A quick review of my reading from August.
*Turn by Anne Truitt (8/5)
Truitt's book is the second of three journals she wrote in which she reflected on her life and career. Turn covers a lot of ground I've come to expect from these types of books- musings on inspiration, the creative process, the balance of making a living and committing to your craft. There were also some sections that went right over my head- maybe I'll understand them a decade or two from now.
I knew this was going to be a good read when I reached this idea: an artist is in the service of truth- and nothing else. The concept most applicable to this idea is an observation about how people tend to become uncomfortable when they do not know what someone is going to say.
This struck me as remarkably truthful. I think we sometimes understandably opt to steer interactions or conversations away from these uncertain places. But questions to which you already know the answer are not really questions. The ability to ask honest questions is a small but wonderful gift.
The best concept covered in this book is about balance. In one section, Truitt describes balance, not stability, as the key for security. This is because life is unpredictable and requires us to exercise our balancing capabilities time and time again. Too much stability atrophies these qualities and leaves us with less to call on in those difficult times where we struggle to restore equilibrium.
A later section of the book takes a more meditative approach. The way water fills a space mirrors how an individual must find oneself. The key is to adapt and shift structure without losing our basic nature, always seeking balance, always filling the space in full to the best of our ability, and never stranding a part of ourself in an attempt to go beyond our own limits.
I'm currently reading the first book of her 'trilogy', Daybook, and guarantee that I'll finish up Prospect, her final work, before the New Year.
*CivilWarLand In Bad Decline by George Saunders (8/12)
One of the ideas I've been kicking around my head over the past couple of months involves the way we are sometimes challenged to live with two contradicting ideas at the same time. It is a hard idea to articulate fully and I unsurprisingly had a difficult time coming up with clear examples. One personal example is how I tend to say that I do not watch TV yet do not feel like a liar every time I tune in for a live sporting event.
It is easy to jump into these situations and start wildly making accusations ('only a HYPOCRITE would DRIVE to a green energy rally!') but most situations have layers of complexity hidden beneath the apparent hypocrisy on the surface.
It kind of occurred to me that perhaps reading this book would give me a fresh angle to consider while I was mulling this idea over. The reason was this quote from Saunders:
'In art, and maybe just in general, the idea is to be able to be really comfortable with contradictory ideas. In other words, wisdom might be, seem to be, two contradictory ideas both expressed at their highest level and just let to sit in the same cage sort of, vibrating. So, I think as a writer, I'm really never sure of what I really believe.' (1)
As I read the short stories and novella in this collection, the general concept described in this quote came through time and again. A lot of the stories can lazily be described as being 'about America' (which I've just done, I guess) and the challenge of balancing the needs of the self with the needs of the group. Another way to consider the collection is to view it as a series of explorations into how the powerless try to create a semblance of control in their lives.
The end result is a very memorable work. I'm looking forward to rereading the rest of his work over the next year to see if this idea continues to underlie his writing. If I'm fortunate, I might even find it helpful in eventually clarifying my own viewpoint on the matter.
Until then, I suppose we will all just have to sit in our cages, vibrating, not sure entirely what we believe in. Might as well make myself comfortable...
*Mastery by George Leonard (8/16)
This was a terrific little book about the progression people follow as they learn new skills. I think the reader who will get the most from this book is one who has not given much thought to their own learning process yet is open to new ways of thought and unafraid of struggling without visible or immediate payoff in a quest to master a skill.
I found a number of ideas thought provoking. One was how the 'moment of triumph' is always dangerous for a group or society because the feeling of victory places us in danger of ignoring the costs incurred in pursuing the goal and reduces the sense of obligation to go back and fix those. The example given by Leonard was capitalism and the environment.
Another idea I liked is how tremendous resistance to a suggested change indicates that it is either a really good idea or a really bad idea. I'm sure this idea makes no sense if you have a definite opinion on Donald Trump, Presidential Candidate.
The last note I took down was probably the best- the most common inhibitor of adult learning is a fear of 'looking silly'.
*Seinfeldia by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (8/24)
A book about the show about nothing. A book about nothing, then?
Turns out that a lot of the Seinfeld story lines came directly from the lives of the writers. I guess I was not expecting that but, when I read it, it made perfect sense. Who would ever think up the Soup Nazi?
One of my favorite Bill Simmons theories is that comedians tend to struggle a bit to come up with material that their audiences relate to as their connection to a normal life weakens. Perhaps Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld were wary of this possibility for their writing staff. They handled it by often jettisoning writers after one season. This was because the process of writing for the show was too all-consuming. To participate in Seinfeld likely meant writers could not live normal enough lives outside the show to accumulate the kind of new experiences needed to replenish the stock they depleted in contributing to the show's episodes.
My favorite Seinfeld episode is 'The Chinese Restaurant'. I still reference George's line 'For fifty bucks I'll put my face in the soup and blow' even though I am sure almost nobody has any idea what I'm talking about.
Click here for a somewhat low quality Youtube clip of that scene (clip is two minutes long).
*Rashomon and seventeen other stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (8/25)
There is a well-known movie called Rashomon that is based on two of these stories- 'Rashomon' and 'In A Grove'. The latter contributes most of the plot and characters to the film, I've heard, leaving open the question of what else remains for the former to contribute. The scenery, maybe.
If you enjoyed the film, I suppose you might enjoy reading the stories. I can't really say as I have yet to see the film. Reading the two stories is not a major commitment of time.
Two other stories made a lasting impression. In the process of preparing my comments on those for this post, I found that each linked to different ideas and themes that I have covered here or that I have come across in other reading. I'm going to cover each one separately in upcoming posts once I've managed to sort out my thoughts.
Haruki Murakami writes the introduction to the collection I read. One of the things Murakami points out is how influential Akutagawa's style was on his own. In hindsight, this did not require stating- as I read the stories, I caught myself on more than one occasion recognizing similarities in phrasing or expression with some of Murakami's writing.
*The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte (8/27) (2)
This is a great book if you are interested in an analysis of how good infographics work. There is a lot of guidance within at both the concept and detail level.
If interested in a quick read, you can click here to read an analysis of what this book declares one of the best infographics ever put together. It is a graphic that covers many dimensions of Napoleon's 1812 march into and out of Russia in one place. The analysis I link to above is not written by Tufte.
The general theme of the book is fairly straightforward- good infographics 'keep their eyes on the road'. They do not divert attention away from the relevant information through the use of trivial dots, lines, or observations.
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That's all I got from August. Thanks again for stopping by. See you again on Monday at the usual time.
Tim
Footnotes / imagined complaints...
1. So in what cage did I find this quote, vibrating?
I sadly cannot recall what the context of this comment was. My best guess is that it was featured in Chuck Klosterman's But What If We're Wrong, a book for which Saunders was interviewed by Klosterman.
2. A quick story about this book that highlight the 'general theme'...
I was carrying this book with me while crossing a footbridge near the Charles River when a guy walking past me turned back and announced that it was 'a great book'. He did not have the chance to add to his observation for he promptly walked straight into a guy slowly pedaling his bike the other way.
This collision prompted the book-lover to suggest that the rider walk his bike. So, uh, if you are wondering what kind of company enjoying this book puts you into- you have that guy!
