“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you.” ~ Anne Lamott
Anne Lamott is one of my favorite authors. I keep her books close by – she’s taught me about writing and faith, fiction and biography, the human heart’s resilience even when faced with the toughest human conditions. She made me realize the wonder of thoughtful writing.
I use books and writing to take me away. When I was younger, I used them as a way to let my imagination travel. They would help me consider new possibilities; they helped me learn how to dream bigger and brighter. In books, there are no boundaries, and so I realized the same was true of life.
In many ways, I became a writer to pay it forward. Books made me free, even when my circumstances seemed so binding. I wanted to give that gift to someone else, anyone else who wanted as extraordinary life as I want. Books and writing give us a way to give and to get exactly what we need.
Christa Avampato 