The Walrus in the Library

Summary

Lavinia, a 7-year-old girl from Lugoj, Romania, discovers a captivating book about a walrus in her local library, leading to a humorous exchange with her mother and the librarian.

Abstract

Lavinia's first visit to the library with her mother becomes an adventure when she stumbles upon a book about a grumpy walrus. The story is so engaging that she bursts into laughter, drawing the attention of the stern librarian. In a playful moment, Lavinia exclaims about the presence of a walrus, to which her mother responds with a witty remark, highlighting the imaginative power of reading. The anecdote serves as a response to a writing prompt by Ellie Jacobson and reflects the author's deep appreciation for libraries, which she likens to cathedrals. Despite a busy schedule, the author prioritizes reading and writing, suggesting a philosophy of thinking either before or after the act of writing. The piece concludes with a promotion of the author's poetry book and an invitation to support her work by becoming a Medium member.

Opinions

The author expresses a profound reverence for libraries, equating them with sacred spaces like cathedrals.
Reading is portrayed as a gateway to imagination, as exemplified by Lavinia's experience with the walrus book.
The mother's playful response to Lavinia's exclamation underscores the joy and humor that can be found in reading and shared experiences.
The author acknowledges the importance of reading and thinking, either in tandem or sequentially, as part of the writing process.
The author values engagement with her audience, as evidenced by the invitation to read more of her work and the promotion of her book.

Flash fiction

Lavinia was 7 years old when she first went to the library in her hometown Lugoj, Romania with her mom. As they entered the building, a musty smell hit Lavinia as hard as someone hurling dirty socks at her.

After taking a deep breath, Lavinia found a book about a grumpy walrus. She read and laughed until the plump, dark-haired librarian came over with a sour expression on her face.

Lavinia shouted:

“Mom, there is a walrus in the library!”

The mom winked and said: “I know. You’re reading about it!”

Thank you for the great writing prompt, Ellie Jacobson!

Libraries are as sacred to me as cathedrals, so I jumped on this prompt, although I have tons of work to do, which can certainly wait, as I have to read before I think and write before I think, or maybe think before I write — ha!ha!

For more poetic musings and short form philosophy, please check out my new book Morsels of Love, A Book of Poetry and Short-Form that got published last year. Enjoy!

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