READING:
“The
world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations
grow old and die out; and, after an era of darkness, new races build
others. But in the world of books are
volumes that have seen this happen again and again, and yet live on, still
young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men’s hearts
of the hearts of men centuries dead.
And even the books that do not last
long, penetrate their own times at least, sailing farther than Ulysses even
dreamed of, like ships on the seas. It
is the author’s part to call into being their cargoes and passengers,--living
thoughts and rich bales of study and jeweled ideas. As for the publishers, it is they who build
the fleet, plan the voyage, and sail on, facing wreck, till they find every
possible harbor that will value their burden.”
Clarence S. Day, The Story
of the Yale University Press told by a Friend.
New Haven : At the Earl Trumbull Williams
Memorial, 1920
Speaker ~
Ann Wolpert, Director of Libraries, MIT
The
theme of this year’s Tuesdays in the Chapel is the completion of the phrase,
“In my family, we…”
To
tell the truth, I had a difficult time finding a single word or story to
describe my family of origin.
I
could say, as the quote from Clarence Day suggests, that we loved books and were
voracious readers. In my family reading
material was everywhere. Television viewing was rationed, but reading was not
(except after lights out at night). One of the highlights of our week when I
was a child was piling into the car to visit the nearest public library. We
children always borrowed the maximum number allowed. In the evening, around the dinner table, we
would talk about books and words, and to this day, swapping books and articles,
and talking about what we are reading pervades our lives and our relationships
as a family.
Or
I could say that as a family we had porous boundaries. Both of my parents were only children, and
they both dreamed of having a large family.
When their own children peaked at 3 (two boys and a girl) they opened
their home and hearts to others. My sister arrived at the age of 7 as a foster
child. Over the years we hosted two
foreign exchange students; each for a full school year. My best friend lived with us for a year and a
half when her mother was no longer able to care for her. My brothers both had
friends who lived with us for periods of time for other circumstances. One never knew what the head count would be
when the census takers knocked on the door. But for sure, we never had enough
bathrooms. When my mother passed away at
the age of 52 my father remarried a wonderful woman – who brought her three
children into the family mix and today with marriages and grand children and
great grandchildren our family is bigger and more fun than ever.
Or
I could say about my family that we are incurably optimistic and fiercely loyal
to one another. We moved many times when
I was growing up, and we learned as a family how important it is to support and
trust one another. When we’d arrive at a
new home we’d all fan out and make new friends – confident that we’d find
friends as good as those we’d had to leave behind. Every fresh start was
approached with optimism, and we’d always make sure to look out for one another
in a way that creates security when you’re the new kid in town. By now, our lives have gone in very different
geographic and career directions, and through many ups and downs. Yet we remain as optimistic about life and as
loyal to one another as we were when we were children.
On
that note of optimism, in closing, I would like to read a poem by Emily
Dickinson. Two members of my family are
dealing with serious illness right now, and I am in awe of the optimism and
courage each brings to the difficulties they face.
READING
Emily Dickinson
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Boston: Little, Brown, 1960
