My friend has a back porch that’s good for reading. It was built onto the house by her friend. The structure holds up a table and chairs nonetheless. Sitting back, you face the long rectangular backyard. We sat there and talked and I also sat there whenever I was alone. In the morning with her sleeping in and our two kids playing with each other in the room, I read Women, Race, and Class by Angela Davis. I liked it and how she tells a full story about what went on from slavery to a more present moment. Where feminism came from, what was the big deal about voting, how people were protesting all along. She also gives background to lesser known figures, all a mix of white black man women.

Anyway I had a couple chapters to go when we must have head out for the day because I left it right there. Out on the porch. Laid out on the table. In the rain outdoors. The book was mostly ruined. It was also one that I still had up for sale on my site. Really, I was trying to rush reading it on my own before someone else bought it. Had to take it down. Damn. Didn’t even get to read the end. Sucks. I could always buy another one but still I hate forgetting my book. Just today I did it in another way. On the last story in Junot Diaz’s Drown. I’ve read the book before but he’s one of my lil favs. Then I was running late, had to go to the chiropractor so I planned to maybe finish it there. Nope. Forgot it right on my bed. Had to just sit around bored.

-Rachel Wagner 2020

Other pieces I wrote on this topic: “How Do You Get Over a Book Hangover?” & “On Books Borrowed and Never Returned” & “Reading bill bissett”