. All Stories are True, John Edgar Wideman . The title of this book collection alone is priceless: read and discuss. And then you have the story of the author that he tells in his memoir, Brothers and Keepers. Two brothers: one becomes a professor and author; the other a brutal criminal serving a life-sentence in prison. . This collection is so rich, unrelenting and unforgiving, it has not a scintilla of sentiment or softness: it will not tolerate such fluff. My favorite: “Newborn Thrown in Trash and Dies.” The narrator is that newborn, and she approaches omniscience because of her proximity to – ironically – immortality, to the other side. In the first paragraph, you are told that in your beginning you get a “glimpse” of the “theater of your fate.” “The weight of it is what you recall some infinitesimal fraction of when you stumble and crawl through your worst days on earth.” As this baby falls down this trash chute, she gives you a tour of the world, and she knows our world better than anyone because getting older distances you from what you knew in the beginning; as you progress through life, your knowledge recedes. . The structure of the story is perfect. The tone, perfect. . Read it: you’ll see. . Rating: 🔥🔥🔥 . . . #litnerd #bookstagram #literature #library #literature #bookworm #bookish #philosophy #education #reading #trendy #story #storytime #storyteller

Manhattan, New York

I've been really into #AgathaChristie lately 😍 As always, her work reminds me that I shouldn't dismiss my outlandish theories about who the murderer is. #perilatendhouse #poirot #litnerd #fiction #iloveagathachristie #murdermystery #bookworm

For all my fellow lit nerds here are Jane Austen and Shakespeare charm bracelets. You can find these and many others @hudsonvalleycomiccon this weekend. I’ll be set up next to @zombiepetz_rgb. Also check out @tomryansstudio @bunleungart @kudoze @jimorileycomicartist and many others! #books #litnerd #charmbracelet #janeausten #shakespeare #readingislife

Can’t wait to get stuck into this latest addition to my library... ✨🖤🌙✨

I have a feeling this book is going to have just as upsetting an ending as the last one. 😠😭 . . . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #bookworm #bookish #bookgram #bibliophile #booklover #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #booknerd #bookporn #booktag #bookaddict #bookaholic #readtheclassics #litnerd #classicliterature #bookrecs #bookcommunity #booksofig

Blissful day spent in the garden reading this. #sunshine #onthedeck #bookstagram #instabook #bookish #litnerd #bookworm #whatshouldireadnext #penguinbooks #booklove #bookrecommendations #mylittlelife #yellow #zadiesmith

April is still Poetry Month! Here, meme meets William Carlos Williams...#socold #plums #litnerd #allusionsmatter #aprilisthecruelestmonth

Wisdom of the day, courtesy of @cherylstrayed #dearsugar #wild #literature #nerd #litnerd #inspiration #inspo #bebrave #liveyourtruth #bekind #conquertheshitoutoflife #itsnicetobeimportantbutitsimportanttobenice #goon #balance #motivation #truth #doyourbest #youredoingthebestyoucan #progressnotperfection #notsoperfectstorm

If there’s anything you should know about me, I love fonts and design! If I wasn’t such a lit nerd, graphics design would have definitely been my second option. • Fun fact: I’m self taught in Photoshop, InDesign, and Final Cut. In high school, we used a similar platform to InDesign for our Yearbooks and was finally able to use it my senior year in our Lit Mag! • What are you studying in school, or if you’re a post-grad like me, what did you study? Let me know in the comments! ☺️

An old one but feeling appropriate today. #poetry #poetrycommunity #poetrymonth #creativewriting #selflove #womenwriters #poems #canlit #writersofinstagram #writers_den_ #writerlife #poetryenthusiast #litnerd

Toronto, Ontario

I have a reading nook for when I want to get out of the sun/rain/etc. #birthdayadventures #thirtyflirtyandfun #thisisthirty #selfie #readallthebooks #litnerd

Ibiza, Spain

#theperfumegarden #books #book #bookworm #lit #litnerd

"When Byron divided humanity into the bores and bored, he omitted to notice that the higher qualities exist entirely in the bores, the lower qualities in the bored, among whom he counted himself. The bore, by his starry enthusiasm, his solemn happiness, may, in some sense, have proved himself poetical. The bored has certainly proved himself prosaic."

Public service announcement. #thereisadifference #collectornothoarder #books #booksarelife #letmereaditall #strand #strandbookstore #thevillage #nyc #collector #litnerd #nerdygirl #bookworm #nofilter #psa #publicserviceannouncement #unionsquare

10 minute poetry break between classes #poetry #litnerd #poetrynerd #plantinggardensingraves #rhsin #thehumancondition #semiotics #abookscover #understanding #innerexperience #relatingtoothers #coping #copingmechanism #howimcoping #doingthebestican #bookstagram #alwaysreading #insight #rts #ptsd #cptsd

Fulfilled every Jane Austen fantasy today 😍 #chatsworth #chatsworthhouse #daytrip #architecture #iamposhnow #litnerd #mrdarcy

Chatsworth House

I'm never leaving the library #bookworm #litnerd #nerdygirl #newyorkpubliclibrary #library #mymecca #newhome #nofilter #architecture #artiseverywhere #bestillmyheart

My advanced reader copy from the Library Hotel. Even on vacation I can't stop reading!! #bookstagram #liznugent #lyinginwait #arc #advancedreaderscopy #52in52 #bookworm #litnerd #nerdygirl #letmereaditall #wordswarmmysoul #booksmakemehappy #hotellibrary

"England's not the world, nor is Thy parliament the focus, which collects The vast opinion of the human race."

It was a deliciously snuggly, rainy day today 🙌🏻😍 took me so long to get this munchkin down for her nap that I totally earned that coffee - and thoroughly enjoyed it for about 4 minutes until Billy found me! 😂😏 . . #project365reasonstosmile #erins365reasons #erinreadsallthebooks2018