Lara Tupper: Swift Ink Stories

Becoming a Little Free Librarian  

As a kid I wanted to be two things: a Solid Gold Dancer and a librarian. Yesterday I realized one of those goals, thanks to the remarkable craftsmanship of Bobby Sweet, who built a Little Free Library from scratch, (Note the bell tower with actual bell, the tiny birdhouse, the cedar shingles with weather stripping underneath, the solar panel for indoor night lights.) 

As the official steward, I threw a ribbon-cutting ceremony with cookies and commemorative bookmarks. Our neighbors and friends can leave a book, take a book, sign the little guestbook. It's the best birthday present I could envision. The librarian is IN.

July writing exercise: What did you want to be as a kid? Why? For extra credit: Are there steps you could take now to "play" in this field, even if it seems ridiculous to you? (Solid Gold is off the air but I'm tempted to take dance classes again.) Give yourself 10 minutes and GO. Get messy on the page. If 10 minutes turns into 20, so be …