Going to book readings can have unexpected impacts that linger
long after the authors leave the stage. This happened to me recently.
While sitting in the audience of the Junot Diaz reading at Agnes Scott College
last month, a friend told me about Rita Mae Brown’s 1988 book, Starting from Scratch: A Different Kind of
Writer’s Manual. Later he loaned me
a copy of this shoot-from-the-hip discourse on writing and the writing life,
which I just finished reading.
The book begins with a brief biography of Brown (best known
for Rubyfruit Jungle and Sneaky Pie cat mysteries), and goes on to provide
persuasive arguments for studying Latin and the classics, lesson plans for writing teachers, and some now-outdated chapters on the writing and publishing business (much as changed in 20 years).
The most intriguing aspect of the guide comes at the end, where
Brown offers a 25-page annotated reading list that starts with the ancient Beowulf and continues into the early
1980s. Brown writes, “Reading is an
active moral and intellectual exchange. If you’re not reading books that
challenge you, you’re reading the wrong books.”
Her recommendations are not necessarily what she considers the best in literature, but books that demonstrate many of the ideas presented earlier
in her book. The list includes authors who are now on the Southern Writers Literary Trail: Joel Chandler Harris, Erskine Caldwell, Carson McCullers, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and Margaret Mitchell, to name but a few. About Mitchell, Brown says “Don’t laugh, if you pay attention, you might learn something.”
Brown’s comments about Mitchell can also apply to experiences
we have at readings in general. You may not be enamored with the writer on
stage, but if you stay open minded— well, you might learn something you weren’t
expecting.
Growing up in the Chicago area in the 50's and 60's, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to 4 daily newspapers. Columnists were by far my favorite, mostly for the breadth and depth of their musings. Many went on to write for other publications and I still get a twinge of satisfaction from remembering their names and writing styles from those early bylines.
Sydney J. Harris wrote 2 or 3 times a week for the Chicago Daily News, and an irregular feature of his column was a day when he would detail "Things I Learned While Looking Up Something Else." Elements of wonder and surprise were highlighted among tidbits unearthed through research, celebrating discoveries that have often been dismissed as daydreams or distractions that keep you from being "productive." I took it as permission to keep your eyes open and trust your instincts and observations. I still do and I think it applies to almost every endeavor, including author readings.
Posted by: Wally Leisering | April 19, 2009 at 11:13 AM