Thanks for taking on this topic, Sonal! It continues to be a timely one. Juicy and loaded with angst!
I especially agree that you should read what you want to read. Otherwise, what's the point of being a reader? As a student, you read what you're told to read. As a free-range reader, the whole world opens up!
My feeling is that, at the end of the day, every writer is a human being, and their art reflects all the joys, pains, struggles, dreams, and confusions of being human. If you're looking for art created by a perfect being, you're on the wrong planet ;)
Also, I find the canceling of anyone just plain "performative", as the kids say, and naive and silly. If you want to show the world that you are a good person, then be good. If you want to change the bad behavior of another person, good luck with that. I mean, has anyone on Earth ever changed their own thinking and behaviour for any reason other than they were finally ready and willing to do it?
Maybe it's because I'm in my 6th decade, but I stopped idolizing people a long time ago. I'm not bitter about writers with feet of clay. Not sad, either. Just happy to enjoy art made by humans, for humans.
I always enjoy your posts, Sonal! You are brilliant and funny and human, in the best possible way.
Not heartbroken—maybe surprised. I do love your recommendation of reading more widely. Thats made reading more fun, for starters.
Forty (!!!wtaf!!!) years ago when I was in undergrad, literature was going through another “100 must-read books” phase. Sigh. Freeing myself from those required “classics” or “giants” has helped a lot.
I’ve been trying to cull books and questioning those I cling to. “I love Faulkner,” I’ve always said. Ha. Rereading one of his novels last fall was hella eye-opening.
I've at last let go of Hemingway... what's the old joke, if you want to be a writer, read all the Faulkner you can, and then read all the Hemingway you can to get all that Faulkner out of your system.
It was fun to study Hills Luke White Elephants and there are a lot of great things happening in that story, but like, that's all I need from him. He was an emotionally constipated asshole.
Still, realizing you do not have to read or enjoy the so-called classics is very, very freeing.
If you want to learn something about a particular style, sure, read a chapter. Read a short story. Copy out some paragraphs.
Thanks for taking on this topic, Sonal! It continues to be a timely one. Juicy and loaded with angst!
I especially agree that you should read what you want to read. Otherwise, what's the point of being a reader? As a student, you read what you're told to read. As a free-range reader, the whole world opens up!
My feeling is that, at the end of the day, every writer is a human being, and their art reflects all the joys, pains, struggles, dreams, and confusions of being human. If you're looking for art created by a perfect being, you're on the wrong planet ;)
Also, I find the canceling of anyone just plain "performative", as the kids say, and naive and silly. If you want to show the world that you are a good person, then be good. If you want to change the bad behavior of another person, good luck with that. I mean, has anyone on Earth ever changed their own thinking and behaviour for any reason other than they were finally ready and willing to do it?
Maybe it's because I'm in my 6th decade, but I stopped idolizing people a long time ago. I'm not bitter about writers with feet of clay. Not sad, either. Just happy to enjoy art made by humans, for humans.
I always enjoy your posts, Sonal! You are brilliant and funny and human, in the best possible way.
I always enjoy your comments, Anne, and not just for the flattery. :)
Not heartbroken—maybe surprised. I do love your recommendation of reading more widely. Thats made reading more fun, for starters.
Forty (!!!wtaf!!!) years ago when I was in undergrad, literature was going through another “100 must-read books” phase. Sigh. Freeing myself from those required “classics” or “giants” has helped a lot.
I’ve been trying to cull books and questioning those I cling to. “I love Faulkner,” I’ve always said. Ha. Rereading one of his novels last fall was hella eye-opening.
I've at last let go of Hemingway... what's the old joke, if you want to be a writer, read all the Faulkner you can, and then read all the Hemingway you can to get all that Faulkner out of your system.
It was fun to study Hills Luke White Elephants and there are a lot of great things happening in that story, but like, that's all I need from him. He was an emotionally constipated asshole.
Still, realizing you do not have to read or enjoy the so-called classics is very, very freeing.
If you want to learn something about a particular style, sure, read a chapter. Read a short story. Copy out some paragraphs.