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David Maxwell Memorial Reading Challenge

by | Jan 15, 2020 | Downloadable resources, Grief, Personal, Reading

David Maxwell Memorial Reading Challenge

Created by Tiffany Sostar

In joyful memory of their dad, David Maxwell:
lover, collector, and sharer of books

January 12, 1953 – November 30, 2019

Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.

Welcome to the David Maxwell Memorial Reading Challenge!

Make yourself a cup of David-style coffee: not too strong, with a generous-leaning-to-excessive helping of sugar or maple syrup, and more milk swirled in than seems reasonable.

Settle in and read your way to memories and connection.

This reading challenge has been created by me, Tiffany Sostar, David’s oldest child, in honour of dad and as a way to invite friends, family, and community to reflect on memories shared with David and to create new memories and experiences connected to David.

This reading challenge has a bias. It reflects my story with my dad, and it highlights the parts of dad’s story that were most impactful in my own life. It’s a gift from me to him, and to you.

There are other stories of dad’s life, and perhaps there are categories of reading missing that would help reflect the nuance and complexity of David Maxwell’s personhood and experience.

If there is a category you wish were here, please let me know.

I will be collecting stories and titles shared by reading challenge participants and will be creating an updated reading challenge next year, along with a book of stories.

I would love for that second iteration to include a broader view of my dad.

But for now, this is what I have to offer, from my own perspective, from my own heart.

If you would like to get in touch with me, you can find me at sostarselfcare@gmail.com, or online at tiffanysostar.com. I work as a narrative therapist, a community organizer, a writer, and an editor. The love of stories that dad and I shared has extended into every part of my life and is present in every aspect of my work.

A reading challenge is a bit like a literary treasure hunt.

Each category is a clue, and you must go searching for the book that will check that category off.

Both books and treasure hunts were cherished parts of my relationship with dad, and almost every treasure hunt that he created for me (each Christmas for 3 decades of my life!) included clues hidden in books, book titles as clues, gifts hidden behind books, books as the gift at the end of the hunt – books and treasure hunts, treasure hunts and books.

At a time when I miss my dad so much, and when I am overcome by the loss and the grief over pages left unturned in our relationship, and the sudden ending of our story together in this life, it has been a balm to create this reading challenge. This treasure hunt.

Dad left many legacies that continue in my life. Books, stories, and the determined pursuit of clues and threads of connection are among the shiniest.

How to participate

This document is part invitation and part remembrance. You can participate in either or both.

To participate in the invitation, you can join the treasure hunt by reading a book in each category and, if you would like, sharing your completed list back with me at sostarselfcare@gmail.com.

I will be keeping track of the books read in each category and will send out a list of all the shared titles at the end of 2020. I hope that this will be one way to maintain a connection to David and to create new memories and experiences that connect us in our memories of him.

The reading challenge invitation is open to anyone, whether they knew dad or not.

I love the idea of stories and inspiration connected to dad travelling beyond his circle. If you didn’t know dad and you participate in the challenge, I’d love to hear what books you read, what these books made possible in your life, and how the stories of my dad’s life moved you, if they did.

For those who knew dad, you can also participate in the remembrance by reading the stories (there could have been pages and pages more) and by sharing your own stories!

I would love to hear the stories that these categories remind you of, and to hear about the books that dad recommended to you, and to know what from him and his life has stayed with you.

These stories and memories will also be collected, with the hope of creating a story book of David’s life and his influence in others’ lives. You do not need to be limited to the categories listed here for your stories – share anything that sparkles in your memory!

You’ll find the categories listed first, with stories and suggested titles after.

Simple pleasures

If you’d like some guidance from dad, here is a list that he shared with me last summer of some of his favourite things. Perhaps these will spark memories for you, invite you to consider things that you cherish in your own life, or guide you to titles that excite and engage you.

(I included the parts of the list that mention specific people, because I think dad’s love for Glenda, for his siblings, and for my sister and I are worth recognizing. I know these specific items, unlike the more general pleasures he lists, might not lead you directly to books, but they are a balm for my heart, and perhaps they will lead you to memories and stories of cherished people in your own life.)

