Debra Landwehr Engle

I grew up loving books. Some of my earliest memories are of trips to the grand old library in downtown Des Moines, where we'd pull book after book off the shelves in the children's section and carry them home with great anticipation. I still remember the feel of those books, and the smell of the pages and bindings that had been loosened and wrinkled by so many readers who loved the books as much as I did. One of my sisters (I'm the youngest of six kids) and I had an ongoing contest to see who could read the most Newbery Award books. At the library, we'd pick up bookmarks that listed all the award winners, then we'd lose ourselves in Islands of the Blue Dolphins, Up a Road Slowly and A Wrinkle in Time. Today, books continue to nourish me—as both a reader and author. I find that, when I write, I do exactly the same things as when I read: sink deep into a story, experience “ah-ha” moments that make me put the book down for a moment to catch my breath, and see myself and the world in new ways. Years ago, in meditation, I suddenly had an image of myself sitting in front of a coffee table covered with books that I'd written or contributed to. This was before my first book was published, so I was VERY surprised (and intrigued!) to see those volumes, looking as if they already existed. I had the sense that writing them had been easy—that they had created themselves. Now, several books later, I can tell you they weren't always easy:) But each had a reason for being written—-a story that needed to be told, an inspiration that insisted on being shared, a message that was determined to change the world. I think of a book as the fulfillment of a contract between the author who follows her internal guidance, and the readers who select the book—hopefully with the same anticipation my sister and I had for those Newbery Award winners. Books come about because, as writers and readers, we say yes to a seed of inspiration and then allow it to grow within us. "We read to know we're not alone," said C.S. Lewis’ character in Shadowlands. I’m happy, and infinitely grateful, to write for the same reason.