The Summer of Reading

This happens to me every summer. I do great with my writing and submission goals during the end of May and June and then, when July hits, I seem to bury myself in mundane tasks -- like finishing the big stack of to-read books I have piled in our spare bedroom. And just in case I run out of books, I can walk three blocks to the local public library to restock my reading needs. No problem.

My latest read is Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences by Matthew Christopher. This is really a coffee table book as it is a pictorial tour of different ruins in America. Included next to the drawings are descriptions of the history of each place. I grew up in the Rust Belt, so I automatically think of abandoned factories when I think of deserted places, and yes, Christopher's book does contain plenty of pictures of industry's past, but what I found even more heartbreaking were the deserted theaters and prisons: theaters because of all of the great art that was once present and prisons because of the human cruelty that once took place in the cells and staircases. While I have seen many contemporary artists try to find beauty in American ruins, I truly enjoyed Christopher's exploration of time, history and place.