I would like to welcome Ken La Salle to fundinmental, as he shares his thoughts about Sherry-ing books (lol)

Nobody ever tells you what’s going to happen to your books.

Most of us, if we’re readers, probably have a few books up on a shelf. Those more devoted of us have books on a few more shelves, and in a box somewhere, maybe filling our storage units. Or is that just me?

Either way, we go through our lives, reading, buying books, buying some more books, and maybe buying even more books. Do you know what you’re going to do with your books?

Because, until recently, I had no idea. I’m 56 years old and have no children and started to think my books would simply get donated to charity after I passed, or burned in a fire at the end of a long line along with a sled named Rosebud.

Until recently, that is.

While I’m not a father, I should also mention that I’m not the best uncle in the world, either. My favorite nephew, Hayden, recently turned 16. He’s a great kid but a bit too good, if you know what I mean. I decided that what he needs is a bit of corruption, a little taste of subversion.

You might think of subversion as “trolling” or being a contrarian but it’s more than that. Subversion is about seeing the world more as it is than we would like it to be and undercutting those systems or inclinations we might have towards ignoring reality. I wanted to help my nephew learn to see everything he was taught in school not to consider, and did it with books.

It didn’t take a lot of books. Only six. My directions instructed him to hold on to them, not to push himself into reading them but to read them at his leisure. You can’t force subversion, after all.

These books included:

A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift. I read this in high school and didn’t believe anyone could be as deliberate and cutting, certainly not before my time. Eating Irish children may not be Sunday manners but I felt it was just right for a 16 year old boy.

Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs. One of the least wholesome books you’ll ever want to read and also no pushover. The book takes thought to understand while it’s pushing out images of talking posteriors; what more could a boy want?

Bluebeard, Kurt Vonnegut. I gave this book to my father for his 50^th birthday but he refused to read it because it had swear words. I figured my nephew would appreciate them. And, for my money, Vonnegut rarely wrote so beautifully.

Little Mike, Yours truly. Here’s how I introduced this book to my nephew: “The world’s going to shit, but that doesn’t mean we can’t see it for something more. That’s what subversion is all about.”

The Pinball Effect, James Burke. Non-fiction can be just as subversive as fiction and, while James Burke was no revolutionary, he taught the essential lesson of connection, showing how everything in our world is connected to everything else, physically, historically, you name it.

A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn. An honest history of the United States. A way to love your country without making excuses for it. I think young Americans (not the David Bowie kind) can use a message like this.

The Worst Case Scenario Handbook. This was more of a pamphlet than a book but it was given to me at a young age and, while I never read it cover to cover, picking it up and reading it now and then reminded me of my mortality. And, though my nephew isn’t nearly the rabble rouser his father or I had been in our youth, a little insurance is never a bad thing.

This box of books was never intended as homework. I would never want Hayden to feel as though he has to read them. But I saw an opportunity to reach out to this young man I care very much for and share a few of the books I love, which shaped who I was at a young age.

What box of books could you give away? Who would receive it? Would your theme be subversion or something more intriguing? Or something more relaxing? In the age of digital media, it’s a shame to simply allow our printed pages to molder and rot, to go unattended in our passing. Instead, we have shelves filled with gifts, wisdom to share.

And I say let’s share it.

It’s funny that you chose to share this at this time, Ken. I have been going through my bookks and seeing what I can part with. Now that I have a kindle and find so many free books and review books, I doubt I will reread anything, sooooooo…I am trying to decide how to share them. I have found a place online that I can call and they will come and take them away……

ABOUT KEN LA SALLE

Born on an 18th century mining ship, Ken La Salle is not his name. He just likes it. He writes about whatever he damn well pleases, hoping to build more of a cult following than a readership just for a cut on the robes. Looking for the mainstream but sticking to the shore, you can find out more about Ken La Salle at the imaginatively named www.kenlasalle.com.

MY KEN LA SALLE REVIEWS

• False Starts
• Cookies: Sluts of the Snack World
• Heaven Enough
• Heaven Denied
• Heaven For Now
• Wormfood Island
• Work of Art
• Climbing Maya
• Max Dedge in the Time of the Uniborg

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