Edie Everette: Rather than curse the darkness, pick up a book

A recent power outage offered a chance for an older, simpler pursuit: reading a book in one night.

Edie Everette

Edie Everette

By Edie Everette / Herald Forum

It took a power outage for me to buckle down and read an entire book last night.

It took a swerving, center-lane-crossing driver to hit a power pole on U.S. 2, knocking out electricity to more than 600 folks in the upper Sky Valley, to help me focus. I hope that driver and anyone involved is OK, but it took the possibility of me not being able to do anything else due to lack of electricity to enter another world. Not the quick, scrolling, dopamine-inducing world of face filter, dog rescue and lip-synching videos but a world that took hours to enter and absorb.

Every Sunday, back in my 20s and 30s, I would read an entire book. There were exceptions of course, such as James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” That novel took me an entire year to read, along with a study guide to help me understand it. I worked at a lunch counter in Seattle at the time and painted a shirt that said, “I am on page __ of Ulysses,” onto which I would pin a piece of paper with the page number to fill in the blank.

For a while I thought that graduate school turned me off to reading, all that postmodern crap that I imbibed. But now I realize that it was the advent of cell phones at about that same time that did the trick. How can we resist the seduction of the immediate gratification of … everything? I don’t know about you, but I could sit and listen to podcasts while playing Spider Solitaire for the rest of my life.

Not to mention Amazon Prime, Netflix and all the other movie streaming sites. Compared to television shows from my childhood and young adulthood, some of the movies and series streaming today are as rich as literature. The writing, acting, cinematography, directing and soundtracks of these shows are stellar. I personally love Nordic Noir.

After reading Harry Crews’ memoir “A Childhood: The Biography of a Place” that night by battery-powered lantern I shut my eyes and saw dozens of worm-like shapes wiggling toward me. The entire scene was in monochromatic red because my eyes had not been happy about reading so long in a dim light; yet my soul felt victorious. I can still read an entire book in one sitting!

Without a power outage, the stacks of books on my nightstand only grow taller. When I’m tired at the end of a work day and everyone is fed and the kitchen is cleaned and I climb into bed, well, I deserve to take it easy and look at my phone. Besides, reading is so … quiet.

What shall I read during the next power outage? After last night I have a much better attitude about them; at least when they don’t happen during wintertime.

Edie Everette is a writer, news junkie and lives in Monroe.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, July 14

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Authorities search for victims among the rubble near Blue Oak RV park after catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on Sunday, July 6, 2025. The half-mile stretch occupied by two campgrounds appears to have been one of the deadliest spots along the Guadalupe River in Central Texas during last week’s flash floods. (Jordan Vonderhaar/The New York Times)
Editorial: Tragic Texas floods can prompt reforms for FEMA

The federal agency has an important support role to play, but Congress must reassess and improve it.

Comment: Midterm messaging fight for working class has begun

And Democrats have a head start thanks to the GOP’s all-in support for cuts to the social safety net.

Saunders: Considering attacks from left, ICE agents must mask

It’s not ideal, but with physical attacks against agents up 700%, the precaution is understandable.

Comment: Superman has been ‘woke’ as far back as Krypton

Conservative critics upset by the movie director’s comments on immigration need to read up on the hero’s origins.

Comment: GOP delayed worst of BBB’s cuts until after midterms

Republicans are counting on low-information voters’ party loyalty over their own financial interests.

Tufekci: Link between flood warnings and people wasn’t there

What might have saved many in Texas was a NWS coordinator position eliminated in the DOGE cuts.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Sunday, July 13

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

FILE — The sun sets over power lines in rural Ward County, Texas on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Republicans plan to terminate billions of dollars in clean energy tax credits. Experts say that will mean more greenhouse gas emissions and more dangerous heat. (Paul Ratje/The New York Times)
Commentary: Bill will deliver dirtier energy at a higher price

Cuts to clean energy policy in the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will stifle our energy transition and cost us more.

Tufekci: ‘Garbage in, garbage out’ behind AI’s Nazi meltdown

That Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot defaulted to internet hate speech is concerning. Our acceptance is scarier.

Everett mayoral candidate had a role in budget problems

A mayoral candidate in Everett is being dishonest, blaming his opponent for… Continue reading

Social Security email was a false and partisan use of agency

I was appalled to get a spam email from the Social Security… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.