A monthly interview with Bolinas Library readers
Judith Shaw
Judith Shaw is a long time resident of Bolinas, having moved here 22 years ago from Berkeley with her husband, Robert Shaw, opens a new window, a psychiatrist. Throughout her time in Bolinas, she became active in the community, serving as the head of the Bolinas/Stinson Friends, opens a new window of the library for five years, helping to raise money for the new library remodel back in 2001 along with Gail Mace.
In addition to her library work, she served on the board of the Bolinas Fire Protection District, opens a new window for four years and has been a dedicated member of the Bolinas Stinson Community Fund, opens a new window board for the past decade. Early on in her time in Bolinas, she and her husband, Bob also volunteered together, offering tutoring in English for Spanish speakers.
Judith is the author of three books currently in the local collection: Raising Low-Fat Kids in a High Fat World, opens a new window, (1997), Trans Fats: The Hidden Killer in Our Food , opens a new window(2004), and a book of short stories, Catching a Memory, opens a new window (2021)
As she gets ready to transition to a life in Durango, CO to be near her adult children and grandchildren, she has been going through her bookshelves of many years. Here are some of her thoughts.
What came to the forefront at the first go through?
Oddly, the first book that glared at me was Childhood’s End, opens a new window! (Arthur C. Clarke) Given the state of our world now, and its leaders, this seemed almost a miracle, to tumble from the shelf. William Du Bois, opens a new window, said in the New York Times, opens a new window, of Childhood’s End in 1953…”this is well worth the attention of every thoughtful citizen in the age of anxiety…” Yes it truly is, now as well as in 1953 when it was written.
Any recent reads?
One of the books I recently read (twice) isThe Hare with Amber Eyes, opens a new window by Edmund de Waal. As a reader, I would say there is beauty, history, sorrow all mixed as we travel the extraordinary history of family, wealth, Hitler, and the exquisite gems of “Netsuke, opens a new window.” Not incidentally, the author is a world famous English ceramicist.
I have a copy of Yuval Noah Harare’s new book, Nexus,a Brief History of Information Networks From the Stone Age to AI,, opens a new window having just read the prologue. I read parts of Sapiens, opens a new window and know Nexus is a must read for us all.
And continuing on through the shelves:
Naguib Mahfouz’s The Cairo trilogy, opens a new window about the suffering and joys of Egypt in the 1920s. I stop to think- why am I going toward heartache and uncomfortable patriarchy now? Hmmmm!
Then there is more Egyptian lore and history in a wonderful novel by Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red, opens a new window. My cousins spent several years in Egypt studying art, writing, and the history of paper so there was some seduction on their part to lure me to the world they were experiencing. I did not travel to Egypt until 1990.
And then, Michael Pollan! Not his new revelations but my first awareness of him. A Place of My Own, opens a new window, the story of wanting a quiet place, building it, creating a newness, a discovery, for himself. Definitely a read of inspiration.
Oh, there’s The Remains of the Day, opens a new window (Kazuo Ishiguro), The Masters, opens a new window ( C.P.Snow), The Door, opens a new window (Magda Szabo), Things Fall Apart, opens a new window (Chinua Achebe), all of Jim Harrison , opens a new window(except maybe one or two), and the sweet memorial to his wife, About Alice , opens a new windowby Calvin Trillin.
So, of course I have only scoured half of one shelf…there is a book on Jakarta Ceramics,, opens a new window and Agee on Film, opens a new window (James Agee) and bunches of photography books, museum collection and books by friends who have, during time, written very, very well of their wide world experiences, and of their wisdom. One of them is Jeri Laber, opens a new window, a New York City writer and one of the founders of Human Rights Watch, opens a new window.
How do you use the library?
I’m not much of a browser. I’m usually looking up and reading about books from home in various reviews and then I order what I want. I’m a big user of the Link+ system. I like to read books on paper, and rarely look at ebooks or listen to audio books.
Do you have a favorite reading spot?
I read at 2-3 different places in the house, but mostly in a comfortable chair upstairs in the house in the living room.
Why read?
Reading takes me out of my life and allows me to go into a different world. I’m also very curious about language so when there is a word I don’t know, I like to look it up.
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