An Unexpected “Link” to the World of Books

….and Friendship

The day was May 29th. I’d been pondering the rough couple of weeks our nation had been facing around racial justice. These conversations had reached a fever pitch leading to protests and violent encounters in several major U.S. cities. 

The ugliness and vitriol were so pronounced that I made the decision to refrain from any and all social media conversations for a period of time until things tamped down. But what was so heartbreaking was to witness the unconscious ignorance displayed by some of my well-meaning friends, particularly as it relates to our nation’s history. 

On the heels of these experiences, I declared to a friend that the level of racism in America was far worse than I previously thought or even imagined in my wildest dreams

Then there was the Instagram message I received on that day. Totally random and unexpected.  

Hi, Michael. I don’t think we really know each other but I see that you follow me on Instagram. I wanted to reach out in light of recent events and wanted to let you know that I am here to provide whatever help or solace I can.

Honestly, I read this in stunned amazement and wanted to roll up in a ball and cry. 

This welcomed message came from a super cool person by the name of Tia Link who reached out to me from an idyllically sounding town known as Bountiful, Utah. Not sure as to whether she was legit or a social media troll, I did some research to find out who she is. Here’s what I uncovered:

Tia is a New York-trained theater and film actor who specializes in unapologetic, smart, and deeply complex character roles whose toughness masks a certain inner vulnerability. Before launching a career in the acting world, she worked full-time as a lawyer, a career she admits was more about the money than feeding her soul. 

She is also a passionate book enthusiast. When I extended an invitation for her to be featured here on “Great Books, Great Minds,” she responded:

“Oh, I just love books. A positive that came out of the pandemic was starting a book club with my family! We had our third meeting on Sunday and it’s been so good. I’d be happy to be interviewed.”

Here’s what Tia had to share: 

First, a little about you and your life journey

I grew up in Bountiful, Utah as the middle child of three girls. I have a BA in psychology and a law degree. While I still practice law part-time, I discovered a love of acting in my mid-thirties and have since played lead roles in more than 50 short/feature films. I have also traveled to 70 + countries. These experiences, coupled with my late career change, have taught me that the most important thing in life is to stay open to new opportunities and to fight inertia with everything you've got. 

What initially fueled your interest in books? And what have you discovered about yourself by way of your reading interests? 

My dad has always been an avid reader and I credit him with having truly cherished books ever since I was young. I grew up in a relatively small town and books became such a wonderful escape. What I've always loved most about books is in how they articulate a feeling and/or experience that I've never been able to put into words. Since so many of the great authors are good at this, I feel fortunate to have been able to find books I love in most genres. 

What are 2-3 of the most compelling books you’re read this year and why? 

The two books I read most recently that I can't stop thinking about were The Bone People by Keri Hulme and White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. You can probably tell by the latter that the racial justice protests have definitely influenced my current book interests! I, in fact, have a stack of additional books on racial justice/injustice that I'm planning to dive into this year

Can you elaborate on that latter point? 

Sure. I am lucky that part of my undergraduate core curriculum in college was an Afro-American Studies class. That exposed me to certain injustices baked into our entire society early on. These protests have been a reminder to me that this should be a lifelong study. So diving back in as an adult has really given me a renewed appreciation for how important it is that white people be a part of solutions to the problems they help create. 

Where are your favorite places to hole up and read? And what is your all-time favorite bookstore and why? 

As an adult, my favorite place to read is in a big comfy chair. We have a chair at our house called the "hug chair" and that's usually where you'll find me with a book. As a kid, I'd read anywhere (and my mom has the pictures to prove it!). But my favorite spot was in a tree at my grandma's house. She lived next door, so I'd wander over whenever the weather was nice. It was a relatively small climb up to a perfectly flat branch!

Do you prefer hardback/paperback, digital, or audiobooks? 

Any real book will do (paperback or hardback). I do have a Kindle, but I will use it only under duress! Nothing can substitute for holding a real book in your hands while the story comes to life. 

Who are your favorite authors? What 1-2 books have had the greatest impact on your life and why? 

It's so hard to pick favorites when you've loved so many books! I love Graham Greene, Zadie Smith, James Clavell, Kiran Desai, Khaled Hosseini, Neil Gaiman, Ursula LeGuin, and so many more! 

I would say though that John Stuart Mill's book On Liberty had the biggest impact on my life. It's the first book that really got me to challenge how I thought about the world and how important it is to expose yourself to differing viewpoints. Even now, 20 years after I first read that, I often think about his discussion of the "healthy collision of truth with error."