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Margret has been an active member of Writers Co-op for several years, and has written a number of posts for us. She has had stories published in Sci-Fi Lampoon Magazine and other publications, but has a love/hate relationship with the story market in general. Her love of reading started early.
My earliest reading memory
My mother reading Winnie the Pooh books to me under a tree in the park. I believe I was able to follow most of the words between looking at the pictures. Although I had been reading before Kindergarten, I really got into it in the 1st grade. “Sally, Dick, and Jane” was my crack, and I dragged my grandparents all over Manhatten trying to find more of those books. They unfortunately were not attainable. We also had this deal in the same 1st-grade class that if we read ten books, we’d get a free Little Golden Book. I earned a bunch of them.
My favorite book growing up
I loved the Beverly Cleary books, Judy Blume, and when I hit Junior High School, Douglas Adams.
I remember the scandal of me getting the book “Forever” when I was in the 6th grade and reading it in my grandparent’s apartment one weekend when we were visiting. Everyone was sitting, snacking, and chatting in the living room when I asked “What’s a virgin?” To which my grandmother snapped “You are.” Then there was a lot of hemming and hawing trying to explain what a virgin was. Somehow they managed to explain it without any graphic descriptions.
Every girl in the sixth grade read and passed that book around. We all giggled about Ralph and bookmarked the juicy scenes.
In the seventh grade, it was “Flowers in the Attic”. It was trashy and fun and even some of the guys read it. I remember this dude in woodshop doing this whole verbal description of the book as we were building our mini picnic bench condiment holders. It was hysterical. Wow, I haven’t thought about that in years.
The book that changed me as a teenager
“Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”. Although Star Trek had already been embedded in my psyche. Adams only solidified my geekiness. I would never be “normal” again.
The writer who changed my mind
Again, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. The book made me stop wearing digital watches. To this day, I will only wear a digital watch if it’s a fitness watch or something utilitarian like that. Otherwise, analog it is.
The book that made me want to be a writer
There really wasn’t a book that pushed me that way. At least none that I can remember. I was writing from the sixth grade. But, yes, writing SF was most likely a result of Douglas Adams.
The book I could never read again
“The Real Story” Stephen R. Donaldson. I was totally into it when I read it. However, when I think back to the plot, there were some very misogynistic themes in there. I’m not throwing shade at Donaldson. It was well written. I’m just at a point in my life where my perspectives have changed.
The book I am currently reading
I’m reading a lot of crit group stuff. Most recently Christopher Keene’s “The Toxicology Trilogy”. The first book “The Wandering Poisoner” was recently released and is pretty awesome.
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