Better Reading
Are you a reader?
I have always been a reader. I was reading before entering kindergarten. I remember enjoying those Dick and Jane books. (Funny story- I have a late birthday but in our town, the cut off for school was the calendar year-December 31. Being a December child, I was enrolled into class along with all the other children who were born the same year as I. Consequently, when I entered kindergarten in September, I had not had my birthday yet, so I was technically still four. I remember sitting in the Kindergarten classroom- cross-legged on the carpet for story time- and the substitute teacher voiced her surprise that I was reading. She asked me my age and after I told her, she said, “You can’t be four.” Here I was just a little tyke, trying to argue with this sub that “Yes, I was. I am so four.” A generation later, was it any surprise that our son at an early age could and would argue the legs off a table?)
I love words and the power of words and I enjoy reading although lately I wonder if I am truly comprehending what I read? I cannot figure out if it is a post-covid thing? An aging process of the brain? Declining eyesight? Maybe I have deceived myself all these years and I never comprehended things?
An article in The New York Times caught my eye, How to Be a Better Reader. Click HERE to read. I think the main crux is how we need to slow down in an age of quick sound bites. Our son has been working through a book, How to Read a Book, by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. He says is it quite interesting.
Words are powerful. I think it is only through words that people’s hearts and minds can be changed. There is a mystery about words. Word, with a capital “W” represents Jesus/God. The Creator of all things. Words are part of our co-creation- the way we express ourselves through language (written or oral) is a gift from God. When we use words, we are entering into creation, little “c”, with God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1)
Words are powerful because whether the author of the words realizes it or not, words are reflections of God. Words can be edifying and they can illuminate one’s world. Sadly, like many choices people make, words can be used for evil- they can be hurtful and they can diminish one’s spirit.
It is more than just the words on a page that can change hearts and minds. Storytelling, in any of its forms- drama, plays, poems, lyrics, etc. does too. I think because these formats are not so direct as perhaps facts or statistics on a page. Facts and statistics can change people’s minds but facts can hit you over the head while stories make the point in a sideways, gentler way: in reading a story one internalizes the predicament and hopefully that will evoke an empathetic response. Sometimes it is a repulsive response but either way, one has to mull it over in one’s brain.
What about you? Have you read any books lately that have made you rethink an ideology? Any characters whose lives changed the way you process the world? How you live?
In Rhode Island there is a program- Read Across Rhode Island in which a committee chooses one book a year that is offered to the population to read- libraries, schools, community groups, book clubs, religious groups- anyone who wants to read it. (Probably many states have this type of program.) This year’s book is Solito by Javier Zamora. It is a memoir of his journey to America when he was nine-year’s old. Solito is an incredibly detailed chronicle of Zamora's 3,000-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador — where he spent his childhood without his mom and dad, who had already made their way to the U.S. — through Guatemala and Mexico, and eventually across the U.S. border. He was an unaccompanied minor yet in the harrowing journey he develops a relationship with three strangers who become his “family”. It is their kindness that is one of the beautiful expressions in the book.
His book, told from the point of view of his nine-year-old self is an eye-opener. It emotes empathy and just a glimpse of what the immigration process entails. It humanizes the experience and so, has made me confront some of my pre-conceived ideas. It is just a beautiful (although at times harrowing) story-poetically written and conveys a hope in one’s fellow human that was unexpected. I was able to hear Javier speak when he came through Rhode Island on a book tour. What a thoughtful and loving person. With all that he has experienced in life, he does not appear bitter at all, either in any of the situations he found himself in or with the people who put him in those situations.
For me, this book has placed on my heart the peril and problem of immigration- whether in our country or in others. While I know that the issue is extremely complicated and I do not have enough information to come to any conclusion, I do know that only through reading and stories, like Javier, will I begin to have some understanding.
One of my all time favorite books is Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L’Engle. She writes about the creative process and faith. As she says about stories, “ “Stories are able to help us become more whole, to become Named. And Naming is one of the impulses behind all art; to give a name to the cosmos we see despite all the chaos.”
