Ancestor worship.

Above is the stack of books I keep on my writing desk, for constant reference on style, tone, and narrative. I finished the third draft of my novel last night. I’m letting it rest for a couple of months so that my unconscious mind can work its magic. In the meantime, I would like to thank the artists who came before me, and from whose artistry and wisdom I’ve borrowed heavily for this book. Praise be to the Creator in Arundhati Roy, Donna Tartt, Haruki Murakami, Bill Bryson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Toni Morrison, Kim Stanley Robinson, Hope Edelman, Gita Mehta, Kira Salak, Yann Martel, and Norman and Elsa Rush.

(….and that’s only the writers. The musicians are a whole other litany.)