Reading and Catching Dreams 4.5.23
Dear James,
You love letters. I do not know why you love letters. But you do. One day you will realize that those 26 foam letters that you love to arrange on the tub during bath time can be used to create magic, because when strung together, they create art that has no equal. As the Bible states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is indeed powerful. All people love stories.
Unfortunately, as asserted by a recent New York Times article, our current education system focuses more on teaching reading as an analytical skill instead of a way to expand one’s world view. Books are no longer read in their entirety. Only sections are read and then analyzed. So, children do not get to hear the full story. When robbed of experiencing the hero’s journey, a character’s development, or moral dilemmas, children are robbed of the true richness and joy of reading. So, no wonder many young people today see reading as a chore.
James, please do not misinterpret my message. Analytical reading is an important skill. Without it, I would not have gotten through my physics classes in college. And I continue to read a lot of non-fiction books because I have a love of learning – an intellectual curiosity one might say. So, develop your analytical reading skills. But also read for the sheer joy of it. Read a lot of fiction. And when you do, entire worlds will open up for you – imaginative and fantastic worlds.
A friend recently asked me which I prefer – fiction or non-fiction. I love both, but they are very different. Fiction is art. And good art allows us to transcend our everyday lives. Like any good art, good fiction produces emotional responses that can open our eyes, change us, and hopefully, make us better people. And the joy of reading is the portal through which one can even discover oneself.
All of us have dreams and books are like dreams. And many of us need others to help interpret our own dreams, which are created by our experiences and world views. Writers and poets, like all of us, construct narratives that are also influenced by their experiences. These narratives are also influenced by world views that they themselves may not even know they hold. For instance, J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote “Lord of the Rings”, possibly the most read book written during the 20th century, was heavily influenced by both World Wars. Although he denies it, many WWII themes obviously run through his epic trilogy.
So, it is not only possible, but likely, that writers and poets, any artist for that matter – can create something that has themes in it that they themselves cannot see. But those themes may be obvious to others. Works of art, whatever forms they take, are dreams – manifestations of experiences and worldviews that we may not even be aware of. It is the essence of truly remarkable art, making it powerful because losing yourself in someone else’s art is like seeing into someone else’s dreams. So, in a way, stories and poems are like dream catchers. And James, that is indeed powerful and remarkable stuff….
Papa Johnny
