I too believe in beauty and love and art. I believe it has the potential to transform those who read it for good... or for ill. A teacher and I once had a discussion about the books she was recommending to her class. At that time she felt they would only read books they could relate to, stories that were spawned from authors who lived similar lives. At this point I offered a suggestion that went a bit against the grain of common knowledge. While I understood why she and her fellow teachers felt they needed to offer reading material that reflected the life kids knew in order to engage them, "How," I queried, "would they imagine more?" How do they imagine a different kind of life than violence and ugliness if all they read are books that have the same reality that takes place in their homes? If they never read a book like A Wrinkle in Time or War of the Worlds will they dream of the stars and what lies beyond? Would they create fantasies of grand adventures and exciting travels if they haven't read Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea or The Narnia Chronicles? No, I proposed, I fear they... you and I... would not. Your dreams and aspirations would remain within the realm in which they were created- a world of day to day reality which may include abuse, drugs, alcoholism and gangs.... (fill in the blank)
Too sad to even think about really.
So Oscar Wilde inspires me to do more than write about the day-to-day, regular occurrances. I am emboldened to "take on [the] mask" of the writer in order to speak truth-- a truth that I hope will challenge readers to search for more out of life than what is "normal".
What authors have inspired you?
*Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellman, p. 339.
Oh I agree with you! We need to read books quite alien to our own lives - books about past, present and future, in order to dream bigger.
ReplyDeleteI am not at all surprised that you feel that way about literature. I sense it in the words you write and the pictures you post on your blog. You are always on the lookout for beauty.
DeleteWhat a wonderful challenge! One of the most exciting things about literature, I think, is its ability to take us out of ourselves and draw us into another world. I think that's why literature is so uniquely able to teach about the breadth of life and the commonality of human experience.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to keep us posted about how this works in your writing!
I'll keep you posted Emily! And I agree that literature is wonderful in it's ability to move us our and beyond.
DeleteI'm currently reading THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY for the first time. Creepy, yet intriguing!
ReplyDeleteSad to say I haven't read any of those books up there you mentioned. Need to continue with my classic reading fest of the last few years!
Ha! That's awesome! But somehow I am not even surprised that you are reading "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I have read "The Importance of Being Ernest" but have not yet gotten to Dorian Gray. However after reading about the author's life, I do know quite a lot about what OW was saying in it. You'll have to tell me what you think about it!
DeleteI have been neglectful and not read Oscar Wilde. I'm going to change that in the next year. I probably can even get "Dorian Gray" for free on the free books app for Apple.
DeleteAuthors that have inspired me? William Gibson, Amanda Hocking, and George R.R. Martin. Amanda Hocking inspires me because she is so terrible and yet gets published. Martin and Gibson inspire me because they write really well. Oh and I'd be neglectful to mention Gaiman. He's a genius.
Hi Michael! I know how much you enjoy Martin. My Stepson is a big fan as well and if I were still into sci-fi/fantasy I would probably enjoy him too- those days are behind me now but it was a lovely period.
DeleteI'm nearly at the end - and I totally understand what one of my CPs was saying when she told me one of my short creepy "horror"-ish stories reminded her of DORIAN GRAY. hehe
DeleteThat sounds like a great book. Although I know of OW, I don't know much about him. I'll have to fix that one of these days. I'm quite enamored by Thomas Hardy, Arthur C. Clake, Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut. I recently started a book by Octavia Butler, who I think will end up inspiring me.
ReplyDeleteI've not read any Vonnegut yet so you're one up on me on that one. Hardy is good. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hardy when I was in college. Thanks for sharing your faves!
DeleteThere are so many great authors out there for inspiration. Some of the first ones to really inspire me to think vastly and deeply were Bradbuy (Fahrenheit 451) & Huxley (Brave New World) and Keyes (Flowers for Algernon). incredible writers creating incredible worlds and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHi Jemi! So right! I could have made a list but at the moment it's all about Oscar. Perhaps that's fitting since we're coming up on the Oscars! :)
DeleteI'm happy to hear that you too are reading some of the "older" writers, and not just what's currently being written. I'm engrossed right now in Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell, the story she wrote about St. Luke after 40 years of research! Wow. The writing is incredible, and I'm learning about Ancient Rome as well. It was first published in 1959, when I was 19; but although I read historical fictional as a teenager, at this point I was too involved in "life" to read such a long book. So I'm discovering it now. How true, as you say, that we need to step out of our small space. If children are told not to do this...how very sad. I agree with you that too much reality can be deadening. That's why I LOVE literature, because we can experience so much through it that would be impossible in our brief time here on earth. There is SO much inspiration to be had through great literature. Excellent post, Danette!
ReplyDeleteAnn Best, Author of In the Mirror & Other Memoirs