I was well into my thirties before I discovered the true JOY of reading fiction. Until then I had clung to plays and non-fictions. However, as a mother of four babies I needed some form of escape. That is when I discovered that I could live in different lands, in different eras than my own. I would read at night after my children were asleep....
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I was well into my thirties before I discovered the true JOY of reading fiction. Until then I had clung to plays and non-fictions. However, as a mother of four babies I needed some form of escape. That is when I discovered that I could live in different lands, in different eras than my own. I would read at night after my children were asleep. When I was given the opportunity to return to college and complete my degree in Theater Education, I had to choose a minor. Fortuitously, I chose English---"and that has made all the difference."
I have been teaching English (and English teachers) for over twenty years now. While I still enjoy the honesty of non-fiction, especially biography and autobiography, I have come to savor the best historical fiction I can lay my hands on. There are only a handful of authors about whom I can say, "I have read ALL their books." And here is that list, which I call My Favorite Authors: Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, John Grisham, Philippa Gregory, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Dr. Suess, and Maeve Binchy.
As a theater professor with BA and MA in Theater History, I have read hundreds of plays. My favorite playwrights include Moliere, Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Horton Foote, Neil Simon, Wendy Wasserstein and Israel Horovitz. Of course, Shakespeare reigns supreme!
My favorite children's books are "The Polar Express" and "The Velveteen Rabbit." It thrills me to see my granddaughters enamored of books. They will all be successful in this life as a result!
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