Why (not what) do you read?
Welcome to But Then You Read!
When people ask me what made me want to become a writer, I always tell them I was a reader first. Before I had my first content writing job, before I decided to major in journalism, and even before I won an essay contest during my senior year of high school, I just really liked good stories.
The first good story I remember falling in love with is “Tsuru no Ongaeshi,” or “The Crane Wife,” which is a Japanese folk tale my mom used to read to me when I was little. The story appeared in one of those “My Fun with Learning” anthologies alongside a lot of other great tales from around the world.
“The Crane Wife” has a few different versions, but the gist of the tale is about a bird who becomes human in order to be a suitable wife to a man who ultimately didn’t deserve her. Now, why did that story resonate so strongly with a 7-year-old Black girl living in Georgia in the 90s that she grew up, became a writer, and got the crane wife tattooed on her left thigh?
Well, that’s what this newsletter is about - investigating the reasons why certain stories leave their mark on us.
There’s this quote I love by James Baldwin, in which he says, much more eloquently of course, what I’m trying to say now. I hope he wouldn’t mind me borrowing his phrasing for the title of my newsletter.
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” ― James Baldwin
My point is this: there is a reason we love the books that we love, a reason beyond plot lines or character development, or even satisfying sentence structures (and trust me, I ADORE a long, winding sentence). We love books because of how they mirror ourselves back to us, how they transform or heal something in us, and how they connect us with the world.
I don’t think the 7-year-old in me could’ve articulated this, but now I know that I loved “The Crane Wife” because I saw myself in this mythical bird-turned-human with a tendency to people please, to shrink, to compromise herself to death. The older I got, the more sense it made. When I summarize the story to people, often they say something like, “that’s so sad” or “how depressing.” But it’s not sad if you’re the bird. If you’re the bird, then by the end of this story, you’ve learned that not everyone will be worthy of your gifts. If you’re the bird, you learned to stop picking out your own feathers for the sake of someone who doesn’t appreciate their beauty. (Being familiar with the story at a young age didn’t stop me from having to learn this lesson over and over again, believe me.)
So, this newsletter is NOT about reviewing books or giving them ratings. There are plenty of platforms for that and it’s safe to assume I liked all of the books mentioned here. Instead, each post will be about what certain books taught me, and how they inspired, healed, or even transformed me as both a writer and a person.
There will, of course, also be musings about life and writing, because for me, all of these things are intertwined. I recently moved from Savannah, GA to Washington, DC, which has been exciting and scary and perfect all at once. Leaving behind all the responsibilities of one city (nonprofit boards, freelancing assignments, weekly oyster dates with the besties) has given me quite a lot of free time. I’m thrilled with the way that free time has transformed my reading (and writing) habits. I’m reading more indulgently, spending whole Saturdays curled up on the couch with a book just because I can. My boyfriend and I have reinstated our two-person book club, so I’m getting to yap about the books we choose together instead of reading and processing alone.
And, I’m being much more intentional about the books I choose to read because I’m looking for very specific inspiration for a new writing project. After years of living in the world of strictly nonfiction, I’m ready to make some shit up, i.e. write a novel. (More on that in later posts, I’m sure.)
It’s been a while since I’ve written “just for me,” aka without a promised paycheck. But I’m hopeful that through reading, and thinking and writing critically about what I’m reading, I’ll find my own voice again.
I don’t yet have a plan for how often I’ll post, though I’m sure it’ll be no more than twice a month. I’ll start with some children’s and YA books I loved as a young reader, but I’ll be sure to work in some current reads as well. If you’re reading, I hope you comment! I’d love to know if you’d read the books I’m writing about or if you have book suggestions for me.
If you connect with any of this, tell me why (not just what) you read.
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More about me? Okay, fine.
I imagine the first people reading this newsletter are my friends and family, but in case you stumbled on this page simply because you, too, love books…
I’m Ariel. I was born and raised in GA, but recently moved to DC with my boyfriend (also a writer). I’m a travel journalist, essayist, and brand content strategist by trade--all of which are just fancy ways to say I like telling stories as much as I like reading them. You can read all that stuff here.
I read a wide variety of genres. I like checking out the bestsellers lists, but I’m also happy to browse bookshelves and choose my next read based on the vibes of the cover. You can find my more traditional starred reviews of books on Storygraph. My handle is readingmermaid.
When I’m not reading, you can find me museum hopping, telling my 2 cats how much I love them, buying too many plants, or baking something sweet. Years ago, I had a blog called “Books & Batter” where I baked and decorated cupcakes based on books and book covers. It was cute - see?
