Inspiration Does Come from Reading

 

    Recently I saw a tweet that asked if writers need to read.

    My first reaction was, "Duh..."

    But I actually responded with something like "Absolutely."

    The question brought back memories of a few students who said they wrote or composed music. Many of them said they did not read or listen to others, they just wrote or composed. I would smile and say they need to read or listen. Anything I wanted to say would have resulted in a parental conference and would have been as cruel as it was accurate.

     The Beatles did not become the greatest band ever by ignoring the music around them. Writers read voraciously Right now I cannot think of an example, but you get the idea.

     For Christmas, I received a copy of Ron Rash's Eureka Mill. The poems deal with his family's transition from farming to working in textile mills. Excellent poems and it got me thinking about my own family. Three of my four grandparents immigrated to the USA; the fourth was conceived in Europe but born here. 

     This weekend I plan to start. 

      What inspired me:      

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/eureka-mill_ron-rash/1860095/item/29727250/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAn4SeBhCwARIsANeF9DJwuZ6FFVAqSSEPXByto1j9QaOfpdMEnMiNkPgDgotMm_2f_ft-Bw4aAmxvEALw_wcB#idiq=29727250&edition=19918470

My poetry:   

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

My novel:

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county