Posted by Little Free Libraries have been around since about the time I was born. They are a great way to build community and share books. In fact, it is a free way to exchange books! These libraries can be found around parks and schools. Some people have even set them up in their neighborhoods. That’s what today’s Book Lover, Dave Fopay, and his wife did. Fopay has always loved reading and said his love of writing led him to a career in journalism. Read more:
Question: Can you tell me a little about your Little Free Library? What made you decide to put one in your yard?
Answer: The library was my wife Janet’s idea and she asked for it for Christmas. She said she she wanted to do something nice for our neighborhood and the community. I bought one mostly pre-assembled and Janet was able to use her wonderful artistic talents to paint and decorate it. I helped some but she deserves the credit.
Q: What kinds of books did you put in your Library? What kinds of books have do they donate?
A: We started with some of our own books and some that a neighbor girl, who’s about your age, gave us. Those and the ones that have been left in it since have been a variety of books and even some magazines.
Q: What was the response when you put it up?
A: There’s been steady interest in it since we put it our front yard. People often compliment it even if they don’t use it. Janet checks it each day and usually finds that some books have been taken or added.
Q: What is your favorite book?
A: There are so many, I don’t think I can definitely say I have one favorite. I like about anything that’s well-written, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. One of my favorite novelists, though, is the late Pat Conroy and if I had to name a favorite book, it would probably be his novel “Beach Music.”
Q: What books did you like when you were my age? (14)
A: I can’t really remember anything specific. That was 50 years ago. But I do remember liking all kinds of fiction and non-fiction, just like now.
Q: What made you decide to become a journalist?
A: During my first stint in college I studied history and social studies, but that didn’t work out for various reasons. Before I went back to college full time I took some classes on a part-time basis. I’ve always loved reading, so I decided to try a creative writing class and I really enjoyed it. Eventually, I was in a position to return to college full time and I thought about journalism because I thought it would be writing about history as it happened.
Q: What are the best and worst parts of your job, and why?
The best was meeting a lot of different kinds of people and getting the chance to let others know how interesting they were. The worst, by far, was the budget cuts made by the company that owned the paper. It was discouraging to see the staff get smaller and smaller and to see our ability to cover local news suffer as a result.
Q: You have written in many publications. What tips do you have any tips for budding writers?
A: Read everything that interests you, even a little bit. Think about what you like and why you like it.
Q: Over the years, what has been your most memorable story?
A: The one that stands out, actually, is the one that led me to meet your mom, whom I met at the wedding of a mutual friend, Erin Holmes. The circumstances of Erin and I meeting are actually very sad, but it did lead to our friendship. Several years ago, a student at Eastern Illinois University was murdered. The student’s hometown near Chicago was in the coverage area of the newspaper where Erin worked, and Erin traveled to Charleston to cover the trial. The court case itself was very memorable, but it still amazes me that I became friends with Erin because of it.
Elena Reads and Reviews 