And I'd Do It Again

And I'd Do It Again

Aimée Crocker Gouraud

1936

Interlibrary Loan, UC Davis

2005

 

I was working on my undergrad in human development. John Dewey didn't leave me much time for pleasure reading. Still, I looked forward to those quiet moments when I could escape into the jungle with my soul sister, Aimée. The library had a very generous renewal policy, I kept the book until UC Davis decided I could graduate. They wanted their book back, I had to return it so I could walk. I gently used my little printer/scanner to archive some of the delights, and wished for my own copy. I was pathetically sad to part ways with this book. I know how weird it sounds, but that book was one of my best friends. This chunk of ephemera and I had spent some of the best nights of my college career together, in bed.

Every time I hear "Reading in Bed" by Emily Haines (Metric, Broken Social Scene) I'm struck by the part about all of the lives unled reading in bed. It's a hauntingly beautiful song, but it's the opposite of how I feel about the nights I spent reading And I'd Do It Again in bed. Aimée shared her stories with me and her spark ignited my spirit. She awakened a spectrum of feelings, thoughts, desires . . . page by page, it all felt so right. Life is better lived under the influence of Aimée.