As referenced in my last post, there exists an elite stash of books which grace the backside of my desk work surface. I thought I’d list them out in their order of appearance in three sections from left to right.
The first section
3 issues of Poets & Writers Magazine
Medieval Instrumental Dances by Timothy J. McGee
life is a verb by Patti Digh
Cassell’s Italian Dictionary
The Inextinguishable Symphony – A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany by Martin Goldsmith
Transformations poetry by John Reibetanz
Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton
Introducing Fractal Geometry
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
101 Great American Poems
Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande
Journal of a Novel by John Steinbeck
A Year in the World – Journeys of a Passionate Traveller by Frances Mayes
The Right to Write by Julia Cameron
Cruden’s Compact Concordance
Jesus Calling – Enjoying Peace in His Presence
Part of the second section
Windows 7 (All-In-One) for Dummies
Microsoft Word 2010 for Dummies
Microsoft Excel 2010 for Dummies
9 Personal Journals containing my “Morning Pages”
WordPressToGo by Sarah McHarry
2 Personal Journals containing my “Morning Pages”
Blue Spiral Notebook with performance set lists
5 Personal Journals containing my “Morning Pages”
Current “Creative” Compo Book
3 issues of Poets & Writers Magazine
Current Personal Journal containing my “Morning Pages” (on desk surface in photo)
Judgement Day Jazz board book with CD
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
1 Personal Journal containing my “Morning Pages”
The Musician’s Way – A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness by Gerald Klickstein
Good Prose by Tracy Kidder
The third section
The Sound of Paper by Julia Cameron
The American Way of Poverty – How the Other Half Still Lives by Sasha Abramsky
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams
Chosen by a Horse by Susan Richards
7 – an experimental mutiny against excess by Jen Hatmaker
The Adventures of Dr. Alphabet by Dave Morice
Readings in the History of Music in Performance edited by Carol MacClintock
A Writer’s Workbook by Caroline Sharp
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
My Life in France by Julia Child
The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music
New Millennium Writings 2013
Sophocles Papas – The Guitar, His Life by Elisabeth Papas Smith
What lurks along the backside of your desk work surface?
I used to make beaded jewelry and now teach workshops so my desk is covered in beads, bead boards and other beading tools. But, my night stand and table next to my chair in my bedroom have stacks of books on them. I’ve got Anne Lamott’s “bird by bird” and Stephen King’s “On Writing” on the top of one pile. Under those are lots of fiction and non fiction books that I’m reading or will be reading. My kindle tops another stack. I see you have a copy of “Writing Down the Bones.” That’s on my list. I love being surrounded by books! Thanks for sharing your list, Laura.
The books read for pleasure are stacked on my night stand as well. 🙂
The bookcase behind me (when I’m sitting at my desk workspace) holds shelves of music scores, books and WIP’s of all types. Another bookcase by the closet in the same room holds my music teaching materials, quilting books and more paperback novels…So, I, too, am surrounded by books in my workspace studio at all times. It feels good, doesn’t it?
I’d love to see some of your jewelry highlighted on your blog.
On my work table are instructions for using the sewing machine because it has been that long since I used it. Also paints and paint brushes. Close by is Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’sWay” and numerous “morning pages” notebooks.”Down the Nile” by Rosemary Mahoney and a few field guides for Birds. Your titles are so intriguing, good “hooks” such as the like of “Jesus Calling Enjoying Peace in His Presence.”, When Women were Birds” “Chosen by a Horse” and “Journal of a Solitude.” and 7. I have read “Writing Down the Bones” great book! “Eat Pray Love” and “My Life in France.”
Hi Jane…another Morning Pages person! Those darn things reproduce more rapidly than rabbits. 😉
‘Down the Nile’ looks like a good read, I’ll be checking the library for a copy.
It sounds like your sewing machine might be silent, but those paints and paint brushes are in ‘full stroke’. Keep on creating.
That’s quite a stash, Laura. I noticed a lot of poetry items. 🙂 So cool.
I don’t have books on my computer desk. But I have books everywhere else in my living room. Below is a list of those I keep near:
• The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynn Valente (middle grade novel)
• Champagne for One by Rex Stout (adult classic mystery)
• Castle Waiting volumes 1 and 2 by Linda Medley (hardbound graphic novels)
• The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen (hardbound graphic novel)
• Avatar The Last Airbender: The Art of the Animated Series by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (nonfiction book)
• The Art of Rise of the Guardians (foreword by Alec Baldwin; preface by William Joyce) (nonfiction book)
These books inspire me. I also have a few DVDs on hand for that too: Song of the Sea, The Secret of the Wings, Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Never Beast.
Ah yes, books everywhere else is the same for me, too! When I did this inventory listing, I realized some are due to be changed out with some other ‘staples’ I need to keep near.
The only two titles I recognize in your special list are: Champagne for One by Rex Stout and Tinker Bell! Given your genre and interests I can see the reasoning behind your selections. The first one looks interesting to me. I often pick up YA (including middle school level- as you noted in a former post there is a difference!) novels at the library for something shorter to read. They offer great stories without the extra word count in adult novels.
Thanks for sharing your elite stash book list here. 🙂
I go by moods and inspiration whenever I read anything, Laura. I like the Stout mysteries because they’re cozy and pretty clean (with one or two dicey subjects sometimes). Though I’m not writing a mystery, I find them relaxing bedtime reading, since I already know the stories.
I love looking at The Art of books for behind-the-scenes information and beautiful drawings. I didn’t mention this earlier, but I also love to look at flower books. I have a huge book of flowers, which lists the scientific names of flowers while presenting beautiful color photos. Very inspiring.
I know what you mean about having something familiar to grab and read when needed to relax and fall asleep. My go-to books used to be ‘The Cat Who’ series, anything by Agatha Christie, and certain ones by Dianne Mott Davidson (one of the first to incorporate recipes with mysteries). Lately, it’s been a dry reading season for me, though!
I remember The Cat Who mysteries! I read several of those. Lilian Jackson Braun! So much un!
😉