A Book in Your Pocket

Since I received all those amazing books over the holidays, I've carried books in my purse. This Gilmore Girl-like behavior isn't unusual, but now I'm being deliberate. Wherever I go, whatever purse I carry, I want to have a book on me.

I don't always have the time to read during school, or on the bus or waiting for a lesson; but I often do. Reading in between classes is a fantastic use of time, but it also serves a metaphysical purpose. Plugging in numbers or running from activity to activity means I'm not writing most of the time, not doing what I love most. It's easy to forget why you love what you do.

So my challenge to you, as writing teenagers and people who support writing teenagers, is to carry a book in your pocket or backpack or purse. It's good for those in-between moments when the teacher gives you 20 minutes to work on a project you finished last week. It's good to just search for your lip gloss and find your fingers on The Conde Nast Traveler's Guide or Cracked Up to Be, and remember for a moment that books exist, good books are possible and that one day you will write one.