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Well Read in the City of Literature - Ethel Barker

Ethel Barker is an author and a retired reading educator in Iowa City. Her forthcoming book is entitled For The Love of Pete: Riding the Orphan Train (Ice Cube Press). It is being released in October 2012

Background: As a child I lived in Illinois, Iowa, and California but have been a permanent Iowa resident since 1951. Education, Grand View College (AA degree), University of Iowa (BA and MAT degrees). Taught Title One reading at Northwest Junior High, did substitute teaching in English, and managed family apartment business.

Family: Husband, Ed Barker, first Principal of West High School (1968-1979). Children: David Barker (Sarah Richardson), Jim Barker (Anna Barker), Alice Miller (Mark Miller), Susan Dresdale. Grandchildren: Eric Miller, Katie Miller, Jacob Dresdale, Anna Dresdale, Gabriel Dresdale, Meg Richardson, Will Barker, Nicholas Barker, Thomas Barker, Emma Barker.

Favorite quote about reading: "Live always in the best company when you read." Sydney Smith (1771-1845). Since life is short and time limited, it is important to choose the best books and to read them more than once if you find them worthwhile.

Many writers and artists find Iowa a haven for their artistry. What is it about Iowa that draws writers and other artists to our state? Speaking for myself, Iowa is the setting I inevitably choose to write about. It has been my home for most of my life and is the place where I feel at peace. Over the years a deep love of the land, the people, the landscape, and the culture has grown, and all of this feeds my imagination as a story teller.

The only UNESCO City of Literature in the USA is Iowa City. Does this surprise you? Iowa City is full of book lovers, also, many authors and artists. I can almost always find a friend who shares my interest in a particular book. It is a fine experience to attend readings at Prairie Lights or at Barnes and Noble. Also, the city is full of book clubs. Books are discussed in homes, stores, restaurants, churches, and at picnic tables. I enjoy reading the literary quotes as I walk along the downtown sidewalks. I have attended the University of Iowa's Summer Writing Festival for at least eight summers and have found these really rewarding. In summer there are the book festivals, readings in used and rare book shops, and sometimes even readings on the sidewalk. What a great town!

Are there any books/authors that influenced your life?
The first would be the Bible, then mythology and fairy tales. As a child I particularly enjoyed Heidi and Little Women. I have read much of Mark Twain's work, also Hemingway, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck,Thoreau, Rolvaag, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Austen, Dickens, and Eliot. I loved reading Homer's Odyssey and Iliad. I greatly enjoyed reading Njal's Saga and numerous other Icelandic Sagas. Since my heritage is Scandinavian (both parents were Danish) I have enjoyed reading books by Selma Lagerlof, Sigrid Undset, and Vilhelm Moberg. There are so many more favorites, but it would take too much space to list all of them. Reading is one of life's greatest joys.

Is there a book you go back to read over and over again?
I have re-read many of the above listed books a second and even a third time. I enjoyed multiple readings of Huckleberry Finn, Walden, The Great Gatsby, Madame Bovary, Great Expectations, and many others. During the first reading I am usually so immersed in the story line that I miss many details. It is difficult to say goodbye to a good story, and if this is how I feel, I read it again. If it is a great book the second or third readings reveal different levels of understanding that I missed the first time through. Finding these is exciting and powerful.

What books are on your list that remain to be read? I would like read all of the "Great Books" and many on the current lists that are winning awards. Unfortunately, time is limited, and so is the length of life, but I will persevere as long as I am able.

Is there a book that you most often give as a gift? A good dictionary makes a fine gift, also a thesaurus, an almanac, or an atlas. Most anybody can benefit from these. I am a little more careful in giving books of fiction or even non-fiction, trying to make choices that fit the recipient's taste and interest.

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