The Bookshelf: Patron Interview – Joseph Embury

Published 8:45 am Saturday, April 5, 2025

I’ve known Joseph Embury’s family for a long time via the library but only met him recently. I found in him another lover of great science fiction, and he has turned me on to some great authors. He jumped at the opportunity to share his love of books with others and below is an interview I conducted with him.

Prompt: Tell us a little about yourself.

Embury: I’m 38 years old and I have three kids with my wife whom I’ve been with since our senior year in high school in Colorado. I’m former military and I did six years in the Navy as part of the Nuclear Naval program on board the USS Enterprise. I enjoy gaming, reading, writing, woodworking, art, archery, disc golf and watching local theater groups. I’m currently listening to, and maybe a little obsessed with, “Epic: The Musical” by Jorge Rivera-Herrans.

Question: How do you use the library?

Embury: I very much enjoy the simple act of coming into the library and physically picking up my books. I have a lot of interests and have an eclectic taste in books, so I’ll check out several at once, read a little from each one, and whichever one catches my fancy the most I’ll commit to fully reading. I think most of the staff at the library know my name and recognize my truck the moment I pull into the parking lot, which is a really nice feeling.

Q: Why is the library important to you? 

Embury: I don’t think I can adequately describe how important the library is to me in a short summary, but I’ll try my best. In a world that is quickly digitizing, where so much information is broadcast and consumed, and everything is happening all-the-time-everywhere-right-now, I think the library offers a sacred space, a quiet bastion against the invasive ways in which we’re assaulted by advertisements and modern media.

When I come to the library it’s peaceful and it simply puts me in a good mood as I let my mind peruse different books I might want to try out. I feel connected to all the authors that have come before and throughout history, that wrote their thoughts down for future generations.

The Founding Fathers’ original intention was to create an educated republic through public libraries, and I think it represents a very special American privilege to enjoy these spaces we pay for with our tax dollars. The library isn’t just important to me though, it’s important to my entire family. It’s a resource that we all use, especially the kids, and our lives would be substantially less fulfilled without it.

Q: What is your favorite book of all time?

Embury: Bit of a tough one, but I think “Hyperion” by Dan Simmons is my favorite book, and it’s the greatest book that not enough people have heard of. I liked “Dune,” but “Hyperion” by comparison is truly in a league of its own.

Q: What was the last book you recommended to a friend?

Embury: “The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home” by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. If you like dark humor and adventure with just a tad bit of existential horror, I’d highly recommend it.

Q: If you could have three authors over for dinner (living or dead), who would you invite?

Embury: Octavia Butler, because she’s wildly intelligent and I’m convinced she could see the future. Thom Hartmann, because he’s just a weird guy that has interests all over the place, much like myself. Alexis de Tocqueville, because I’d love to hear his opinions on current American democracy compared to when he wrote his first book about it.

• Any of the books by authors that Joseph mentions can be checked out with a free PINES library card. And we welcome you to come by the library, browse for a book, find a comfy reading nook and let your mind wander. 

Brian Latour is the branch manager of the Chatsworth-Murray County Public Library.