"reading my novels, "River,Cross My Heart" and "Stand The Storm" at the Anacostia Community Museum on May 26th at 2p - http://ning.it/12r8teM"
Books, books, and . . .
I was teaching a writing workshop on Saturday and the subject of reading came up, as it often does. Students are not surprised when I suggest that, if they really want to be writers, they also have to be readers. What does seem to surprise some of them, though, is how much reading I suggest they do as a minimum requirement for the writers' life: a book a week for life.
- books . . .
"What? I don't have the time for all that," grumbles a student.
"Turn off the television," I suggest.
"I don't watch television, at least not much."
"Get up earlier, then."
"I already get up at six."
At which point I just shrugged. Of course we can find excuses why we can't possibly do something, but if it's important to us, we'll make the time. We'll give up something to get something of greater perceived value. If you can't find the time to read, I can't imagine how you'll be a writer. The two are inextricably connected.
Then, too, comes the question of what to read. I always ask students to read outside their comfort zone, as well as within it. Read what you love, certainly, but also read new things, books you might not ordinarily pick up, just to see if a new take on the world might shake up your own. Such things are good for readers and writers alike. As writers, we also read to see how other writers manage to craft such fantastic books, as well as determine why a book fails to engage us. Great books make great teachers.
- . . . books . . .
A friend mentioned recently that she found a book I had recommended "challenging." And perhaps it is, for the first person narrative voice is intimate, and the narrator spends a good deal of time pondering events in three different time periods, which is often the way the mind associates critical events. I admit, you do have to keep your wits about you when reading this wonderful book (The Bishop's Man by Linden McIntyre), but the pay off is well worth it. It's a thought-provoking and deeply compassionate work about a difficult subject (child abuse by Catholic priests), and a beautiful character study that captures perfectly a particular time and place.
This reminded me of a conversation I had not long ago with the fantastic Haitian/Quebec writer, Dany Laferriere. We were discussing readers' responses to our work, which are sometimes baffling. Dany said a woman once approached him in something of a tizzy and asked him why his books were so difficult.
"Difficult?" he replied in his wonderful French-accented double bass voice, "Come now, why would you say this to me? Do I say this to you? Do I point out a passage in my book and tell you how difficult it was to write? Do I make notes next to a paragraph: This paragraph took me four hours to write! No, of course I don't. I have done my job, and now, you must do yours."
That cracked me up.
However, I'm not advocating writing difficult works just for the sake of it. That feels like nothing more than self-indulgence, and a little like the writer doesn't like their readers very much. If, for example, a writer must explain that the hidden key to a book appears only in an obtuse allusion on page 79 to something which doesn't actually appear in the text , as a very famous writer once said to Oprah, well, then. . . perhaps it's a tad TOO obtuse. But generally, if we only read fast, easy books which do little to enrich us, do not make us question our assumptions, nor expand our sense of compassion, well, what's the point? Pure entertainment? Sure, but how about that and a little (or a lot) more?
- . . . and more books
Here's a challenge for you -- back to that book a week. On the www.goodreads.com site -- a fun and useful readers social networking site -- you can keep track of the books you read, what you think of them, share that information with others if you like, and give yourself a reading challenge. How many books do you commit to reading this year? Put in that number, and as you enter more books, the site lets you know how you're doing. I put in 52 books, and as of today, I'm 10 books ahead of schedule. Feel quite good about that, I do.
Care to join me? You'll find me on the site -- "Friend" me if you like, and maybe follow my reviews. It's good crack as the Irish say, and that only means good fun, which you know if you're Irish, or perhaps if you've read, "The Last House in Ulster" by Charles Foran, which I'm reading now.
Comment
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Comment by Lauren B. Davis on July 10, 2012 at 5:14am
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Ren -- thanks for your honest comment. I think many of us go through periods where life interferes and we begin that slow slide to the television. Luckily, it can be reversed! I suggest to you that you can begin where you are. In other words, you needn't wait until you get into grad school. There is never an 'ideal' situation. Read now, and your writing will keep step. Also -- start keeping a journal if you don't already -- make lists of words and phrases you love, of things you notice, describe a day using only nouns . . . I hope you get into grad school, too. But hey, I have published 5 (soon to be 6) critically acclaimed books and I only graduated grade 11 in Quebec. I say this not to boast, but to let you know it is possible and your success as a writer isn't contingent on higher education. Distractions will always, alas, be with us. ;-)
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Daphne Q -- you're right -- a love of literature, is a braided love; writing and reading together.
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Comment by Lauren Michelle on July 9, 2012 at 8:01pm -
I really need to get back into doing this. I used to read several books a week in high school. You'd think once I got to college that habit would be maintained, but I actually started watching more TV in college, and my habit of reading a book or more a week quickly disintegrated. I've been telling myself I need to stop watching so much TV, step away from the computer, and do more reading. I can do some reading at work, but how much am I really getting out of that? I have a lot of distractions so I can't engage like I want to. I need to start reading before bed every night, at least for an hour. One of the reasons I'm hoping to get into grad school and get a graduate assistantship is so it will be my job to do a lot of reading, to stretch my mind, and challenge myself to make connections in literature and life I wouldn't otherwise make. I do hope I get in. :)
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Comment by Daphne Q on July 9, 2012 at 6:38pm -
This is so true... I love to read and I love to write and I don't know which one came first
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Comment by Edith O Nuallain on July 9, 2012 at 10:22am -
Thanks for the link Lauren! And thank you for increasing my understanding on how Goodreads actually works! I have long had the sense that it might be a Very Useful Tool, but after today I can see just how helpful it might be!
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Thanks, Tina -- look forward to seeing you there and learning what you're reading.
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Comment by Tina L. Hook on July 9, 2012 at 10:07am -
I would love to fill my life with more passionate readers and I look forward to following your reviews! Off to goodreads.
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Edith -- thanks so much for the comments. As far as I know, there is only one "Lauren B. Davis" author out there. (Most people forget the 'B'!)_ If you look up my books, you'll find me, otherwise, this link should take you there: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/843167.Lauren_B_Davis Look forward to sharing books . . .
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Comment by Edith O Nuallain on July 9, 2012 at 8:16am
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I've just been on goodreads but there are a lot of Lauren Davis there....can you direct me to the correct one please?! :-0
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Comment by Edith O Nuallain on July 9, 2012 at 8:10am
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Well I'm Irish and I know all about good crack, and this sounds like fun to me! I am already a member of Goodreads but still don't really understand how it works...however I'm away to the site and will try to friend you and set up the challenge.And yes, yes, yes this is why I read ..."to enrich us, ...[to] make us question our assumptions, ... expand our sense of compassion". I tried to write this on my blog yesterday but you say it so much better here!
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