Señora Martha Ince: Educated / The Privileged Poor / Huasipungo

Spanish teacher Sra. Martha Ince named three books that she read a few years ago that affected her life, each relating to understanding other communities one is not part of. The first two are Educated by Tara Westover and The Privileged Poor by Anthony Jack. “Both helped me understand society in the U.S. and the shortcomings of this country,” Señora Ince said. The third book was Jorge Icaza’s Huasipungo, a brutal depiction of the perpetual injustice towards the indigenous people of Ecuador. “It’s the classic book of my country, so, I should have read it 50 years ago but I only got around to reading it in 2020,” she said. “[It] gave me an understanding of who we are and what we have done to the native people.”

Mrs. Lauren Friedman-Way: The Giver

In the sixth grade, one of Baldwin’s Librarians, Mrs. Lauren Friedman-Way read Lois Lowry’s The Giver, a classic dystopian novel written in 1993. This imaginative book introduced her to the world of reading, she said. In a way, Mrs. Friedman-Way said, the colorless world of The Giver brought her the colorful world of literature. “It’s the book that turned me into a reader,” she said.

Ms. Jessica Tingling: Devil in the White City

Ms. Jessica Tingling, also a Librarian, said she vividly remembered reading the 2003 nonfiction book Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, a nonfiction book about the serial killer H. H. Holmes. Having read it at 12 years old, she said this book showed her the extent of her love of reading. Ms. Tingling said she found Devil in the White City long but enjoyable, even as a preteen.“It doesn’t matter if it’s a long book, I’ll read it,” she said.

Ms. Cathy Young: The Bible

Religion is also capable of bringing meaning to many people’s lives. This was the case for math teacher Ms. Cathy Young, who said that the Bible was the book that had the greatest impact on her life. “My faith is very important to me.” she said.

Magistra Patricia Weidler: The Aeneid

Latin teacher Magistra Patricia Weidler noted the quintessential Latin epic poem The Aeneid’s effect on her relationship with her field of teaching. Having first read the original Latin text in 2016, Magistra Weidler said that Virgil’s great depiction of the legendary story of the Trojan War had made her fall in love with the Latin language. “It made me realize what I wanted to do with my life,” she said.

Dr. Matthew Bunn: The Plague

History teacher Dr. Matthew Bunn said The Plague by Albert Camus was the book that had the most substantial impact on his life. Dr. Bunn read Camus’ absurdist tale of an epidemic in Oran, Algeria in tenth grade.  He said it “opened up a whole new world, intellectually,” and influenced his choice to pursue a teaching career.

Magistra Annie Rotter: The Fountainhead / The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Latin teacher Magistra Annie Rotter named two books that both had a significant impact on her outlook towards life. The first, Ayn Rand’s 1943 novel The Fountainhead, is centered around the philosophy of individualism. Magistra Rotter read this book for pleasure in high school and it provided her with an alternate perspective, she said.“It was a different philosophy than one I’ve ever seen or read about before,” she said. Her second book was the 1905 collection of essays The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber. This nonfiction book also changed her perspective about “the ways that religion gets used to benefit society and not a spiritual tool for an individual,” she said

Ms. Lisa Ameisen: The Bluest Eye

Lastly, sixth grade anthropology and twelfth grade psychology teacher Ms. Lisa Ameisen noted a change in her perspective after reading Toni Morrison’s 1970 novel The Bluest Eye. This haunting tale gave Ms. Ameisen insight into a life much different than her own, she said. “It helped me see from a different perspective,” she said, “One that I’ve treasured ever since.” 

The effects of literature on one’s life are extremely meaningful and important. Whether it be on teachers, family, friends, or one’s self, literature has the power to leave an impact on and change someone’s life.