Writer Pamela Ehrenberg says it’s all about the shoes. Ordinary shoes. In college, she went to hear author Bobbie Ann Mason speak and recalls staring at her shoes. They were humble, inexpensive shoes, and Ehrenberg recalls being struck by the realization that this author had to stand in line and buy shoes, just like the rest of us. I didn’t see an author in person until I was in college. I attended a reading by poet Gwendolyn Brooks and was so moved that I wrote her a letter. When I received the reply back, written in pen on an ordinary sheet of paper, I remember the thrill. The hand-writing of the grand dame of poetry looked just like mine.
This is why it’s so wonderful for schools and libraries to bring authors in to speak with children!
One response to “Why are Ordinary Shoes so Important?”
So wonderful being on the panel with you, Mary–thanks so much for sharing the story in your blog!