  • Reading and Collecting books
  • Collecting an eclectic selection of Christmas ornaments
  • Setting up the upside-down Christmas tree
  • Stepping off the plane in Italy
  • Eating Italian food as prepared in Cinque Terre, Puglia and Rome
  • Eating authentic Gelato
  • Working hard to provide a service to avid readers
  • Swimming
  • Spending time with my amazing partner – Glenda
  • Gardening with Glenda
  • Talking to two people of whom I am so proud – Tiffany and Domini
  • Talking and staying connected with friends around the world
  • Watching my brother succeed so admirably at saving Prairie from financial ruin and rebuilding its heart
  • Watching my sister do her job so well around the world, especially in Asia
  • Drinking good wine
  • Making an awesome BLT
  • Cooking a thick, juicy steak with eggs over easy
  • Ethiopian food and coffee
  • Laying under a warm tropical sun
  • Listening to Mozart, Telemann, Holinger, Chopin, Haydn, Salieri, Boccherini, Bach
  • Praying to my Heavenly Father
  • Driving

Travel with David:

Each of these categories is based on a location where David either spent time or planned to.

  • A book set in Nigeria, or written by a Nigerian author
  • A book about backpacking through Europe (consider focusing on the Cinque Terre)
  • A book set in, or written about, the mid-Western USA
  • A book set in, or written about, rural Alberta
  • A book set in, or written about, Calgary
  • A book set in Italy, or written by an Italian author
  • A book set in Croatia, or written by a Croatian author
  • A book set in Costa Rica, or written by a Costa Rican author
  • A book that includes walking the Camino

Imagine with David

Each of these categories reflects a speculative genre or type of book that David particularly enjoyed.

  • A book of hard science fiction
  • A book of high fantasy
  • A book of historical fiction
  • A retelling of a myth or fairytale
  • A pop-up book

Take a stand with David

Each of these categories represent an action David took to either take a stand in solidarity with a targeted community, or to take a stand for his own beliefs and values.

  • A book about education or pedagogy
  • A book of Christian theology
  • A book about Islam or a book by a Middle Eastern author sharing their lived experience
  • A book about LGBTQ2+ community
  • A book about healing after abuse or trauma

Read along with David

Each of these books have specific cherished memories attached to them, and are books that dad particularly enjoyed and frequently shared with others.

  • The Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
  • The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
  • The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
  • Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
  • The Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner (any version!)
  • Anam Cara by John O’Donohue
  • Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton
  • A Tintin comic
  • An Asterix comic

Memories

This section includes why I chose each category, along with a few brief stories and remembrances, and some suggested titles. This section will be significantly expanded in the second iteration of this reading challenge, hopefully with titles and stories from you!

Travel with David

Each of these categories is based on a location where David either spent time or planned to.

A book set in Nigeria, or written by a Nigerian author

Dad was born in Jos, Nigeria on January 12, 1953. He loved Nigeria and had endless stories of his time there. One of his favourite stories to tell was of rock climbing with a school friend and reaching up over the top of the climb to find a massive snake sunning itself at the summit!

Consider:

One Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi. This book is set in Nigeria during the Biafran war from 1967-1970. After I read this book, Dad and I had some really meaningful conversations about his memories of this time, and about his parents’ actions during this war.

A book about backpacking through Europe (consider focusing on the Cinque Terre)

Dad backpacked through Europe by himself as a teenager. This is when he first encountered and fell in love with the Cinque Terre in Italy.

Consider:

Rick Steves’ Pocket Cinque Terre. This little guidebook didn’t exist when dad backpacked the Cinque Terre as a youth, but dad was a huge fan of Rick Steves’ books!

A book set in, or written about, the mid-Western USA

Dad’s years in the States, including the years he spent in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were formative for him. During this time, he taught dance and danced professionally, and he also did a lot of work to support vulnerable communities. It was during these years that he worked on a suicide prevention hotline, and with survivors of rape and abuse.

Consider:

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. Set in the Midwest, this contemplation on the seasons in that part of the world is lovely, and Annie Dillard was an author dad often had on the shelves at Logos.

A book set in, or written about, rural Alberta

Dad lived in Three Hills for quite a few years, but his roots in rural Alberta are generations-deep. His grandfather founded Prairie Bible Institute (now Prairie Bible College), which dad attended. He also ran the Coffee Break in Three Hills for a time. I still remember the ham and cheese sandwiches, and the picture of a red soccer ball on his office wall!

We also camped most years in Kananaskis Country, and I have so many cherished memories of our camping trips.

Consider:

Maxwell’s Passion and Power by Harold Fuller. This book is about dad’s grandfather, L.E. Maxwell, and about Prairie Bible College, which he founded in Three Hills, Alberta.

First Spring Grass Fire by Rae Spoon. This is a book about growing up queer in rural and religious Alberta, and close to my own heart. Dad and I had many conversations about queerness within religious spaces.

A book set in, or written about, Calgary

Dad lived in Calgary for a long time. He managed Logos Bookstore for almost 30 years, and although he never loved the climate here, I know that he loved his community. He gardened here, enjoyed the restaurants here, and grew deep roots within the bookstore and in the communities that he served – especially the community of teachers and educators, and the various religious groups that brought him in for booktables (many, many days spent at the FCJ centre!).

