It’s a sickness. It may even be a curse—
—how bonkers we are for books, that is.
bookcase in my studio
It’s true. My partner Sara and I both love books—old books, new books, books on Kindle, iPad, smart phone, Nook.
bookcase in our bedroom
We even have a room in our house dedicated to the storage of books—a library we love, shelves we adore.
one wall in our library
Still books spill over into every room, towering on tables, falling on floors.
bookcase in one of our guest rooms
bookcase in another guest room
the floor beside my chair
But even more than these, we love the library of books we’ve not yet written, prospective texts, potential plots. It’s these with which we’re mostly smitten.
So today I thought I’d share some of my potential titles, the embryos of books I’ve not yet written. Take a look. See if you would read any of these:
- The Rice Paper Diaries A Mafia Childhood
This book about growing up with a father in organized crime is one I might not write for some time, I’ve been thinking recently, as I don’t want to offend anyone still living or image them in a less-than-flattering light. (I could write it sooner in a slightly fictionalized form, perhaps)
The image of rice paper I employ in the title refers to the kind my father used to record bets during the 1970s. It dissolved in water and was flushable—what one needed when FBI agents raided out house—as they did on a number of occasions.
- Leaving the Seclusion Room: A Tale of Madness in America
This book, I’ve also considered calling The Far Side of Sanity, is about my decade’s battle with bipolar disorder. It will describe my multiple psychiatric hospitalizations during the 1990s. This is a story I’m currently working on.
This tale had ended well, as my symptoms are now well-managed by medication, and I live a relatively normal life—as long as you don’t consider my year in Vietnam, or another in Haiti, out of the ordinary.
(To read a post that shares part of this story, click here.)
- Motorbike in my Living Room: A Vietnam Memoir
An older blog that is archived here shares some of this story. My partner Sara and I lived in Vietnam in 2009 and part of 2010.
One thing that struck me strangely, when we lived in Hanoi, was the Vietnamese inclination to park motorbikes in their living rooms at night. This seemed to image for me much of what I thought Americans have misunderstood about the country since the 1960s. It imaged the dysfunction I saw in the US-Vietnamese relationship for more than 40 years—the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about.
- What one Wears to Meet a Former Dictator: Haiti and other Variations on Exile
During the year we lived in Haiti, from 2010-2011, my partner directed earthquake recovery operations for a major international NGO. But also during that time, Haiti endured a cholera epidemic, a botched presidential election, and the return of two former presidents from exile, Jean-Claude Duvalier and Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Just before we left Haiti in mid-March I interviewed the former dictator, Baby Doc Duvalier—a fascinating experience I describe in three posts. Click here to read the first of those called “What does one wear to meet a former dictator?”
The bottom line is this—
We all have stories to tell. I’m not the only one with a library of untold tales.
What books have you not yet written?
Kathryn M. McCullough 
If you write them I will read.
My list of unwritten titles is long, maybe I’ll post about them as well. Right now, however, I’m caught in the struggle of choosing the books that cannot make the journey with us. Sometimes that is so sad. Sigh.
By the way, we’ve got details worked out now. Look for an e-mail from me.
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Bless your heart, Lisa. I’m so sorry you are having to leave books behind. That’s hard. I know how challenging it can be to pack.
I emailed you. Sara and I can’t wait to see you all! So glad you are coming!
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So much great stuff here! This week I mourned at the closest Borders as they prepare to go belly-up. Since Borders used to be Waldenbooks, and I was a Waldenbooks store manager for seven years, weirdness was profound. Will Barnes & Noble be next? Where will we go to touch actual books?
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I know. I was thinking about Borders closing as I was writing this. It would be horribe if Barnes and Noble closed, as well. Ebooks have changed the reading experience, for sure. So strange——————
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Oh, Kathy. Your copy of “Bird by Bird” makes me happy. Also? GET TO WRITING WOMAN. I’m saving up to buy autographed copies of your not-yet-written books!
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The picture of “Bird by Bird” reminded me that I need to add that to my library, but I guess it will have to wait. 😉
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I love Anne Lamott. And Bird by Bird is brilliant!
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Thanks, Tori! How fun it will be to actually have a book to autograph–kind of hard to imagine. Hope you have a great weekend, my friend!
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As Lisa notes…”You write them I will read.”…they all sound interesting to me.
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Thanks so much, Charles. Hope you have a lovely weekend!
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Good Grief! Ya’ll live in a Barnes and Noble! My bookshelf is pretty sparse at the moment…..but it has a spot reserved for YOUR book when you publish it. 🙂
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I know, Mark. We have an insane number of books. It’s almost embarrassing. It’s good to know you will save a spot for my book. I’ll save one for yours, as well.
