For October’s publication – I sent this prompt to the writers. Dear Writers: Due on 1st September, our October release. (I was also inspired during my commute.) Theme: THREE BOOKS THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE (1) Each writer will list three books. (2) One paragraph per book, so each article will be three paragraphs long (no more than 1000 words). (3) Each paragraph will be accompanied by a photograph of the book being described. Tell your readers why each book affected you and how it changed or altered your sense of self; your life. Sincerely yours, -Professor Rougier I have two primary loves in my life—libraries and the ocean; the library, for teaching me how to become self-reliant and to see the world anew, always with ‘open eyes’ and the ocean, for allowing me to dream and to imagine things beyond the horizon. As a young boy, education was light; it illuminated things in the shade, things that were always there but not always clearly visible. This light on many occasions came in the form of a book. My three books are: To Kill a Mockingbird, A Stranger to History: A Son’s Journey through Islamic Lands and A Brighter Sun. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird—I was taking a literature class in high school and it completely changed my life. It gave me courage when I needed it most—Gem, Scout, Atticus, Boo, Dill and Calpurnia became my family (and have remained as such). I still own the same copy from when I was 14 or 15 years old—it’s used and still absolutely stunning, as a woman who ages with grace and elegance, convinced of herself because her beauty is within and not without. Aatish Taseer’s A Strange to History—I was sitting at a bungalow in Nepal having breakfast and reading the international section of the New York Times when I came across an article by Aatish. (I was in my early 30s.) Upon my return to the United States, I ordered A Stranger to History. His book allowed me to see my family members for who they are, for their ‘genius and for their daimōn’. This book did two things for me—helped me see my father not only as Dad but as a person and, it re-shaped my understanding of the Subcontinent, which is one of my research areas. Sam Selvon’s A Brighter Sun—Miss K.T., my English Literature teacher in high school and my first role model, academically. She pushed and supported my intellectual curiosities. My love for Caribbean—more so West Indian—literature started with her and her love for words and the written form. (I also read To Kill a Mockingbird in that same class.) These three books transcend boundaries, by giving light, vision, and foresight to readers across the globe. My advice to our readers, especially youths and young adults, is to continue reading and finding anew, yourself, within the majestic pages of a beautifully worded book. Sunsets & Sailboats,
-A.L.R
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