The Writers Who Read series continues this week with author Andi Cumbo-Floyd.
Who are you?
I’m a writer, editor, writing teacher, and farmer who loves to sew, take slow walks, and enjoy my dear friends and family. My husband and I run a small farm in rural Virginia, where we raise goats, chickens, cats, and dogs for the fun of them. When I’m not playing with Great Pyrenees, I write books about the history and legacy of slavery, edit work for clients in a variety of genres, and coach writers at various stages of their writing journeys.
What are three beloved books you first read before the age of 12?
The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis – That book reminded me – still does – that magic is real.
Double Spell by Janet Lunn – I don’t know why this book stuck with me, but it was only a couple of years ago that someone here online helped me find the title.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle – Oh, Mrs. Whatsit and Charles Wallace – sometimes I think they are two parts of my personality.
What is one book you are always recommending to friends and family (and maybe the local barista) as an adult?
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud. Love the honesty of the book. Love that it’s about a woman in early middle age.
What is your book kryptonite–those unique elements in a book, beyond just great writing and three-dimensional characters, that make you unable to resist reading?
I am a total sucker for any book that involves myths and history – The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is a good example. I also love any story that involves fairy tales or groups of people – particularly women – living in community, as in Toni Morrison’s Paradise.
What is your ideal time and place to read?
I have two – the bathtub in midmorning after I’ve finished the first few hours of work. Then, at night, in bed before I fall asleep.
Which books have had the biggest influence on your writing?
I’d say Lamott’s Traveling Mercies because I so appreciate her honesty, her vulnerability, and her humor. But then my style is more lyrical, I think, so books like On Looking by Lia Purpura and Seasons of the Body by Brenda Miller are big influences.
How do you balance reading and writing in your life?
I think I must be reading in order to write well, so I try to read 100 pages a day of anything – books, blog posts, magazines – and write 1,000 words. That seems to be a ratio I can fit in most days, and it gives me a goal for each day so that I choose a book instead of my phone.
Choose your preferred book form: ebook, physical book, or audio book?
I read all three, but I definitely prefer print books. I love to see them, feel them, smell them. But I almost always have an audio book in the car, too.
Do you consciously plan your future reading–i.e., set book goals, keep a TBR list, participate in book challenges or book clubs? Why or why not?
In the past, I have done all of those things, but now, I mostly just read what comes to hand next. I do have a reading goal for each year – 2014 was 50 books, and I was just short – and I track that on Goodreads. Sometimes I put books I want to read there, too, but mostly, yeah, it’s what I hear about and then sticks that I move to when I need a new book.
What are you reading now?
I’m in the final third of Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, and I’m loving it. An introvert myself, the book affirms something central about who I am in the world.
Andi Cumbo-Floyd is a writer, editor, and writing coach. She blogs most days at andilit.com, and you can find her on Facebook and Twitter, too.