5 Questions 4 Nick Martin

Penn Independent School Teaching Fellow (English Dept.) Nick Martin has some suggestions for books (nearly) everyone should read and a favorite time of day that comes with a disclaimer. Find out all this and more in 5 Questions 4.  

What song can you listen to on repeat?

"Una Mattina" by Ludovico Einaudi or "Something in the Way" by Nirvana. I spent most late nights writing in high school and college to both of these songs. So, for any of those students who've emailed me from a hot spot post-11:15 p.m. lights-out, see if this song helps at all!

What is one book everyone should read?

Hmm, I don't know if I would say that there is one book "everyone" should read. It all comes down to preference, taste, and resonance. Still, I do think that there is something in almost every book for everyone. So, I will say “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez or a little book I found abroad while in Ireland called “The Lost Joy and Other Dreams” by Olive Schreiner. Maybe it was the time I read these in the past or the power of the words alone but both of these novels I find myself returning to for comfort, advice, and insight again and again. 

What is your favorite time of day?

Disclaimer: this is not a recommendation. But, I do think there is a certain kind of exclusive quiet and calm that only exists between 1-3 a.m.

What person -  living or dead -  inspires you?

My mother. From as early as I can remember, I recall my mom doing it all. Groceries dangling off-arm with glasses pushed up on her grey hair, she never stopped. She has never stopped working, providing, listening, and supporting. She is inspiring right now as I sit and write these responses in my living room in Boston. She is cackling over the phone with her brother as she describes the ever-growing list of "to-dos" for the 35-person Thanksgiving that she hosts every year. She is the “glue” and still holds us all together.

Which fictional character from a book or movie would you most like to meet?

Spongebob Squarepants. I would fulfill my childhood dream and try to get my hands on the Krabby Patty Formula. It would be a monumental day for my eight year-old self.

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