"Sleep won't be sleep without any book dreams," grumbled Bybee
In this latest book dream, I had a day off but I had stopped in to do some copying and was hanging out in the Professors' lounge, when the secretary came in. "Would you agree to do a presentation at [something] Women's University?"
"Where's that?" The secretary gestured at a map. "Far from here?" she nodded. "Okay, sure. Why not? When?"
"You have to leave now." With that, she took my arm and propelled me outside and onto a waiting bus.
"But -- but I'm not dressed right!" I was wearing my usual -- the Missouri Tigers sweatshirt and jeans. "Wait! What am I supposed to talk about in my presentation?"
"Little Women!" The bus roared off.
Although the bus ride was over sooner than I would've liked, I had a little time to think. Luckily, I had read Little Women since coming to Korea, so I felt fairly fresh. Too bad my Modern Library copy was back at Dorm Sweet Dorm. Surely everyone at the presentation would have read it or have a nodding acquaintance with Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy and Marmee.
When I got to the university, no one involved with this presentation had ever heard of Little Women. I ran through several dorm-like corridors until I found the university bookstore. The English-language section was as big as your thumb. No copies of Little Women.
What to do? Maybe they'd seen the 1994 movie with Winona Ryder as Jo. I could also mention the other movie versions -- the 1933 version with Katharine Hepburn and the 1949 film with June Allyson (!) in the same role. If I could just find a computer, I could print out a brief synopsis of the novel and maybe a short biography of Louisa May Alcott for them to read and follow as I spoke. Maybe also a photo of Alcott.
Then I got the idea that I was going to build myself an "odd shelf" and it was going to consist of All Things Alcott: her novels, her nonfiction, her A.M. Barnard stuff, her sister May's art and even stuff by Bronson Alcott and anyone connected with him that was a Transcendentalist. What a great idea for an odd shelf! Why hadn't I put this together years ago?
As the dream ended, the time for my presentation was only moments away, but I was running up and down those corridors again, looking for a copy of the Martha Saxton biography of Louisa May Alcott that I first read in high school.
"Where's that?" The secretary gestured at a map. "Far from here?" she nodded. "Okay, sure. Why not? When?"
"You have to leave now." With that, she took my arm and propelled me outside and onto a waiting bus.
"But -- but I'm not dressed right!" I was wearing my usual -- the Missouri Tigers sweatshirt and jeans. "Wait! What am I supposed to talk about in my presentation?"
"Little Women!" The bus roared off.
Although the bus ride was over sooner than I would've liked, I had a little time to think. Luckily, I had read Little Women since coming to Korea, so I felt fairly fresh. Too bad my Modern Library copy was back at Dorm Sweet Dorm. Surely everyone at the presentation would have read it or have a nodding acquaintance with Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy and Marmee.
When I got to the university, no one involved with this presentation had ever heard of Little Women. I ran through several dorm-like corridors until I found the university bookstore. The English-language section was as big as your thumb. No copies of Little Women.
What to do? Maybe they'd seen the 1994 movie with Winona Ryder as Jo. I could also mention the other movie versions -- the 1933 version with Katharine Hepburn and the 1949 film with June Allyson (!) in the same role. If I could just find a computer, I could print out a brief synopsis of the novel and maybe a short biography of Louisa May Alcott for them to read and follow as I spoke. Maybe also a photo of Alcott.
Then I got the idea that I was going to build myself an "odd shelf" and it was going to consist of All Things Alcott: her novels, her nonfiction, her A.M. Barnard stuff, her sister May's art and even stuff by Bronson Alcott and anyone connected with him that was a Transcendentalist. What a great idea for an odd shelf! Why hadn't I put this together years ago?
As the dream ended, the time for my presentation was only moments away, but I was running up and down those corridors again, looking for a copy of the Martha Saxton biography of Louisa May Alcott that I first read in high school.
9 comments:
Your book dreams are so funny. I had one the other night. I was trying to 'bump off' Elizabeth Bennet so I could have Mr Darcy to myself: "Aw, she's sick. Too bad. So...how you doin?"
If I posted my dreams online -- I'd be arrested!
Wow, that's kind of weird.
Love the dream...The Little prince arrived today! Thanks so much!!!!
Chris,
You're so bad...I had no idea! Of course, if it was the Colin Firth Mr. Darcy, I'd be encouraging you all the way.
gfs3,
I'd never tell!
Bookfool,
Yeah, I can probably trace it all back to dinner.
joemmama,
Good, I'm glad it got there OK.
Anxiety dreams are supposed to be a good sign! And certainly this one is - you even picked a book you were familiar with from childhood, so maybe this desire to teach writing, is so you can foster the love of reading in people? Hmm, do you want to be a writer, too? (Jo is a writer, which was the only reason I could read the book, because I wanted to be her!)
Your book dreams are so funny. Isn't it amazing where our minds go at night?
I haven't dreamed to much about books, and if I have then I can't remember them!
that's great!
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