I didn't even think about eating dinner until 8 o'clock. That hasn't happened in a long time. It feels good to be passionate about something. In light of my day and yesterday's reflections, I felt like this was an appropriate quote.

In case you haven't guessed...I adore Anne Michaels.