Ask An Author Week #1: Ingela F. Hyatt

Question: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have three books with which to read for five years, which three books would you take and why?

Ingela F. Hyatt: Well, if I really must choose only three books... I think I would want The Poetic Edda (Codex Regius) as translated by Lee M. Hollander--a thousand year old manuscript found in Iceland. It contains the orginal myths and wisdom of the Norse people and is utterly facinating. I thank that's where my love of the Norse Gods and Myths began. The complete Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. My mother read this book to me as a child, which I think is the reason why I have such a vivid imagination. And lastly...History of My Life by Giacomo Casanova (unabridged). I have read volumes 1 through 4, and not only is it a fascinating account of Casanova's life, but a window into 18th Century Europe. These books would certainly keep me going for a while. ;)

Writing has always been my passion, and it began in grade five when I was forced to either memorize a poem each day and recite it for the class, or write a poem and read it to the class. After reciting my first poem (The Cremation of Sam McGee) and hating it, I quickly discovered I had a talent for writing poetry and wrote about every topic under the sun, from fluffy white clouds to my big toe... *shudder* But it wasn’t long before I moved on to short stories, though I still had a habit of writing sappy love poetry which I wouldn’t touch now with a ten foot pole.

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