Question

by William Thompson

I think literature is very important for many. When you read/write, what do you hope to take/give from literature (non-fiction/fiction/poetry)?

—Will

3 thoughts on “Question”

  1. Hi Will,
    For me, I read and write to connect:
    “Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyancy is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.” – Anne Lamott
    There’s a certain type of comfort to be found in communal experience of the word, both written and spoken. But sometimes it’s the very existence of that space to start that makes it meaningful. Linda Norton wrote that she “walked into poetry / in search of a place to rest, / a place to suffer formally.” Where else would we put down the moments we carry? Poetry and prose become a place where we can experience memory as many times as we need to.

  2. Hi Will,
    I’ve been thinking a lot since our last meeting about what I hope to give in writing literature, especially poetry. I know not everyone thinks about intentionality as they write and I can certainly see the benefits of that, but I’ve personally found comfort in it. When I write, I think a lot about the intention of my pieces and how a reader might interpret them, not because I imagine a future where they are widely read (or even read at all) but because I like the thought of connecting with someone through writing. It makes me feel a little less alone to imagine someone reading a poem I’ve written, even if I never intend to show it to anyone, so I often think about how someone might interpret what I write. I try to use poetry to create a window into my mind, even if (and especially if) the only person looking through that window is me – it helps me process life by allowing me to see my life from an external vantage point for just a moment. The interesting thing about poetry, however, is that anyone else who looks through that window will see something at least a little different, and I sometimes feel like reading poetry is a process in which the reader can get at best an asymptotic approximation of the writer’s thoughts and experiences. The window might also be a little reflective; I think poetry can sometimes give the reader a brief glimpse of themselves in a new way – I know I certainly feel like that when I read poetry. I like to think about what sort of window a reader might be looking through and what they ultimately take from the poem as I write, and I sometimes let that guide me. Even though I know it’s impossible to truly predict what the reader takes from my poem or any other piece of writing (and I wouldn’t want to even if I could), thinking about what they might take from my words helps me feel a little less alone in my own thoughts. That was a long-winded way of saying that what I intend to give to the reader through my writing isn’t necessarily the same thing that a reader will take from it and that the only thing I can be sure of giving a reader is yet another look through yet another window.

  3. Hi Will,

    Thanks for the question. I am going to focus on what I take/give from reading literature. I think that my relationship with literature is extremely dynamic. It really depends on what I need that hour or day or week. Sometimes I run to read literature when I need to block out things in my own world. I use novels and poems as an escape to a different universe. Other times I turn to literature when I need to have more information, whether than be a non-fiction book on apartheid in South Africa (a book I am reading right now) or a news article regarding Covid-19. Another reason I turn to novels is actually as a way to get off screens. I find myself glued to technology and screens all day, and a juicy book is enough to rip me away from these devices. In terms of what I give, I think by becoming a more socially aware and informed global citizen through reading literature, I am in a way giving? I acknowledge that I have a long (!!) way to go in regards to being informed about many topics, I think that our society would benefit if more people were more informed, whether that be about climate change or social justice issues, by reading more literature.

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