Travel

I'm flying to San Francisco tomorrow to visit some friends for a few days. As always Ill pack a few books and, as always, I'll forgo cracking a single one of them open, opting instead for International CNN or an overpriced and ever so slightly out-of-date magazine.

So, why do I do it? And why do I risk taking a library book on a flight, increasing the risk of losing it?

I think, in part, because books are like travel companions, especially when traveling alone. Even on a brief trip, even an unread book can keep you anchored, reminding you either of home or a need to explore.

As it is, I rarely leave home without my copy of New Goose by Lorine Niedecker. It's small, readable, and something you just don't encounter at every library or Barnes & Noble. Even if I am just walking to and from work.

Pretentious? Possibly. Well, probably. And I've been known to carry even worse with me, say, James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men or Joyce's Ulysses. Why? Well, God forbid, but what if something happened? What if I got lost, or worse? Who better than Agee or Niedecker having your back when approaching a complete stranger for help?