I don't remember a time when Livvy was like us. Colleagues at a private school, when I first met her, we chose to sit at the 'naughty table' despite the ever increasing complaints from those at the top of the hierarchical chain. Standing a petite five foot nothing, Livvy had lived a lifetime of sorrows and joys before blowing out 25 candles. Some said she was cursed, others joked, if she were a horse she would be shot! But for those who were allowed close, we knew you never put down a thoroughbred.
Personally, I never understood Livvy's obsession with those awful toe socks. I could cope with the special vegemite sandwiches; antibacterial wash for every occasion; walking stick and fancy scarves but those socks will be my undoing. Livvy promises me she will have a special pair for me to wear, saved for the reading of her eulogy. It will be my first and last wearing.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Writerly Reading
To read like a writer is akin to asking a sprinter to run a marathon. The change in style requires lengthy practise and a determined alteration in focus.
Personally I am feeling the pain.
For nearly 40 years I have read voraciously, for pleasure on most occasions. In my youth two or three novels a week was standard form; however with increased responsibility I cannot sustain that pace and am happy to get through a novel a week.
Writerly reading , as I have discovered, is an art form and skill, I do not yet possess. The act of deliberately reading each word, each sentence, then each word and sentence in the context of each paragraph left me feeling as if I had read the story multiple times without connection or continuity.
For example when reading F. Scott's The Great Gatsby as a writer was a challenging experience. When reading like a writer – studying the usage and tone of each word I was unable to fully grasp the story. I also found because Fitzgerald used detailed descriptions in his writing I easily lost track of the story line, instead focusing intently on the word selection. Concentrating on single words rather than glossing over some seemingly superfluous words, left me feeling a little cheated. To compensate for this frustration I then re-read The Great Gatsby for pure pleasure, as a reader. I wonder however, if having studied The Great Gatsby in the initial read created a more pleasurable reading experience the second time round, as I had developed a greater understanding of Fitzgerald's style.
Some years ago I purchased the New York bestseller Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose. The blurb on the front cover claims it is a “guide for people who love books and for those want to write them.” This book attracted my eye like a bee seeking nectar;I wonder if I knew then that this would be a skill I would need to develop.
I remember picking it up reading the fist page, reading the back and then putting it on the shelf again, only to return a number if times and repeat the process reading a different random page each time, until I finally walked to the checkout.
Admittedly I have not completed this book, of course when I saw this assignment topic, I wish I had.
Over the past few weeks I have made two more attempts to read like a writer. The two books were We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver and Chocolate Cake with Hitler by Emma Craigie. These books, completely different in style and tone, resulted in very different experiences for me.
Chocolate Cake with Hitler is a simple text and storyline which seemed very similar to another book I read some years ago Hitler's Daughter , therefore I found I did not need to focus as much on remembering the storyline and keeping check on the characters interaction and development. On the other hand We need to talk about Kevin is a complex novel, emotionally charged and filled with emotive language. I found this story engaging and wanted to keep reading it, not focus on the words and tone and structure. It was one of those books you just want to finish. I am currently re-reading it.
This experience of writerly reading has left me with no delusions that I am a long way from where I need to be. Clearly I need to work and write and study and write so much more, if I am ever to become a writer.
Personally I am feeling the pain.
For nearly 40 years I have read voraciously, for pleasure on most occasions. In my youth two or three novels a week was standard form; however with increased responsibility I cannot sustain that pace and am happy to get through a novel a week.
Writerly reading , as I have discovered, is an art form and skill, I do not yet possess. The act of deliberately reading each word, each sentence, then each word and sentence in the context of each paragraph left me feeling as if I had read the story multiple times without connection or continuity.
For example when reading F. Scott's The Great Gatsby as a writer was a challenging experience. When reading like a writer – studying the usage and tone of each word I was unable to fully grasp the story. I also found because Fitzgerald used detailed descriptions in his writing I easily lost track of the story line, instead focusing intently on the word selection. Concentrating on single words rather than glossing over some seemingly superfluous words, left me feeling a little cheated. To compensate for this frustration I then re-read The Great Gatsby for pure pleasure, as a reader. I wonder however, if having studied The Great Gatsby in the initial read created a more pleasurable reading experience the second time round, as I had developed a greater understanding of Fitzgerald's style.
Some years ago I purchased the New York bestseller Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose. The blurb on the front cover claims it is a “guide for people who love books and for those want to write them.” This book attracted my eye like a bee seeking nectar;I wonder if I knew then that this would be a skill I would need to develop.
I remember picking it up reading the fist page, reading the back and then putting it on the shelf again, only to return a number if times and repeat the process reading a different random page each time, until I finally walked to the checkout.
Admittedly I have not completed this book, of course when I saw this assignment topic, I wish I had.
Over the past few weeks I have made two more attempts to read like a writer. The two books were We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver and Chocolate Cake with Hitler by Emma Craigie. These books, completely different in style and tone, resulted in very different experiences for me.
Chocolate Cake with Hitler is a simple text and storyline which seemed very similar to another book I read some years ago Hitler's Daughter , therefore I found I did not need to focus as much on remembering the storyline and keeping check on the characters interaction and development. On the other hand We need to talk about Kevin is a complex novel, emotionally charged and filled with emotive language. I found this story engaging and wanted to keep reading it, not focus on the words and tone and structure. It was one of those books you just want to finish. I am currently re-reading it.
This experience of writerly reading has left me with no delusions that I am a long way from where I need to be. Clearly I need to work and write and study and write so much more, if I am ever to become a writer.
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