THE FUSE

Can one ever have enough books? My father never thought so. My mother couldn’t wait to clear the bookshelves in her house after he passed away. I follow my father and his precious memory in this matter. I have a very packed library – mostly of secondhand paperbacks. Books that I can afford to buy, and crucially, books that I cannot wait to read. As a writer, my library is an essential part of my craft. I come back to books that I have had on my shelf for 20 years, or even longer. I flip through the pages to find the exact wording of a barely remembered phrase or idea. I sometimes google of course, but there is deep value in turning the pages. The old sentences and paragraphs coming alive again in memory, showing you things you never expected to rediscover.