Tula “books are door-shaped”

BY MARGARITA ENGLE

Books are door-shaped portals

carrying me across oceans and centuries,                        
helping me feel less alone.
But my mother believes

that girls who read too much
are unladylike and ugly,
so my father’s books

are locked in a clear glass cabinet.

I gaze at enticing covers and mysterious titles,
but I am rarely permitted to touch the enchantment of words.  

Poems. Stories. Plays.
All are forbidden.
Girls are not supposed to think,
but as soon as my eager mind begins to race,

free thoughts rush into replace
the trapped ones.

I imagine distant times and faraway places.
Ghosts. Vampires. Ancient warriors.
fantasy moves into the tangled maze of lonely confusion.

Have you heard of bibliotherapy? 

It's not a new concept. A therapeutic approach that uses literature to support good mental health. Medical professionals and psychologists have been prescribing books for their patients to read for a hundred years or more.

Storytelling, creative writing, and reading have long been recognized for their therapeutic potential. The use of literature as a healing method dates back to ancient Greece, when Grecian libraries were seen as sacred places with curative powers. King Ramses II of Egypt had a special chamber for his books, and above the door were the words “House of Healing for the Soul.” Sigmund Freud incorporated literature into his psychoanalysis at the end of the nineteenth century. Medical professionals and psychologists have been prescribing books for their patients to read for a hundred years or more. But it was more as an adjunct to other treatment rather than a treatment in itself.

Today, bibliotherapy is employed by educators, helping professionals, librarians, and even parents. Its versatility and adaptability make it an excellent supplement to self-improvement of all kinds. Reading has been shown to be able to help people understand the issues they are experiencing and offer hope for positive change.

Book a Session: https://www.theschooloflife.com/london/classroom/bibliotherapy/

Read more: https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/bibliotherapy

Reading slows your heart rate down. You can try to meditate or you can READ for 5 minutes. Same effect.

THE LIST

As recommended to us by our favorite librarian

Christina Karvounis @spdylibrarian MLIS, SLMS

LIST

THE EAST END, Jason Allen

Perhaps another game of Clue by the poolhouse?

THE UNHONEYMOONERS, Christina Lauren, May 14, 2019

Put your toes in the sand for this post-wedding rom-com!

THE WATER CURE, Sophie Mackintosh

A mythical tale of what may happen when women run an island and men bumble to the shore.

NORMAL PEOPLE, Sally Rooney

First loves are the most complicated and yet, the least entangled.

CARNEGIE'S MAID, Marie Benedict

THE MOTHER IN LAW, Sally Hepworth

Need we say more?

THE OVERDUE LIFE OF AMY BYLER

Single mom takes a break in NYC - and must make the choice at the end of summer!

THE STATIONARY SHOP, Marjan Kamali

Love, loss and the connections that stay with us over time.