Beloved by Toni Morrison and August Book at the Door Winner

And the winner is… I won a Book at the Door with Behind the Willows

Her very own copy of Beloved by Toni Morrison, as well as a print of this first line art work by Abbie of Sidereal Catalyst, will soon be finding it’s way overseas to her!

“124 was spiteful.”

This was the first beautiful book about ugly things I ever read.

I love it for the way it takes the lives of escaped and freed slaves and tells their horrifying stories in a cadence that is lyrical and in words that are part poetry. And I will always love it as the first real “adult” book that I was able to see that the phrases and words often had meaning far beyond the lines on the paper.

Stories are told to be remembered, even the ones, especially the ones, that are hard to hear. In the twenty years since I first read this book, phrases have popped into my mind from time to time, lyrical, beautiful phrases of terrible things.

This is a story to be remembered.

Would I recommend it? Yes. I know it was made into a movie many years ago, I’ve never seen it but I did just watch the trailer. Don’t do that. Don’t watch the trailer. Don’t see the movie. At least not until after you’ve read the book. And if you have already seen the movie, (it has been out for almost 20 years) read the book anyway. Movies can’t do beautiful-ugly the same way books can.

The Book at the Door winner was chosen using a random number generator from http://www.random.org

Artists of all kinds (Yes, you photographers and you who says you can’t draw and you who just wants to practice hand lettering and you who is selling paintings online and…all of you!) if you are interested in providing a small piece of work that includes a first sentence I would love to hear from you!

Authors, have I read your book and tagged it as a recommended read? Would you like to donate a hard copy? Let me know!