Leading Thoughts

Dear Community,

Growing up, books were key to my inner sense of self and balance. I loved to read, and still do. I am therefore delighted to share this issue of The Gryphon, which focuses on the joy of books and reading.

In my childhood home in Haiti, books were the most important commodity. One bookcase was dedicated to fiction for us children, with books primarily from French or Belgian publishing houses, like the Aventures de Tintin et Milou, Asterix, or, for my sister and me, the collection of morality stories from the Comtesse de Segure or the Aventures de Martine.

A second bookcase, according to my parents, was focused on all the “knowledge” we needed. In the pre-internet years, encyclopedias were the place to find what my parents believed were essential references for lifelong learning. I wonder how many young people today would be able to visualize the following: a shelf of tomes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, The World Book, Popular Science, or a huge, standard dictionary. This case also housed our French books like classic comedies, tragedies, and satires by Molière, Racine, and Corneille, the Lagarde and Michard series on French Literature and the Petit Larousse dictionary (which was not at all petit!).

I realize now what was not on my parents’ bookshelves or in the library at school: books by Haitian authors! It took me studying at an American university to truly understand the richness and range of Haitian literature present both in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora. Thankfully, Haitians today are unapologetic and proud of our authors and artists, and we have more access to our own authors thanks to more vibrant publishing houses on the island.

Looking back, I wish that I had been exposed to a more diverse array of books much earlier, and I am so proud of the work our librarians here at CSW have done to maintain a library that offers readers so many different ideas, voices, and perspectives. In addition, I am moved and inspired by the way our faculty instill a love of reading in our students — arguably one of the most powerful gifts we can offer them.

In this issue, we explore the act of reading — including a special feature in which alums, faculty, and staff share their own recommendations. So head to your favorite reading nook, relax and enjoy!

Happy reading!

Lise Charlier, Head of School