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Thank you Silkstone, for this open call regarding not necessarily our favorite books, but the ones that were most influential in our lives.  It's a wonderful self-reflection exercise and I'm looking foward to what the lists will tell us about their bloggers.

The Once and Future King by T. H. White taught me about using intelligence to solve problems and that even the worst betrayals can be survived with grace.  I read it when I was about 11, and its voice has followed me ever since.

Harriet the Spy by Luise Fitzhugh was my favorite book when I was a child.  I was an overweight, unpopular kid and Harriet taught me about humor, forgiveness, and the importance of keeping journals if you want to be a writer.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, for all its blindness about life for American enslaved peoples, was the first cultural pnenomina I became aware of that starred a smart, practical, powerful woman with unrelenting ambition.  I first read the book at age 10, and must have seen the movie (in the theater!) at least twenty times.  I was blind to Scarlett's cruelties and wanted to be her.

The American Bicentennial Series by John Jakes. I was taught American History by the high school football coach with an experimental text book that gave one entire page to the American Civil War.  It was supposed to be a book used to spark discussion, but instead, my teacher discussed the previous week's game with the football players in the class.  Because of John Jakes, I scored the highest score on an American History test in my high school.

You Just Don't Understand by Barbarah Tannen taught me extremely useful skills in interpreting the difference between the way men and women communicate.  I filter conversations with her ideas every day.

Women's Ways of Knowing by  Mary Belenky (et al) taught me that women and men learn differently and respond to learning differently.  It changed how I saw myself as a scholar-- I no longer saw the male "norm" as "the right way," but only as "another way."

Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum gave me a useful definition of "racism," explained the concept of racial identity and generally gave this white girl a lot of useful information about race/ethnic identity in a non-threatening format.

The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck gave me the courage I needed to seek counseling, which probably saved my life.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley, taught me history, introduced me to a world of which I was completely unfamiliar, and inspired me that the courage to change one's focus and act for the betterment of humankind can happen to anyone at any time of their lives.

The Elements of Style by Strunk and White is still the best compendium for good writing.  I use its advice every day.

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg, is about the findings of the Jesus Seminar.  It reaffirmed my belief that social justice was a key ingredient in the Jesus-the-man's philosophy, and that modern organized religion is about something altogether different than who Jesus probably was.

Acting Professionally, by Robert Cohen (a book bought for me by my father which states, in a nutshell, "if you ever want to be an artist don't do it because it's too hard to make a living") did not daunt my wish to work in the artistic profession.  Thank God for that.