Growing up, my family did not have much money. We were very lucky when mom started working and we began receiving small allowances for the chores we did. My allowance was $7/week. And every week I would take my money and hurry across busy Mattis Street in Champaign, Illinois to the brand spankin' new bookstore and buy a couple Christopher Pike books. Back then I could buy two books and a bookmark. It was awesome.
The first Pike novel I ever read was Remember Me. The spine is horribly creased as I read it many, many times more. O how I loved Christopher Pike! And then crushing news reached my ears: Christopher Pike was a house name! Meaning? He wasn't a real person, just several authors writing under one name for a publishing company. The internet was not so readily available at that point and I couldn't Google it to find out if it was true. Being a silly, emotional sort of girl I gave up my Christopher Pike addiction and moved on.
And then at WalMart last I week I saw, of all things, a Christopher Pike book! O I was so excited and realized that I could solve the .... well the old question. I have just struck informational gold, potentially (http://www.fortunecity.co.uk/library/poetry/94/chris5.html). I am not sure I accept it as truth, but if he is real I am very happy for him. I am also very glad that I still have all my original copies of his books. When clearing out room on my shelves I picked them up once, considering trading them at the used bookstore. I simply couldn't bring myself to do it. There are too many fond memories of my childhood wrapped up in those pages...the thrill of going to the bookstore alone for the first time and with money in my pocket no less! No, I could never get rid of them. I look at them and see so much more than books. I see the beginning of my love for reading and the stirrings of my passion for writing.
Mr. Pike, or Mr. McFadden, whoever you are, thanks for all the good reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment