Dear Lisa: Keep reading! Love, Me

Doonesbury's B.D. is a football fanatic. Schroeder from Peanuts is a piano virtuoso. Which cartoon character do you think is most associated with book reading?

You have two seconds to think about it.

The answer is The Simpsons' own Lisa Simpson! And the proof can be found at The Lisa Simpson Book Club, a website that celebrates the brainy eight-year-old's unrelenting love affair with the written word. The Lisa Simpson Book Club solicits images of Lisa reading books from all and sundry. Here are some choice examples.

Lisa is a self-made bookaholic. As she once famously told her brother, "Bart, having never received any words of encouragement myself, I'm not sure how they're supposed to sound. But here goes: I believe in you."

When Lisa's friend Artie asked her, "Doesn't your dad ever read to you?" Lisa answered, "He tried once, but he got confused and thought the book was real. He's still looking for that chocolate factory ... it consumes him."

On one dark occasion Lisa imagined being in jail.
"Bookmobile," announced the guard.
"Got any Joyce Carol Oates?" Lisa asked.
"Nothing but Danielle Steel," replied the guard.
Lisa's reaction: "NOOOOOO!"

Remember this notorious exchange between Lisa and literary supernova J.K. Rowling?

Lisa Simpson: Ms. Rowling, I love your books. You've turned an entire generation on to reading.
J.K. Rowling: Thank you, young Muggle.
Lisa Simpson: Could you tell me what happens at the end of the series?
J.K. Rowling: [exasperated] He grows up and he marries you! Is that what you want to hear?
Lisa Simpson: [dreamily] Yes.

I was going to try to make this blog post into a discussion of book clubs and what they mean to us writer folk, but honestly. What's the point? This is just a big love letter of encouragement and support to Lisa Simpson. Nothing more, nothing less!

—posted by Timothy Power