The Creative Act

Michael Dirda. Book by Book.

Having finished off the powerful and mind-tiring The Idiot by Fyodor Dostevsky I was looking around the shop for a little bit lighter of a read. I stumbled upon a work by the Washington Post book reviewer Michael Dirda who has overs 30 years experience in writing about literature. Recognizing him as a great literary mind the Post  allowed him to choose which books to write about, and did not restrict him to writing only about current books. This has resulted in 30 years of his mind wandering through endless pages of classical  literature, and some newer works, with the intention of writing about them, deciphering what value/lessons they offer to the reader. In this book he shares some of the knowledge knowledge he has acquired from the books and ideas he has developed about the role of books in the quotidian.

Let’s get one thing straight, the man is a bibliophile.  He assiduously kept notes of quotes he found inspiring in some way. In this book we see a man that has devoted his life to the written word explaining why he has chosen to do so and why most people would benefit from a similar decision. He does not rely on cozy and simple aphorism about getting to know mankind, rather he makes a claim and then backs it up with 10 or more quotes from well-known (and some less well-known) authors from a variety of eras and backgrounds. In short, you should find a copy of the book, even if only for the amazing list of books that every good guest room should have and why.

Dirda tells us, “it is impossible to read serious novels, poetry, essays, and biographies without also growing convinced that they gradually enlarge our minds, refine our spirits, make us more sensitive and understanding. In this way, the humanities encourage the development of our own humanity. They are the instruments of self-exploration.” which is something readers already know, but says it with much appreciated clarity. Personally I better understand our common history and the ways in which people are inherently unpredictable by reading books. If everything always played out as it should, and everyone followed every rule where would the fun be? At the same time I keyed in on the word “refine” because I think that part of the advantage of reading is the appreciation of style and class that it can help develop. Our days are vulgar now, when was the last time someone opened a door for you, offered you a seat in the metro, quoted a poem they had read recently, or offered to help you with a stroller? Personally I find that reading about times when people sill had manners of this sort inspires me to to behave differently. I often wonder if not doing these things is freedom from being the man-in-the-flannel-suit or just old fashioned laziness.

Another quote that struck me is about the ways we contradict ourselves. This one certainly describes a familiar experience, “Great fiction eschews the reductionist and obviously didactic, instead reveling in complication, painting out options, at most revealing the consequences of one course of action over another. Contradiction, not consistency, second thoughts, rather than dogmatic certitude, lie at the heart of humane understanding, and all those who try to simplify experience usually only succeed in narrowing it.” Life and the people in it are complicated. Great books are often full of characters that contradict themselves which complicates them, but also makes them real.

Early writing noted the complexity of life, take for instance The Bible, a book all classic writers (post-bible of course) knew very well. A few complicated questions arising from its pages dealt with by the likes of Dostoevsky include: how can we say God is perfect and everything he creates must be perfect (the idea behind, “God wills it to be so”) and yet strive to change the way the world works or blame and question God for abuses and oppression? Speaking of oppression, how can the poor and oppressed be the ones that get into heaven when at the same time most people are morally outraged regarding the status of the poor and oppressed in the world? Something about this does not seem to add up. Contradiction is inherent in our life, especially in moral questions.  As Walt Whitman said, “Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.” Alas, when a writer depicts a muddled life full of uncertainty they tend to impress me as real (even if only the narrator displays the uncertainty because his characters are too narcissistic to question themselves). But I digress.

I once read that the most common trait of the pasts of university graduates (yes even higher then parental education levels and incomes) is the presence of a serious dictionary in the house the graduate grew up in. Dirda has strong feelings about parents getting their kids to read and good advice for parents already convinced (lots of readers have asked him how to instill the love of reading in their children). His reply describes my childhood in a nutshell. Paraphrased: Have books in the house, read them, make them a normal part of life, let children read whatever they want and take them to the library. Be sure to say “hang on I am almost done my chapter” far more often than “hang on it is almost a commercial break.” Follow these rules and everything will be fine, and remember let them read whatever they want, no matter how juvenile, because they are in reality juvenile and immature readers. There will be lots of time for classics, for now a habit needs to be formed not a taste.

This little book by Dirda is a reminder of how many books are out there and what they have to offer. If you are ever searching for a new style to follow or theme to delve into, this book will have an answer or two for you. If you just want an easy read that has enough pithy quotes to make you stop and think, this is a good book for you. Personally I think it is a nice addition to my library.

Up next an old favorite: Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.