All About Me in 28 Days (Day 12)

Again, running behind in this meme, which makes me sad, but, what can you do?

Today, we are sharing our favorite band or artist. There are many bands and artists that appeal to me. But, as for sheer love of their works, my favorite has got to be an author (or two or three).

I think that the best reason that I can offer that there are three is that they are all part of different genres in literature. The first is William Shakespeare. Love the plays. LOVE them! I studied Shakespeare as my major figure in college to get my English degree. I have been unmistakably influenced by the works of this man and seeing his plays. Some of my best memories from teaching for years are those where I was able to help a student really “get” the plays and taking them into Atlanta (what culture shock for them!) to see them performed. It was mezmerizing, each and every time.

Next would be Philippa Gregory. She is kind of in a related genre to Shakespeare. She write historical fiction–really good historical fiction. It’s the kind of historical fiction where you are totally engrossed in the reading because you really are there.

Ms. Gregory writes (after amazing research) primarily about the courts of England in the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance–a subject that is right up my alley. Her two latest novels go back into the end of the Dark Ages to set the stage for battles between the houses of Lancaster and York in the War of the Roses.

Finally, I have to give a mention to the works of Alexandra Stoddard. She doesn’t really write fiction or novels, per se. She writes from her heart about living a purposeful life full of beauty and grace. I can’t say that I have achieved the goals of living a life of beauty, but I am surely influenced by her thoughts and her desire to not give into the mundane and dull. Life is worth living, so why not live it surrounded by beauty (not necessarily expensive beauty, but beautiful things that you enjoy or are sentimental). I think this is a great reminder in this overly hectic modern life.