Consider:

Since John Gilchrist is no longer publishing the My Favourite Eats series (which dad loved, and which guided us to many fine meals – dad and I shared a love of fancy food!), try Gail Norton’s Calgary Eats, with a foreword by Julie van Rosendaal (who has taken on John Gilchrist’s mantle as CBC food reviewer). And if you cook from the book, consider adding a fried egg to the recipe for Modern Steak’s steak with peppercorn sauce – a good steak with a fried egg was one of dad’s favourite meals.

A book set in Italy, or written by an Italian author

Dad loved Italy, and he lived there for a couple years. And even when he wasn’t living there, that’s where his heart longed to be. He loved the food, he loved the architecture, and he loved the people.

Consider:

Brunelleschi’s Dome by Ross King.

How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci by Michael Gelb. This book isn’t technically about Italy, but it’s one of the books I read when I was 18, when I designed and undertook my first self-guided “transformative year” project, which dad supported by guiding me to books like this!

A book set in Croatia, or written by a Croatian author

Dad lived in Croatia for a couple years and treasured Dubrovnik and his friends there. When I visited him, he took me for a walk through the wooded area down to the ocean. It was gorgeous.

A book set in Costa Rica, or written by a Costa Rican author

Dad also lived in Costa Rica!

A book that includes walking the Camino

Although dad did not have the opportunity to walk the Camino, it was one of his cherished dreams. I’ve included it in this section because although his feet never carried him on the pilgrimage, I know that his heart did.

Imagine with David

Each of these categories reflects a speculative genre or type of book that David particularly enjoyed.

A book of hard science fiction

I have so many memories of hard science fiction and my dad! Not only books but also movies and tv shows. Dad had a deep appreciation for science fiction, and our house was filled with science fiction novels.

A book of high fantasy

In his last week of life, dad was talking about the difference between a fantasy story and a fantastical story. This is such a sharp memory for me, and dad and I did not come to a clear conclusion in this discussion of what makes a story a fantasy story and what makes it a story with fantastical elements. This interest in fantasy, what constitutes fantasy, and what fantasy writing makes possible in our lives is one that threaded through my life with dad. He loved fantasy novels, and he had a particular appreciation for how fantasy writing allows us to explore complex issues of values, morals, and relationships.

A book of historical fiction

Some of my favourite recommendations from dad were historical fiction – Pauline Gedge’s Egypt books, Sandra Gulland’s Josephine Bonaparte trilogy, Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth.

A retelling of myth or fairytale

I was in grade 6 when Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose was released as part of Terri Windling’s Fairy Tale series, and this retelling of the sleeping beauty story, set in a Nazi concentration camp, was profoundly moving. I cried, and talked with dad, and this story has stayed with me in the decades since. And it is not the only fairytale retelling that dad introduced me to. He loved William J. Brook’s Untold Tales and read the funniest passages out loud to whoever was in the room, and he also introduced me to Sheri S. Tepper’s Beauty, which bridges fairytale and science fiction.

Consider:

Book Riot has a list of 100 best fairytale retellings to invite you into one of dad’s favourite expansive genres. I would point you particularly to the Terri Windling anthology, the Neil Gaiman books, and Terry Pratchett.

A pop-up book

We were listening to CBC interview the man with the largest privately owned pop-up book collection in Canada. We raced downstairs and started counting. Yep… dad had over 100 more pop-ups in his collection than the collector being interviewed! Dad had a particular love of Robert Sabuda’s paper engineering, though he added any new feat of paper craft to his collection.

Take a stand with David

Each of these categories represent an action David took to either take a stand in solidarity with a targeted community, or to take a stand for his own beliefs and values.

A book about education or pedagogy

When Chapters moved in across the street, dad had to think quickly to keep Logos in business. He decided to move the bookstore strongly towards education, and his choice kept the store afloat during a decade that saw so many of Calgary’s independents close. In the many years of Logos focusing on education, dad built strong connections within the school boards in Calgary and was a yearly presence at the Calgary Teacher’s Convention. He also supplied educational books to book clubs and schools throughout the year. Even if education isn’t your field, there are gems in this category for any reader.

Consider:

Turning to One Another by Margaret Wheatley. Although this book was first published in 2002 and the world is significantly different now, Margaret Wheatley was one of dad’s favourite educational writers, and this book’s message of listening and finding common ground is one that dad appreciated.

The Politics of Education by Paulo Freire. Less well-known than Pedagogy of the Oppressed (which is brilliant and also worth reading!), The Politics of Education can be a bit more accessible for readers who aren’t already engaged in issues of pedagogy.

