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THE PASSAGE TRILOGY
Justin Cronin
Dear Mr. Cronin,
I must confess that
you are the only Author, of the twelve others, I am writing to that I have not
read. Although, I'll be checking out 'The Passage' today. I've read that you
were inspired to write this story on behalf of your six-year-old daughter. It
is no surprise then that you have produced such a passionately acclaimed body
of work. I believe that when we create for those we love, the spirit of that
love permeates even the smallest detail of our craft and is recognized by that
same spirit within others.
I am writing to ask if
you would take a moment to answer 7 short questions regarding books that have
influenced you and why. Your answers and recommended book will be being shared
with and sent to an inmate in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I believe that a
Book can be transformative and inspire a cornucopia of ideas that will bear
fruit for the receiver and us.
The 7 questions, links
to The Phoenix Bridge of Books websites, and my personal social media pages are
listed below.
Thank you for your
words,
Quinn H esseJ
1) Please, share three
books that have made a lasting impression on your life.
2) Which one of the
three would you choose to give as a gift to a distant friend or long lost loved
one?
3) How would you
summarize the book to the person you are sharing it with?
4) How old were you
when you read it?
5) Where were you at
in your life, during that time?
6) How did it
influence your life then?
7) What would you add
as a word of encouragement or message of hope within the cover the book?
The Phoenix Bridge of
Books
Quinn Jesse Harrison
P.S. An example of
one person's answers:
1) Please, share three
books that have made a lasting impression on your life.
Maus: My Father Bleeds
History by Art Spiegelman
Art and Physics:
Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light by Leonard Shlain,
The Chocolate War by
Robert Cormier
Nathaniel's Nutmeg: Or
the True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course
of History by Giles Milton
2) Which one of the
three would you choose to give as a gift to a distant friend or long lost loved
one?
The Chocolate War by
Robert Cormier
3) How would you
summarize the book to the person you are sharing it with?
It’s about a young man
rebelling against a corrupt system of things that has been forced upon him.
4) How old were you
when you read it?
I was 13 years old,
give or take a year.
5) Where were you at
in your life, during that time?
I was in Jr High,
living in California saddened, angry and disillusioned with the hurt, injustice
and divisiveness in the world.
6) How did it
influence your life then?
It let me know that I
wasn’t alone. That you can stand up for yourself and beliefs. Moreover, in
doing so, you might just discover a wellspring of inner strength and communal
support.
7) What would you add
as a word of encouragement or message of hope within the cover the book?
“There is no chance,
no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent, or hinder or control the firm resolve
of a determined soul.” Ella Wheeler Wilcox
HARRY POTTER
J. K. Rowling
Dear Ms. Rowling,
May I start by saying
thank you for your words and the magical world you have shared with me and so
many others? Additionally, for keeping the movies true to the books when so many
movies betray the essence and vision of the Book they were christened by.
RED RISING
Pierce Brown
Dear Mr. Brown,
Congratulations on the
acclaim and success of the 'Red Rising' trilogy. Darrow’s character, and the
essence of his struggle, clearly has struck a chord in many of us. Your own
rise from a “sleep deprived page” to the heights of the publishing world is
just as inspirational as Darrow's and his Reds and Howlers.
THE WARDED MAN
Peter V Brett
Dear Mr. Brett,
Your book 'The Warded
Man' came highly recommended by a celly while I was in prison. His praise was
justified as I came to know Arlin (the reluctant Deliverer), Jardir (the
self-professed Deliverer) and the women who love them. The World of Wards has a
vividness and life to them that is transcendent.
A SHORT HISTORY OF
NEARLY EVERYTHING
Bill Bryson
Dear Mr. Bryson,
Your 'A Short History
of Nearly Everything' is hands down one of the most enjoyable
and informative reads (fiction and non-fiction) I have ever read. The
manner you excavate science and the fascinating stories
that accompany its' evolution is remarkable.
THE NAME OF THE WIND
Patrick Rothfuss
Dear Mr. Rothfuss,
Your ability to craft
the essence and magic of music, love and adversity with words is a gift that I
am grateful you have shared with the world. I believe Kvothe, Bast, Denna and
all the rest of the Kingkiller family will be remembered alongside the
characters of histories Master Wordsmiths.
ENDERS GAME
Orson Scott Card
Dear Mr. Card,
With two nephews named
Ender and Mazer, the strength and depth of your characters have
made a lasting contribution to my family. I believe that it is the
Author's Characters that breathe life into any landscape,
history or story. I believe your Great-Great-Grandfather is proud of the
impression you have made in so many of our lives.
GAME OF THRONES
George R.R. Martin
Dear Mr. Martin,
Congratulations, your
ability to create characters that we grow to know and love, and then kill them,
is a gift. That literary formula was never more tragic than when Jaantony's
teyn Garse met his unheralded end in your 1977 poetic space opera 'Dying of the
Light'. Jaantony's distant and impersonal killing of Garse, after Garse had
seen the light and returned to aid Jaantony, was heartbreaking.
BRAVE COMPANIONS
David McCullough
Dear Mr. McCullough,
The love, passion and
faith John Adams gave abundantly, to his country, family and God, was and
continues to be far-reaching over land and through time. I thoroughly enjoyed
the way you bring to life the political and personal struggles of our Founding
Fathers and are able to connect the dots of their history with pictures and
documents in a methodical yet engaging way. I was especially intrigued with the
depth and intelligence of the correspondence between John and Abigail. All of
your biographies from ‘Brave Companions’ to ‘Mornings on Horseback’ will bless
generations to come.
MISTBORN
Brandon Sanderson
Dear Mr. Sanderson,
Elantris was the first
book of yours I read, and continues to remain my favorite even after a dozen
thrilling others. Your depiction of challenges the newly "cursed"
within Elantris face, mirror those of the new "fish"/inmates within
the Bureau of Prisons. It is unfortunate that, before Raoden recognized the
divide and bridged it, those affected with the "Shaod" didn't have the
topical creams and Prozac to mask their pains that we face in reality. However,
if they did, perhaps Raoden would never have passed through the Fires of the
Master Blacksmith to make his discovery and the Shu Dereth would have continued
to exploit the fear of the people?
THE DA VINCI CODE
Dan Brown
Dear Mr. Brown,
A Mother will finely
chop and disguise 'greens' in their children's meals knowing their worth. A
Master Chef presents the 'greens' as they are, but seasoned or crafted in a
manner so that they are delectable even to the pickiest of patrons. You have
given your readers and I our 'greens', histories, arts and science presented on
a most scrumptious and delightful plate.
A TIME TO KILL
John Grisham
Dear Mr. Grisham,
A ‘Time to Kill’ was
the first legal-suspense-thriller I read as a teen. It inspired in me, and I am
certain others, a hope that Justice exists in a corrupt world. I believe that
authors, like you, have the power to elevate the people's ideals and hopes for
the world around us. You have continued to inspire through your vast collection
of sensational offerings.
THE PSYCHOPATH TEST
Jon Ronson
Dear Mr. Ronson,
I have witnessed the
madness that prisoners will submit themselves to in hopes of the slightest
relief of their circumstances. Your cautionary tale of Ken and his Broadmoor
nightmare, in ‘The Psychopath Test’, should be required reading for prisoners
attempting exploit Madness as an easier road to travel. It is ironic that
several of your incarcerated 'psychopaths' have a greater sense of sanity than
that of men, working in our governments loftiest institutions, which you
profile in your book ‘Men Who Stare at Goats’.
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