[stylist] What have you been reading?

[Lynda Lambert]

My reading the past month or two has not been extensive because I was traveling out of the country in April and May, and in-between have been  working in the studio. I don't listen to books when I am traveling because I want to keep my focus on where I am and to really see in depth the place, the people and the wonderful things that are there. I do not travel just to check it off on my bucket list, but I travel because I want to know the place well and really appreciate all of it.

When I am making art,  I listen to great music. Classical, or cultural music from the places I have visited. I like ethnic and cultural music very much. When I listen to it I am transported back to those moments when I was there in person.

Right now, I am reading a collection of essays on spiritual matters.  Spirituality is right on my front burner, all the time.

This book is _The Best American Spiritual Writing 2006_ which is absolutely fantastic. Many of the writers in the book are some of my favorite authors of books I have taught at the college in my literature courses. One in particular that I like so much is Wendell Barry - not sure if I spelled that right.

I am still reading _Simple Abundance_ by Sarah Ban Breathnach_ and that one is a day by day reading so I will just be reading it for an entire year one little bit at a time.

I was reading an extensive book on a 19th century French writer - but I just quit it because after listening to quite a lot, I was no interested enough to endure the rest of it. It was on Flaubert, and since I am not very knowledgeable on Flaubert's work, I had a hard time connecting with this biography. Maybe another time, after I read "Madam Boviary" some day.

I just read _Want Fries with That? Obesity  and the Supersizing of America_ by Scott Ingrfam. This book was very informative, full of information of learning to eat a healthy and nutritional  way. I love books on fitness and health and this is a priority in my own life style. I am an enormous _Body for Life_ book by Bill Phillips and I live by his fitness and nutrition plan.

I have two other books on the back burner and intend to read them soon.
_Melville: His World and Work_ by Andrew Delbanco   and _What Happy Women Know_ by Dan Baker and Cathy Greenburg.

The other thing I am doing is the 12 day Energy Healing Conference. Today is Day FIVE for it.

Every day, I get a new post from a different author and I am reading them, or watching the videos, or checking out the links for more information. 

So my reading comes in between the other things in my daily life - my daily workouts at the gym, long cardio walks with my dogs, making pottery, and jewelry, writing poetry, blog articles,  keeping a very active Face Book presence, working with animal rescue, and doing exhibitions of my work. 


My reading, I think, is a kind of glue that holds me all together and gives me inspiration. I am often inspired by reading the posts by some writers here on the list who write from the gut, those who understand intuition and follow that path.

One thing I know for sure, to be able to write well, you have to be reading and learning new things and doing research all the time. The more we uncover, the deeper we have to dig for more and more. Eve just spoke about that in her emails here, and she is so right on.


Gehen Sie mit Gott und Schmetterlinge
 Lynda  River Woman