How weird is it to be the most famous librarian in the country?
Very, very weird. With the whole popularity of the action figure and Book Lust, I sometimes feel like I’m watching somebody else’s life unfold. If you were an English teacher, how would you handle the concept of required reading? That’s tough. I think it would be sad to grow up without experiencing certain books–Catcher in the Rye, for example. But I’m not sure there are books that you have to read to be a better person. To me, it’s sad that Dickens is regarded as this dull, dead, white guy that people are forced to read in English class. In his time, he was the Stephen King of his day–his books were exciting, people couldn’t wait to read them. He was a star. One thing that I would love to do as a librarian is to begin to demystify the classics. I think I’d push for a more emotional reading of the books. There are almost 2,000 books listed in Book Lust and another 1,000 or so in More Book Lust. Have you actually read— Yes. CHAS BOWIE Russell Banks Appearing at the Oregon Convention C
