Unfinished Business

So many books, so little time.

It’s that time of year when every news outlet, publisher and Facebook friend shares their “best of” book lists from the year prior. I have a love/hate relationship with this practice. I love it because it helps me determine what books to add to my want list, but I hate it because it reminds me how little time I actually have to read.

The thing is, I LOVE to read. Always have. As a kid, reading was my biggest escape. I used to carry a book with me wherever I went. Same thing happened when I went to college, got a job and took on the real world. Books were always my refuge.

Around the time I had kids, I noticed the books piling up. I had a lot to read, but very little time to do it. My bedside table often had two, three even five titles in some stage of completion. I’d get deep into a book after the kids went to bed and vow to finish at least five or six chapters, only to wake up in the middle of the night, book open on my chest and the light still on.

Eventually, reading became something I only did on vacation. I’d bring five or six books with me, wherever we went, and devour them all in the course of a week. It wasn’t ideal but it hit the spot.

Once I got divorced, I started filling the bookshelf again. I made it a point to buy titles that had long been on my want list. I searched for works by authors I’d loved for years and whose stories I’d missed. Reading was, again, the perfect escape and I found myself in love again, both with myself and with reading.

It’s been a few years and I’m proud to say my library is full again. My fiancee jokes that I should buy more shelves to hold all of my books. (Thanks, babe, for encouraging me to read more.)

The problem again, is time. I have a full-time job, three busy teenagers, a love of travel and a growing commitment to several charitable causes. When I lay down at night, sleep comes quickly making an evening of reading a far away thought. Like the kids’ early years, I’m finding that pile next to the bed is growing. I’ll read a chapter or two and add it to the stack. I flip between books and genres, which can be somewhat confusing at times, but it fills the space and time I have. And, on vacation, I remember to pack a few titles, just in case.

The stack pictured above is “in progress”. It’s a diverse grouping, too, but every single book speaks to me in some way. Whether I’m able to read 10 pages or 110, I’m devouring thoughts about joy, fun, justice, history, love and even leadership. Some stories inspire, others open my eyes to something new. And even if I haven’t read them all start to finish, I’m on my way, and I’m committed to completing the task.

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Las Vegas and brought along two books. I was only able to finish one but still felt like I had accomplished something. Funny enough, I noticed it was on several “best of” lists for 2022. Yeah, I may be behind on my reading list but my tastes, well, I still got it.

What Inspires Me?

I’m very passionate about equal rights for LGBTQ folks in Iowa, particularly young people. In that vein, I support several organizations who are on the front line of the fight for those rights—Iowa Safe Schools and One Iowa Action, in particular. This week, just three days into the new session, state legislators dropped a “Don’t Say Gay” bill similar to one enacted in Florida. The response here at home was swift and I was so impressed how folks educated, rallied and organized supporters eager to defend their LGBTQ friends and loved ones. When the world feels like it’s so full of hate, it’s humbling to see such huge acts of love.

The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative

I am honored to be a part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. We are a group of professional writers producing columns on the Substack platform of interest to an Iowa audience. To receive a weekly roundup of our columnist links each Sunday, subscribe here: Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.

We came together to address a growing lack of local commentary around the state. Many towns have lost their local newspaper, and others are producing less opinion writing. The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative connects writers to readers in an ad-free format. You can subscribe at no charge, but if you can support their work, we encourage you to become a paid subscriber to as many as possible. They are as follows:

Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights

Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll

Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines

Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake

Suzanna de Baca Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley

Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County

Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji

Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames

Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla

Dana James: New Black Iowa, Des Moines

Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo

Fern Kupfer: Fern and Joe, Ames

Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey

Tar Macias: Hola Iowa, Iowa

Kurt Meyer, Showing Up, St. Ansgar

Kyle Munson, Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines

Jane Nguyen, The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines

John Naughton: My Life, in Color, Des Moines

Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines

Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politic Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices, Kalona

Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County

Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport

Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines

We are proud to have an alliance with Iowa Capital Dispatch.