I can tell you a lot about rabbit warrens; not necessarily their scientific side, like what makes them structurally sound or how far they reach below the earth, but what it feels like to dig them with one’s paws or weave down a tunnel’s narrow twists and turns. This might seem strange, seeing as I’m a human and remain securely aboveground—but that’s where the realm of fiction comes in.
Watership Down, a book told from the perspective of rabbits, is one of my alltime favorite stories. My love for this book not only stems from the author’s perspicacious depictions of themes like heroism, freedom, individuality, and leadership, but from my warm childhood memories of my dad reading Watership Down to me and my brother at night, engrossing my attention so fully that it felt like I was the one searching for a new warren and I was playing a game of rabbit politics. I laughed during the story’s highs and cried during its lows. I hung onto every word with bated breath. This nightly ritual of reading with my family cemented in my heart that literature connects us to the people and world around us—a life without reading would be a drab, dull affair indeed.
Ever since these early days of living vicariously through stories, I couldn’t imagine a future for myself that didn’t involve reading and writing. I love doing things—like climbing, surfing, backpacking, running, painting, drawing, writing—but at the end of the day, nothing makes sense of our experiences quite like literature. It’s the looking class through which life takes on color.
These days, I’m honored to share my passion for great books with our friends at Blackbird & Company. If we can help children take one step on their journey to read well, write well, think well, I consider ours a job well done.
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