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I will read your books. Just let me know when they are written. Borders has closed here in Australia too.
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Cool, Deb! I’m so glad you’ll read. I didn’t even know you all had ever had Borders in Australia. Hope you have a great weekend!
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I LOVE books too. I would rather get lost in a great book than do almost anything else. And every time I’m intrigued by the story or moved by an artistic arrangement of words, I wish desperately that I knew how to string enough pieces of a story together to make them a book. And what stories have I yet to tell? I ask myself everyday. Maybe someday I’ll figure it out.
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But you do have great stories to tell, Terri. Your blog about you and your family is delightful. I think you should consider it, my friend! I think you would be surprised. I would read!
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I’m thinking how lovely No Time For Kings would look perched on your impressive bookshelf there. 🙂
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Actually, my friend, I just ordered your book from Barnes & Noble. It will be here in a few days. It will be on our shelves, after I finish reading it–that is! Can’t wait!
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Hey Kathy! I love houses crammed with books. Mine is too.The more the merrier I say!
Maybe one day I’ll get down to reading them all, book by book 🙂
I’d love to write a book some day about being irreligious and living amongst strongly religious people. That would be loads of fun 🙂 But the idea of being executed for blasphemy doesn’t appeal so I guess that’s one book that won’t get written, teehee.
I’d love to read ‘Leaving the Seclusion Room’. Let me know when you publish 😉
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By the way, I gave up on fasting. Couldn’t take it anymore! Feel like such a wuss 😦
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You are not a wuss! Far from it, my dear! Your decision sounds more like sanity to me. There’s no way I would even try, I’m afraid. Good for you for doing what’s necessary to take care of yourself!
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Wow, Munira, I would love, love, love to read your book! Sounds fascinating! Could you not have the book published outside of Pakistan or even under a .pseudonym. We have a bit of this in common, as I struggle with religious extremism in the US, as well–fundamentalist Christianity, in my case.
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I shake thee by the hand, valiant comrade! Fight on we shall! 😀
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Amen, my friend!
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I love all the titles. What a background you have to draw from. How could they not be fascinating stories. Get writing so I can get reading!
Stories I have yet to write – endless but rather than real life they’re fiction grounded in a non-fiction reality.
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Ah, I wish I could write fiction. I love reading it, but I seem to lack the imagination needed to develop a good story. I’d like to read yours, as well! I will get right on the writing–I promise! Thanks so much for reading. I’m honored that you would want to read a memoir I might write!
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I’m looking forward to reading your books, Kathy. 🙂 The photos could have been taken in my home. Our bookshelves overfloweth. And overfloweth some more.
As for my stories and books… hmmm… I’ve led a sort of Forest Gump life but that story has already been told. “Seeing in Frames” might be the start of something, though. 🙂
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Hooray–finally someone with as many books as we have! You have made my day, Robin. Can’t wait read the post you have linked to here. The title is perfect! Love it!
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I love your books and your book ideas and your titles. Alas, I have a novel that is 90% written, now discarded: Rapunzel’s Daughter. It will never see the light of day.
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Oh, Renee–why have you discarded the novel? I would love to read it. Plus, the title is great.
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I will read anything and everything that you publish. Can’t wait! 🙂
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Thanks, dear Dana! I’m happy to have you as a reader.
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I’ve definitely got a book in me, but not sure what it should be called yet. I’m still waiting to reach the “end” of the story so I can start writing 🙂
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I don’t doubt at all that you have a book in you, Heather. And I can’t wait till you write it. I will certainly read it!
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This post inspired me! I’m a complete book-aholic! Hope you have a minute to read my entry today about books 🙂
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I read your post about Haiti books–really well done. I too love Paul Farmer. Have you read his biography by Tracy Kidder called “Mountains Beyond Mountains?” It may be my all-time favortite.
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Also forgot to say that while I’d read anything you write, I of course have a personal interest in your stories from your time in Haiti. Would absolutely love to add your book to my Top 10 list (from my entry today)!!
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Ah, thank you! I would be honored to be on your list. Actually, don’t think I could ever deserve to be in the company you include there, but it’s fun to think about.
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I love all your books and bookshelves. And that even though you do read e-books, you’ve still got a lot of “real” ones.
Your prospective books titles are great! You come up with such interesting titles – also for you blog posts.
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Thanks so much, Lisa! I love playing with titles. It’s kind of a game for me. Weird, isn’t it? And it’s true. I have a Kindle and use it all the time, but I have to have the real thing, as well–don’t know why. Maybe that means I just really, really love books.
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