What Do Presidents Read?
Do you ever find that your writing, speech and even thought patterns are influenced by what you read? I do; when I am reading Jane Austen (which is often, as she is my favorite author), I see my writing become a little more formal, a little more thoughtful, than when I am reading Nick Hornby. If I were a public figure, would I be similarly affected?
Today is Presidents’ Day and, being a history nut, I have been thinking about how our leaders’ styles change with time. If you read Presidential addresses through the years, you will see a marked difference in the way they style their speeches. Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address reads like classical literature. Is it because that’s how people communicated then or is it a result of his reading? Well-educated people at that time often read Plato, Shakespeare, Aristotle and other poets and philosophers. One hundred years later, Theodore Roosevelt’s First Annual Message is still quite formal and full of passion, much like Teddy himself, and reflects his education. Another hundred years pass and George W. Bush’s First Inaugural Address is less formal, more intimate, than the two I’ve mentioned. Perhaps his style better fits our modern world, which lacks an emphasis on a classical education, than the more complex speeches of the past.
I wonder, though, how one’s reading material shapes one’s thoughts. The Daily Beast had similar thoughts. It’s an interesting article for this Presidents’ Day! Does a well-read President equal a high-quality President?
Let me know your thoughts by emailing me at jennifer@literarylifebookstore.com!
- Posted by Jennifer • Mon, February 22, 2010 - 1:29 pm
A Look Backward…
It has been quite some time since I left a blog entry, and I am well overdue. As we now move through February of this new year, I am afraid I have already become a bit nostalgic in thinking about 2009. For me, the year ended in a bit of a personal struggle, as I overcame a rather serious illness. Thank you for all of your well-wishes, cards, flowers, and support. It was humbling to hear from so many friends, and your encouragement during my recovery was truly appreciated. Of course, a scary bout with sickness only increases my retrospective reflection now that my health is nearly back to normal, and there are a few items from the past year that I think deserve attention:
**First and foremost, I must commend the LitLife booksellers on an amazing job, particularly during the last quarter of 2009. While I was ill, Jennifer, Zachary, and Gina kept the store open, hosted numerous author events, ordered inventory, paid bills, and kept the store clean—so much so, that I doubt most customers even realized that I was out of commission for almost two months. Though it is somewhat eye-opening to realize that the store can exist without me (ha-ha), I am grateful for their hard work, their dedication to the store and its vision, and their willingness to work beyond normal hours to keep the business up and running. I am completely lucky to have such an irreplaceable staff.
**We passed our two year anniversary in October of 2009, and are happy to report that the business did better in its second year than in its first. We at LitLife know how fortunate we are to have loyal customers who make a point of shopping here first, and we are grateful that new customers continue to find us. Let us hope that year three is the best yet.
**LitLife hosted an amazing number of fantastic events in 2009, and hopefully, we will continue that trend into 2010. I loved meeting local authors Maryann Lesert and Kristina Riggle, and discovering the talent that lies in our back yard. I loved being a part of the book launch for The Devil Reads Derrida by James KA Smith and Talking Diamonds by Linda Nemec Foster.
Maryann Lesert
Kristina Riggle
Linda Nemec Foster
I loved hearing the music (and learning of the literary inspirations) of Drew Nelson and Ryan Knott.
Drew Nelson
Ryan Knott
And, just to give you a quick peek, here are some of the events scheduled for 2010 so far. Watch our website for more detailed information.
FIRST SATURDAY FOR KIDS
Deborah Diesen, author of The Barefooted, Bad-Tempered, Baby Brigade
Shutta Crum, author of Thunder-Boomer!
Lauri Keller, author of Arnie the Doughnut
THIRD THURSDAY
Local Poet Showcase
Lori May and Linda Leedy Schneider Poetry Reading
Patricia Clark and GVSU Students Poetry Reading (with Tilling for Table Bake Sale!)
LitLife Poetry Contest Celebration and Chapbook Launch
Catherine Frerichs, author of Desires of the Heart: A Daughter Remembers Her Missionary Parents
**We also rearranged the store a bit in 2009, as we began to hear more from our loyal customers about what they would like to see in the store. Our Fiction section now further extends along our West wall, we have enhanced our Art and Architecture inventory, and we now have a full shelf of Philosophy titles! In addition, we have added a Garden and Lawn cabinet, and found lots of great new books for the Regional shelves. If you have not seen some of the changes at the store, stop by for a personal tour.
**LitLife launched its very own Poetry Contest in 2009, and it was absolutely a blast. We read some amazing poems from our neighbors and customers, published our first chapbook anthology, and celebrated (twice!) with champagne. Now, we are excited to do it all over again. We are in the midst of poetry submissions now for the 2nd Annual Poetry Contest—get your entries in now.
**And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, we at LitLife have completely enjoyed becoming a part of the literary community of Grand Rapids in 2009. We loved talking books with enthusiastic readers. We loved hosting groups of kids during bookstore field trips. We loved sharing ideas with our small business neighbors. We loved providing a venue for great authors, poets, artists, and musicians. Quite simply, we loved being a part of your creative lives, and can only hope to be even more involved in 2010.
Thanks for your business, and thanks for your loyalty. Hope to see you again soon!
- Posted by Roni • Thu, February 11, 2010 - 5:23 pm