On your nightstand now:
Right now I am reading a book called Prophetic Charisma about the inner workings of cults and cult leaders. I have always been fascinated by the differences between the "disquietingly normal" people who lead and their followers--and what followers are willing to surrender to belong. In this Twitter age of "follow" and "following," there might be some greater relevance here.
Favorite book when you were a child:
I wasn't a reader when I was a child. I was a listener. Hearing Aunt Pearl read the "funnies" or "Justice Triumphs" from the newspaper to Old Nanny was much more satisfying to me than reading Judy's Summer Vacation.
The book I first remember liking, though, was Run, Spot, Run. That little first-grade reader taught me to keep it simple. Later I read, Of Human Bondage and was caught by the idea that one should not ignore one's feelings. Ever.
Your top five authors:
Whew! That's a difficult one. But as Teddy Roosevelt once said, "To govern is to choose." So here goes.
I guess I will have to say M. Scott Peck, Charles Dickens, my husband, Kenneth C. Davis, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John--oops, that's seven. Each of those authors has given me that "glimpse of truth" for which I had forgotten to ask, as Joseph Conrad once wrote.
Book you've faked reading:
The thing I've discovered about faking--otherwise known as "bull crit"--is that it takes a certain dramatic talent, which I don't have. And besides, hearing other people talk about the books they haven't read is much more fun.
Book you're an evangelist for:
Two books I give away again and again are People of the Lie and The Road Less Traveled. Both books are by M. Scott Peck, the late psychiatrist, who offered breakthrough analysis of narcissism, character disorder and why we suffer to achieve spiritual maturity. As a recovering Catholic, I was not surprised to learn that Peck converted.
I am also a huge fan of Blindness by Jose Saramago. What people do when they think no one is watching is frighteningly telling.
Book you've bought for the cover:
My husband is a historian whose office is carpeted in books--literally. There is simply no place to walk in there. As a result, I am careful not to buy books I don't really want to read. That rules out buying books for the cover.
Besides, we all know that books are way too expensive. Just kidding.
Book that changed your life:
Charlotte's Web is the most profound book I ever read. Definitely a "two-hankie" book. (Ken reads it aloud to me every few years and both of us sob.) For me, the message is that true love is recklessly generous. It involves sacrifice. To learn such a lesson from a spider and a pig in a barnyard is pretty awesome.
Favorite line from a book:
Can I name a few? O.K., I will settle for just one.
"I've been watching you all day and I like you."--Spoken by Charlotte A. Cavatica to Wilbur.
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
Don't Know Much About History by my husband, Kenneth C. Davis. The coming of age of a writer is a pretty magical thing to witness for the first time. It still takes my breath away to think about it. I'd love to relive it.
How has your career in the book industry affected your life as an author:
Publishing taught me to find people I trust and trust them. Which brings me to Bob Miller, my publisher extraordinaire, from whom all publishing blessings flow to me. Bob is the ultimate author friend. My own book would simply not exist without him. And he has surrounded himself with all those wonderful people at HarperStudio like Debbie Stier, Julia Cheiffetz and Katie Salisbury and Jessica Wiener and Sarah Burningham. More reasons to be happy.
Do you miss being in the publishing world in New York:
I don't work in house any more as I once did. But I am still in publishing and publishing is still in me. That's because I know that books change lives. That story is essential. That we are the stories we tell and always will be. Not an easy lesson to forget. No matter where you are.