I think it is in the Naming and making sense of chaos that we begin to experience mercy and grace. It is why reading is so powerful and so important.
“Because stories are spells; they change things. When they hook us and reel us into their magic, they change us. It's stories that will save us, in the end. Not just the stories we read or tell, or the stories we want to be in, but the ones that live inside us and the ones we live inside.” – Sharon Blackie. Hagitude
Funda
Would you describe learning as fun? Recently I heard of a storytelling program that is called Funda-using the Swahili word for learning. The founder explained that it is through storytelling that our earliest ancestors learned about their surroundings, backgrounds and beliefs. She likes the word because “fun” is a part of its spelling. And shouldn’t learning be fun?
I was one of those kids who enjoyed school and learning new things. Still do. For me, learning something new is part of an ideal day. But learning takes many shapes and experiences, not all having to be in a formalized school setting. Once, in one of my snippy teenage quips to my mother, I told her, “I am not going to school today. School is getting in the way of my education.” I cringe now when I think how I spoke to my mother but my sentiment was that, at the time, the competition in my high school was driving me crazy and I needed a mental health day (not that I knew what that was at the time.)
There is knowledge from reading. From watching. From hearing. From questioning. From experiments. We learn from experience, we learn from others and we learn from “being taught” in the traditional school model.
It is hard to get back in the learning mode once one has left the “formal” school model yet we all can be and should be life-long learners. We have dear friends who are the epitome of life-long learners. For years, their travels involved learning all they could about the visiting destination even the most obscure detail. Their thorough preparation increased the enjoyment of their experiences.
Sadly, when our son tried that method with me, it did not go well. On our trip to Austria, our son, who had studied there, had very kindly printed out a history of the Hapsburgs. It was a large tome, neatly clipped in a binder all ready for reading. He gave it to me with plenty of time to read before the trip, but with one arrangement or another, I did not have time to look at it. I thought I could peruse it during the flight over, but I pretty much slept during the trip and quite frankly, the info was dry as toast. Upon arriving and visiting some of the historic sites, I asked a question. “Didn’t you read the book?” my son asked. He was quite exasperated. “I didn’t know we were having a quiz!” was my response.
For me, reading has always been one of the ways I learn new things. However I am finding that lately I engage in short bursts of information- whether that is written or through video. I wonder if my shortened attention span has become learned behavior due to social media? Losing focus as I age? Or just out of practice and habit?
What about you? When was the last time you had fun learning? Ever? Have you ever wanted to learn something just for the learning process? What would you like to know? How can you go about it?
Many years ago I read a book in which the author would describe, “creative excursions”: little trips that expand our minds. Perhaps like my life-long learner friends, we all should practice going on creative excursions: daily informational sessions that help us grow. Perhaps we should have our daily “funda”.
Here are some ideas for learning:
Local art museums- many times they offer free lectures (on site) or videos through their websites.
Enroll in Masterclass ($) (masterclass.com) or other “masterclass” type paid video content.
youtube offers a plethora of informational videos: TedTalks; language videos; how-to videos; most college/university have uploaded some courses.
Recently I discovered: jeanneoliver.com (creative collective- free and $ classes).
Local community colleges, recreational centers- offer various courses (in-person and online).
Local library- besides books, many offer classes or workshops.
Trade a skill with a friend- do you know how to do something? Your friend knows something else? Teach each other.
Ask questions: If you see someone doing something that is interesting or know that the individual has a specific skill or knowledge- ask them questions about it.
Engage a friend to join you on your learning quest.
Book Power
Read any good books lately? That would be a question that used to be asked of people. Nowadays it is more a question of, what are you streaming? While I have thoughts about television watching and movie streaming, I will save that for another day.
Are you reading? Have you cracked a spine of a book recently? During Covid shut-down, I have had to download books onto my iPad since the library is closed. It has taken me a while to get used to e-books and while they have their usage I am not a huge fan. I still like the smell of a book, the rustling of turned pages, the weight of it in my hand and the ability to quickly see my progress as my book marker gets deeper and deeper into the folds.
