“I have about five books by my bedside, but the thickest one, that I’m reading the most slowly is ‘A Whole World: Letters from James Merrill.’ I love reading letter or journal collections alongside fiction and other nonfiction reading. This one reflects a time when people wrote a lot of letters to multiple people. These are a kind of lit-porn – Merrill wrote extremely well, knew a lot of interesting people, traveled a lot, was a dedicated poet, and was open and straightforward about his inner life. His relationship to an ancient poet and various dead people via the Ouija board sessions he practiced for many years with his longtime partner David Jackson are intriguing. Another book about these two I reread recently is Alison Lurie’s ‘Familiar Spirits.'” — ANNA DIBBLE, North Freeport

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Mainers, please email to tell us about the book on your bedside table right now. In a paragraph or two, describe the book and be sure to tell us what drew you to it. We want to hear what you are reading and why. Send your selection to pgrodinsky@pressherald.com, and we may use it as a future Bedside Table.

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