Project Bookshelf: Hannah Dettmann

I have a very detailed memory from when I was a kid of placing all of my t-shirts from my dresser into an extra large trash bag and plopping it right into the empty corner of my bedroom in hopes of making a “designated book drawer.” My mom was not too thrilled with that decision, and a few weeks later gifted me with a brand new bookshelf to place in that empty corner for my birthday.

I spent the next few years perfecting that shelf. At first, I was just organizing it by color or by what cover photo matched my room the best – which at first was the classic Pinkalicous written by Victoria and Elisabeth Kann. However, as time passed and I grew taller, I slowly became very selective about what books I wanted to show off, one of my all-time favorites being The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas.

Moving from my Illinois suburban neighborhood to Tennessee for college, my bookshelf quickly turned from a carefully organized collection into what is now a few dusted-over books scattered throughout my quaint apartment bedroom. Because of this, I have been forced to become quite selective with what books of mine stay, and what books have to go back to Illinois when I make the road trip for winter break.

As someone who unfortunately has a low attention span, it has always been a bit trickier for me to find long collections of books I can dive into. Perfect for me, my roommates adore fictional collections, so I usually just give them those books to keep.

I have found myself cherishing any poetry collections I find, whether that be in my free time or for my creative writing classes. Some honorable mentions are House of McQueen by Valerie Wallace and Kinky by Denise Duhamel. These books are a bit harder for me to hand over to my friends to borrow.

Since my bedroom at school only has enough room essentially for a bed and a desk, my designated bookshelf is now a suitcase under my bed filled with books that slowly collect dust. But hey, just because they aren’t gorgeously displayed for everyone to see doesn’t mean the words aren’t tattooed into my brain with hot pink ink.

Hannah Dettmann is currently majoring in English with a minor in Secondary Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is originally from Chicago, Illinois. In her free time, she loves spending time with friends, trying new foods, and going on walks.