What are your favorite books? If you cannot get to a library or bookstore for any new ones, do you have some old favorites you like to revisit? I have friends who have perennial favorites and read them at certain times of the year.
A favorite story and characters can bring much comfort and joy especially in uncertain times. But stories are also good for our brain health. Not only do stories actively transport our minds but they release all sorts of chemicals in our brains: dopamine, cortisol, oxytocin. * A story structure helps us think spatially and can increase our attention span. Different styles of reading can develop different patterns in our brain and reading in a foreign language can actually grow our brain. When we read, we are actively engaged and immersed in the story almost as if we were actually there, rather than passively “seeing” a video about the experience.
I would much rather read a book first and then see a movie. Once viewed, I can never re-read the book without hearing the actors’ voices and visualizing the costumes and setting in my head. I will probably never be able to re-read Pride and Prejudice without Colin Firth in my head.
Recently, we watched the new All Creature Great and Small series on PBS. When I was little I remember the book lying on my grandmother’s coffee table. She enjoyed those stories. She could immerse herself into a good book- oblivious to anything around her as she giggled or gasped, visibly reacting to the plot. Later in life, during one of her hospitalizations, she was reading the autobiography of Willard Scott. She kept laughing with her infectious giggles, so much so, that her roommate was insistent to know what book she was reading and promptly instructed her husband to get her the same.
My husband and I have enjoyed the All Creatures books and the original BBC series. In fact, we named our first Jack Russell after the incorrigible but charming younger brother, Tristan. With the new series, we have returned to reading the books. I must admit, now when I read the stories I hear either Robert Hardy or Samuel West as the mercurial Siegfried. What we find with these charming stories, is that there is universal appeal about a character or situation: it becomes another reference point in our family conversations. Much like Miss Marple who could extrapolate the suspect due to similar characteristics found in a resident of her small village St Mary Mead, we find certain quotes from All Creatures (or other books and films) that sum up an experience we are having.
There is something to having a story that explains a truth about a situation. Madeleine L’Engle would say that there is truth in story, not that the story is entirely factual. Many times I find it is easier to explain ideas, concepts, corrections to others and myself through a story. I suppose that is why Jesus used stories, aka parables, in His explanation of the world, God and how one is to live in the world.
What about you? What books have you read lately? What books do you want to read? What type of genre do you like? Crime fiction? Historical novels? Mysteries? Romances? Classics? Foreign? Graphic novels? Biographies? Histories? If it has been a while that you found yourself picking up a book, why not check out your local library online or a local independent bookstore. Pick up a book by a local author. Dust off your old copy of one of your favorites.
Today, why not indulge yourself in the gift of reading.
* https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-wise/201605/great-stories-release-brain-chemicals
Reading Lists
My "upstairs" stack of reading on my bedside table.
Do you have a reading list? Books that you would like to read? Someday? I think I have one somewhere. I am sure that if I did, I would be much more efficient in my book choices and reading time.
What generally happens is that I will hear a book review on the radio. I then frantically look for a pen and paper to write down the title and author before I forget. I end up having all sorts of scraps of paper with scrawled titles and illegible author names. I never seem to find the time to combine those lists either onto a note on my phone or to some central location so that when I go to the library or book store, I have no clue of the books that I thought I wanted to read. I think what I might have to do is go with someone else's reading list, either from the library or one of the nice independent book stores in town.
While I may not have a list, I do have stacks of books at home that I plan to read. Someday. Most are older novels or classics that I have never read. Some are books that my mom gave me and others are ones I picked up at book sales. I do sometimes have a tendency to read books over again. Especially the ones which I can relate to the characters or the setting is such an imagined dream and that I want to return.
