Revive your Literary Side

I have a ritual with my books – first, to come into possession of book (through some generous source as I rarely buy books), read/inhale/digest the book, write a deeply personal blog post on book, keep book on shelf (if I loved it)/donate book to library (if I didn’t love it)/give book away to anyone who would take it (if one of “those books”)! The ritual, however, was more of a love affair with my Anna Karenina gem of a volume. I bought it well over a year ago on a whim and promptly nursed it on a shelf for months. I did not dare open it for fear of not fully appreciating a masterpiece by the Russian novelist Tolstoy until one day in January, I mustered enough courage to read this opening line.

“All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

It took me one instant to fall in love with Tolstoy and one day to fall in love with Anna K.

Knowing that I had struck a gold mine, I packed her up and took her to Hawaii with me where we were inseparable in paradise; Tolstoy had opened a new world for me. I distinctly remember staring at the pacific ocean one day, feeling robbed for not knowing about such brilliant gems in literature earlier in my life. How can this caliber of writing ever be forgotten and left to collect dust at libraries? How can this novel not be a best seller every day of every year?

Weeks later, I had finished the book, marked 170 favorite passages, written the blog post, and yet could not put her back on the shelf. I needed to do more before a momentary closure with my Tolstoy. I needed to revive the treasures in classic literature.

A podcast reading a fraction of my favorite passages for my readers. That is what I shall do!

That was in April. Sometimes ideas take time to come to life. Today I feel momentarily caught up!

My gift for you today:  First Podcast at Prolific Living

Podcast Length: 14min45sec.
If you are on a mobile device, click here to listen.

A Request for your Impressions of the Audio Podcast:

The first Audio Podcast is an exciting milestone and still far from smooth sailing (just ask my new best friend, Garageband!)  No matter, my cycling teacher says “You gotta start somewhere” and here we are! I am very much looking for your reactions and your impressions. Anything Goes: What you liked, what you wished I had done differently, and what you think of the idea of a monthly or bi-monthly podcast here at Prolific Living? Thank you!