A book of Christian theology

Dad’s Christian faith was important to him, and he thought deeply about what he believed, and why he believed it. He read a diverse range of theological texts and pulled threads of insight from a wide range of traditions. I remember many conversations with him about thinkers as diverse as Catholic theologians Thomas Merton, Peter Kreeft, and Franciscan Richard Rohr, Evangelical theologians Dietrich Bonhoeffer and CS Lewis, as well as mystics like Hildegard von Bingen and Julian of Norwich.

Consider:

Dogspell by Mary Ashcroft. I cherish this small book, which dad brought into the store specifically for me and then kept on the shelves for many years. If there is a vision of faith that appeals to me and rings true in my heart, this is very close to it.

A book about Islam or a book by a Middle Eastern author about their lived experience

After 9/11, dad saw that Islamophobia was rising and he took an active stand against it in the bookstore. He brought in books on the topic of Islam, with a particular focus on books that highlighted points of connection and shared humanity.

Consider:

A History of God by Karen Armstrong. This is one book that was frequently on the shelf at Logos and looked at views of God through each of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. As conflict with Iran escalates and we see another rise in Islamophobia across North America, there is even more reason to return to this book about growing up in Tehran after the American-backed Islamic Revolution. Dad introduced me to this book.

A book about LGBTQ2+ community

“Oh, I think I got your genders wrong! This they/them stuff is tough for an old man like me, but that’s not the important thing.”

My dad said that to me in his last week of life, after using the wrong gendered terminology to refer to me (I am non-binary, and do not identify as a woman). My dad knew, accepted, and supported both my non-binary gender and my bisexual orientation. I hold this close to my heart.

But even beyond this theme in my own life, I remember when dad helped a long-time customer undertake a personal research project on the topic. This customer was clergy in a non-affirming denomination, and one of his congregants had come out to him as gay. His choices were either to break with his church in order to fully accept his congregant, or align with the church’s stance that homosexual behaviour was a sin. Over many months and many books and many conversations with dad, he decided to break with his church in order to stand with his gay congregant. Dad kept some of the titles on the shelf, despite pushback. This was a powerful experience for me, a queer youth who had not yet come out even to myself. I knew that my dad would support me, and when I did finally come out years later, he did.

Consider:

Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and How It Can Revitalize Christianity by Elizabeth Edman.

Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution by Shiri Eisner. This book was hugely influential in my undergrad work, and dad and I had meaningful conversations about what I was trying to do in my work, informed by Eisner’s book. My “undergrad work” included two honours theses, and the creation of Possibilities: Bi+ Community Group, which has now been running for over ten years. In 2018, dad and Glenda attended my Bisexual Visibility Day event, which was just one of the ways he supported this work.

A book about healing after abuse or trauma

Dad had a heart for those who were suffering and had been hurt. This was a thread throughout his life in many of his dealings with strangers and friends who came to him for help.

Consider:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.

Read along with David

Each of these books have specific cherished memories attached to them, and are books that dad particularly enjoyed and frequently shared with others.

The Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Pay attention for the moment when the dragon pushes its head up above the forest canopy and shouts, “EAT YOUR GREENS!” Imagine dad hooting with laughter, and reading this line out loud from his beloved glider in the living room of the house on 35th Ave.

The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon. Consider racing us through this book. Dad finished in three days! It took me an extra half day. How long will it take you?

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The book. The movie(s). The BBC mini-series.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Dad loved this series, and we both read it multiple times. Stop at the Ender books, if you’d like my recommendation!

The Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner (any version!). This was one of the most special things that dad and I shared. We watched a live broadcast of the opera when I was in elementary school, and then we shared this story in many formats over the years – the music, the sheet music, the graphic novel adaptations (both P. Craig Russell’s, and Roy Thomas and Gil Kane’s), the limited edition translated and annotated hard cover of The Ring of the Nibelung, The Rhinegold, and The Valkyrie with illustrations by Arthur Rackham, The Ring of Power Jungian analysis of The Ring Cycle by Jean Bolen… Despite Wagner’s abhorrent politics, this piece of music and writing remains close to my heart.

Anam Cara by John O’Donohue. Dad took the title of the Logos Bookstore newsletter from this book, and took much comfort from the contents.

Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton. Another beloved book, which he recommended frequently.

A Tintin comic.

An Asterix comic.

This memorial reading challenge was created for and first shared at my dad’s celebration of life on January 12, 2020.

You can download the full PDF here.

You can download a checklist PDF to track your progress through the reading challenge here. (This PDF does not include any additional text – just the categories.)