Project Bookshelf: Jacquelyn Scott

You might be thinking to yourself: “What kind of English major is this? One bookshelf?” And you would be right. But fear not, dear reader, the majority of my books are currently packed away for moving. In fact, as you’re reading this, these books are probably packed away, as well.

I don’t think this particular collection is quite representative of the majority of my reading habits, although it does make me look smart. There are quite a few classics in this picture (Yes, that is The Epic of Gilgamesh. No, I haven’t actually read it. Yes, I intend to.), and while occasionally I find solace in Ayn Rand, Bram Stoker, and Leo Tolstoy, most often, I prefer the powerhouse women: Carmen Maria Machado, Karen Russell, Aimee Bender, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Kelly Link. Her Body and Other Parties by Machado is my absolute favorite collection of short stories, and Swamplandia! by Russell is one of my favorite books. You can rest assured that if a book by these five is published, it will sit on my shelf (or be packed away in a box nearby).

Jacquelyn Scott is a current candidate at The University of Tennessee for her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Her work has appeared in The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature and The Write Launch. Find her on Twitter @jacquelynlscott.