If you have never done so, I would suggest that you add the Bible to your reading list this year. While I feel that Bible is a living, God inspired book, it is also a piece of literature. Much of the old Masters paintings are Bible inspired. Knowing the various Bible stories is helpful in greater understanding of art and literature. Last year was the first year that I read the Bible in its entirety. It was life changing in so many ways not the least being that I have a better understanding of references.
What's on your reading list? What stack of books do you have in your queue? Do you like a specific genre? Do audio tapes work for you? Are you an e-reader? Do you like hard back or soft covers?
Summer Entertainment
What have you read during your summer? What movies did you watch? Did you go to any shows, plays or concerts?
I did some reading over our vacation. Of course I brought way too many books for the time allotted. But what I did finish were interesting. I also saw a couple of movies. Unfortunately, we did not get to any live plays during our stay. Where we vacation there are a bunch of playhouses- catering to both the amateur and professional actor. The venues are these wonderful and charming old theaters. Very intimate. In the past we have enjoyed patronizing them. Alas, we just couldn't get to do everything this vacation.
My vacation reading list:
"The Greengage Summer" by Rumor Godden. I have always wanted to read one of her books. I found this one at a thrift store. It took me a little bit of time to get into it since the writing style is dated (book published in 1958). It is a coming of age story of an impoverished English girl who spends the summer with her family in France. A situation occurs and the children are basically left unattended in a foreign land. Their observations of the world in which they find themselves is interesting. It is a fun read with an insight into a by-gone world.
"That's Not English" by Erin Moore. A sociology-lite book regarding the differences between British English and American English. Witty and entertaining but not too heavy.
"Rush Oh!" by Shirley Barrett. The fictional story of whaling in New South Wales during the 1910's as seen through the eyes of the whaler's daughter. (The author based the main action on historical facts- the aboriginal method of using killer whales to help the whalers and the main whaler character) Very funny in spots with a host of eccentric characters. An unusual and unpredictable story. Some criticisms- was a little disappointed in the ending and the foreshadowing throughout the book was disrupting to the flow of the story.
"Short Novels of Colette". I have heard so much about the famous French author so I thought I should read some of her stories. I was very disappointed and only read two of the short stories, "Cherie and The Last of Cherie". I might have had difficulty since this is a book very much of its time. The various stories were first published in the late 1920's, early 1930's. I did not find any redeemable or likable characters in these two short stories. I also had difficulty understanding the dialogue- who was speaking, to whom and about what? Perhaps it was the translation and if I could/would read it in French would I then understand? I might go back and try the rest of the short stories, but then again, life is too short and there are too many books to read that I want to read. (I have found that when a literary book has a long and glowing introduction that needs to explain the book that is to follow, it is generally a dog of a story.)
Books I haven't gotten to yet:
"Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates. My husband and son read this book while on vacation. My turn next. It is essentially a letter from the author to his son explaining his take of race in the world.
"The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way" by Bill Bryson. My husband is reading it currently. We always enjoy Bill Bryson's work. Witty, informational and well written.
"The Art of Grace" by Sarah L. Kaufman. From the book jacket, " Humanity at its finest is merely what Sarah Kaufman is offering in the inspiring, uplifting book, and we could all us a bit more of that in our lives."
The movies that we saw:
- "The Finest Hours"- I will blog about this movie and the following one in a later post.
- "St. Vincent"- (See above comment)
- "Captain America: Civil War"- Latest installment in the Marvel franchise. As with all sequels, most of the movie is the perpetual set-up of the next movie. One could possibly have a post movie discussion regarding the role of freedom and authority yet it seems as if the writers put those ideas in the trailer in order to make this movie seem loftier than it is. It is just a fun film to see and hear Robert Downey Jr's sarcastic quips.
- "The Guest"- Could have been so much better with a little more tweaking of the screenplay. Only thing good about the film- fun to see Dan Stevens (of Downtown Abbey's Matthew Crowley fame) in a totally different role and with an American accent.
What about you? What has been your summer entertainment? Read or see anything that was amusing, life changing, entertaining, sad, touching?