Reader's Fave

I recently interviewed Walker Wernimont for our 30th installment of Reader's Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book. I met up with Walker in Skamokawa early in the morning for our conversation. A volunteer Skamokawa firefighter, Walker had responded to an incident last night. During his work, 12 wasps decided to visit and leave a bit of themselves with him, resulting in little sleep during the night.

Walker is originally from Iowa and has lived in Wahkiakum county for roughly two years. He is currently taking some classes at LCC in Longview and, this month, will be attending full time. His final goal is to get his Masters in Education and become a high-school teacher.

Walker chose to discuss the book "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. Walker made it clear that the book is not his current favorite nor his favorite genre. However, at one time in his life, the novel had a significant impact on him, and he simply wanted to share that.

He first read the book in 2019 as a high-school senior enrolled in an AP Literature/Composition class in Dubuque, Iowa. Along with the book, the teacher also made a significant impact, changing the way Walker fundamentally read books. "He changed the way I viewed reading and composition and how I read texts and try to think what the text is really meaning," said Walker. "We did a lot of writing and impromptu essays." Walker also shared that most of the other students had previously been exposed to this type of classwork, and he felt rather out of place. "I didn't always participate in class," he said. "I felt like a nit-wit at times, but I learned a lot, and [during] the class discussions, the teacher never frowned on your opinion. You just had to try to defend your positions."

In the book, Walker could really relate with the main character, Holden. "I could empathize with Holden," he said. "I understood him. He was this protector of youth, but he had to grow up too fast as a child, yet he acts childish which is the irony of it." Walker went on to share a bit of some mental challenges he was struggling with during those years and continues to face but with professional diagnosis and support.

After reading the novel a second time in 2022, Walker experienced a different reaction. "I could still feel empathetic, but the story was not as encapsulating for me," he said. "I understood. I could relate to Holden better, just under a better perspective. I don't have an inclination to read it since. It's not an outlet of what's going on in my life now."

However, when asked about recommending "The Catcher in the Rye" for others to read, he paused to think for a moment and said, "I'd recommend it to older high-school students or adults. It's a coming-of-age story; maybe, for those having a hard time. They might get something out of it."

We then went on to discuss Walker's favorite genre: fantasy. "I'm not trying to learn about the world, I just enjoy it," he said. Walker enjoys fantasy books set in the Middle Ages with dragons. One of his favorites is "Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire trilogy)" by Mark Lawrence. However, it was a rough start, at first, for Walker with the first book. "I almost threw the book away after the first 20 pages due to an assault in it by the main character who's only 14 years old," he said. Walker held on and read on. "It's a grim book," he said. "Especially the first book. The main character slowly becomes a better person. There's a little, tiny goodness slowly displayed. By the second book, he's 19 and getting married, but to a 12 year old. He's kind and gentle to her and treats her like a 12 year old, but he's still not nice to everyone else."

Two other books Walker enjoyed and briefly mentioned were "The Praise of Folly" by Desiderius Erasmus, which he was reading for his Humanities class at LCC. He also enjoyed the classic "Don Quixote" by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra.

Walker shared that he had considered himself a reader from his young days. "My mom is a sixth-grade English teacher and is on her 23rd year of teaching," he said. "We'd do the summer reading program at the library. You had to read 30 minutes a day to get a little prize and also get the big prize at the end of a swim pool party and pizza." Walker wasn't always the easiest child when younger. "I acted out at as a child, often in church," he said. "I'd get my Nintendo D.S. taken away, so all I had left was to read." Either way, and through whatever influences, Walker was and remains a reader.

May you wonderful Wahkiakum readers enjoy a book which helps you in whatever way it can at this time in your life.