A Literacy Movement: Celebrating “Read Tuesday”
Speaking of the globe, I awoke yesterday morning to find that Humayoon Babur, an Afghan journalist in Kabul who received my book from a friend in Michigan, shared Flashes of War with his close contacts. This photo was taken in the home of an Assistant Professor at Baglhan University:
Humayoon reports that these young men most enjoyed “That Sunday Morning Feeling” and “Stars Over Afghanistan.”
It’s difficult to describe how seeing this photo made me feel. In some regards, it brings to life the stories I imagined in a way I never considered before. Each book an author writes has the capacity to return something to the writer in its own unique way. This is one of those things that only a book about these wars could have done. But in other ways, it makes me feel further away. There’s a little part of me in Afghanistan now, and it’s very likely I’ll ever go there to unite with it. What would I say, if I visited for a day? What could I offer or do? I can only envision myself as a fly on the wall, taking in as much as possible, humbled and overwhelmed by the chance to finally experience–on the level of the five senses–a world I have tried to bring to life for myself for the last three years.
In other book news, I was interviewed by a war literature blogger in New York City. It was so refreshing to speak with someone 6 whole months after the book launch. I have a different perspective on my own work now, and interviewer Rebecca Forbes had incredibly precise, insightful questions. If you’d like to read about the military-civilian divide, the specters of guilt and silence, and my writing process, please visit Profound Flashes: Q&A with Author Katey Schultz.
Finally, tonight you can tune in live through online streaming to hear an excerpt from Flashes of War and an on-air interview as I speak with the hosts of KFAI Minneapolis public radio from 7-8pm (Central Standard Time) for their “Write On!” show. I think I’ll be reading from the opening pages of “Getting Perspective,” a story set in Western North Carolina.
On Thursday, I’ll post a list of books I’m recommending as gifts this year–poetry, fiction, and memoir. I’m very excited to share some of my favorite authors with you, so stay tuned!
