IF

No it's not the If of Kipling.

If I was a darker color would I need to read books about people colored like me? I read a thousand books a year without ever noting the color of the protagonist unless the author brings it to my attention. I assume all my authors are white. You may color me surprised when they surprise me by not.

I don't read Octavia Butler or Sam Delany but that's because I don't like their stories. I never have.

I don't see it now but I used to ride a bike for 10 miles or more to get to a book store in Alabama. I bought the books I wanted and I didn't deign to experiment with new authors, that's what the library was for.

9 months in Seattle and I filled every window with books. They were the shelves I didn't have. Books stacked on books until the entire window was full and then, on to the next window. I didn't spend a lot of time in my apartment in Seattle.

Was going to think about this but it lept out of the bag early.