Category: Essay

Gargoyle publishes my essay “A Condensed Timeline of My Life Plotted through My Relationships with Libraries”

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles, Essay, Essays

Gargoyle 8 InstagramGargoyle Magazine published my essay “A Condensed Timeline of My Life Plotted through My Relationships with Libraries” on July 1, 2024. Below is an excerpt from the piece, and I honestly hope this essay inspires many people to learn more about the movie Library Wars and to watch it! Here’s an excerpt…

“Books have encouraged revolutions but, on a smaller scale, books have also served to open the world to people who cannot travel. I never traveled outside of the United States until I was 29 years old. But thanks to my library card, I had read stories from around the world. I read about other cultures and histories. I learned that there was a world outside of the small town in which I was raised. I learned that there were other religions. Other beliefs. Other ways of living.”

Read the entire essay here.

The Smart Set publishes my essay “Saudade for Library Book Sales”

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles, Essay, Essays

TSS-Cover-ImageThe Smart Set published my essay “Saudade for Library Book Sales” on May 2, 2024. Below is an excerpt from the piece, which not only waxes poetic about my love of these events, but offers strategies for survival at one. Here’s an excerpt…

“On bag day, I could pick up any book that looked like an interesting read. I’d go back to the poetry section, then move to fiction again, then browse into biography, cookbooks, art history, gardening, and even into self-help. The wish list didn’t matter here, just whether a book caught my attention or not. On $5-a-bag-day, I judged books by their blurbs, their condition, and — yes — by their cover.”

Read the entire essay here.