I'm giving a little speech? presentation? something like that for Blinn's English Honor Society in a couple of weeks. For my topic, I decided on Literature and the Search for truth. 'Truth with a lower case t' is an expression I use in some of my classes for those ideas, snippets, concepts that resonate for us, that reveal truth about relationships or humans or life (but are not necessarily True in the tradition of Moses/tablets/Sinai).
I have lots of examples of my own, including some new ones from a little e.e.cummings bio I just read (hey - that would make a good post), but am wondering (especially from amazing reader Aunt Sherry, Becca, EMPK): are there any books, stories or poems (or parts of books, stories or poems) that taught you something or revealed something true?
Baby Mollie is very true.
12 comments:
Have you read Ursula LeGuin's essay on Fiction? It is in the intro to "The Left hand of Darkness" - great book by the way. There is some great stuff about how fiction is all lies, but lies to tell a truth that couldn't be told in any other way. Books that have had a big impact on my life are not always ones that would be high literature. Have you read The Soloist by Mark Salzman? Or "To say nothing of the dog" by Connie Willis. I read a lot of Connie Willis after Brian died and although they are just sci-fi novels they helped me make sense of the senseless situation in a way I could live with.
I think you overestimate my reading ... I haven't had reading reveal truth in a while, except New Yorker poetry, which is always so lovely. You've always been the smart one in our friendship ... and great pic of you, by the way.
Brian - this is a great idea! Thank you. I will look into this weekend.
EMPK - I don't overestimate your insight!
My IQ is not high enough to post.
Marni - what are you saying?!?!
David Foster Wallace revealed truths to me. Did you read him? I loved A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again ... was talking about it last week. I actually cried this morning reading about it. The truth is that revealing truth is hard work.
I know you love this snippet, too--the Christmas in Little HotP where they get the treasured tin cups and shiny pennies. The true meaning of Christmas, coupled with the "trueness" of gratitude for what you have. I just love it.
Also, in TKAM, I love Scout's realization that her teacher is wrong for thinking that she shouldn't be reading yet. Hello!
I wish I weren't at the public library and had more time to think of "true" sections from books.
PS- am reading the Mitford series. Love them! They're so . . . soothing.
PPS- Oh, my Mollie! Thanks for posting the cute pic, and of course YOU know how to spell her name. I love that about you. YOU are true, Erin.
Who is this EMPK?
It must be sleep deprivation or graduate school induced book deprivation but I can't think past the few piddly widdly books I have read recently, and Harry Potter. Always Harry Potter is safety for me, but does that mean truth. Likely not. I resonated with the need to teach my children to work in Little Heathens......other than that, I am not well read. A dud really. No self esteem loss here, just a dud.
I just need recommendations, and then I can have courage to read because someone else recommended it. IT gets me past my 100 page problem, and then I am committed.
This is lengthy, but books are bad for me. When I like one, I want to read it. End of story. (:
Any truth in Little Heathens? (Ack, my most recent read -- although I'm sure there is truth, strange truth in "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" that I'm reading now. What about "Miracle in the Andes" my favorite book of 2006 - Nando had such a sense about him and his experiences.
Just ideas - I like Marni am re-reading Harry Potter 7 (well, listening to) it's like a best friend. So many current reads but always go back to the favorites.
What about Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning." Logotherapy is unique indeed but this power of the mind and thoughts while in concentration camps was before its time. I mean he wrote the book in his head - no one could take it away, he could be consumed in monotony and deprivation by editing and writing the script in his head. His truth was the internal kind - what it meant for him and how he saw the lack in other prisoners.
Don't know if you're read it yet but Immaculee .... can't remember - check my blog "Left to Tell" the woman who survived the Rwandan genocide by hiding for 3 months in a bathroom with 7 other women and literally transcending her physical environment - the truth she learned and gained and lost. Amazing indeed.
Not sure if that's what you're going for - I agree with Marni this is not my brain area of choice (although, remember the the two of you DID get the same ACT score and Marni is amazing in math, science, statistics, art, music and you have talents in ..... oh no, I'm the loser sister!
:)
Remember, I ain't no English teacher! (yeah, as per my suggestions - Holocaust and Genocide Studies, of course.)
Hol
Courtney via this blog-
What on earth are you reading a book about cadavers for.
I was goign to say Little Heathens.
At least you read books. I prefer to think about what to read........ Ugh.
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