As a beginning reader I was unable to hear the difference between the words “magician” and “musician.” Why, I wondered, with the apparently infinite combinations of letters and sounds, would we use the same collection to describe these two differing occupations? When I first approached the door of my first-grade classroom, trying to hide behind my mother, my teacher Mrs. Walton spoke to me with a gentle smile. “Come on in here, Evelyn Jervey!” she said. I looked at the bright posters on the walls, and it seemed that the procession of illustrated letters might go on forever.

My title for this little bird-walk comes from an episode of the Netflix series “The Last Kingdom.” In this episode, the Vikings have invaded King Alfred’s palace and are making a mess as they were wont to do. The character based on King Guthrum, however, has fistfuls of Alfred’s scrolls, and he says, “This is words without sound; this is voices without people. I am going to learn how to use this magic!”* Fast forward a millennium or so, and this magic is available to almost everybody, and few are inclined to sneer in any serious way.

When I was growing up, my Aunt Evelyn would take us five kids to the library once a month in her 1960’s-era Volkswagen beetle. Sisters Mary and Laura and cousin Byrd would sit in the back, cousin Charley in the front seat, and I being the smallest would sit on the brake between the two front seats. The girls would sing Joan Baez songs with great enthusiasm; I imagine we each had our own version of the high notes. I did used to wonder why Aunt Evelyn kept the windows rolled up when we stopped at traffic lights.

At the library we could each check out three new books after we turned in the three from last month. The only fees that I could see being collected were pennies for late books; how did they keep the lights on? I offered one time to keep some books past the due date if that would help with cash flow. My aunt and the librarian gazed at me in loving amazement.

My house today is well-supplied with books; what on earth do people do all day in houses that have none? Well, maybe they read blogs.

Reference

*Netflix Series, “The Last Kingdom.” Season One, Episode Seven.