Let it be said: entertainment and amusements are not, in themselves, bad things. In our culture, it is true, we have gone overboard. A book I've mentioned before called Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman deals with this topic as it relates to television. In general, he would say, people at the time the book was published, 1985, spent way too much time entertaining themselves while letting certain vital parts of their lives slide. I would love to know what Postman (now deceased) would say about the world of today. The process of "amusing ourselves to death" has accelerated.
Having said that, entertainment (as I say) at its heart is a good, in fact God-ordained, thing. Like sex, it can be abused, but it is not bad in itself. A book that illustrates the looniness of trying to eliminate entertainment altogether is Hard Times by Charles Dickens. In it Mr. Gradgrind runs a school that purports to deal strictly in "facts." Gradgrind even opposes flowered wallpaper since "flowers don't live on walls." His son and daughter, meanwhile, are fed up with their father's philosophy and sneak off to see a circus. (All this I learned from a BBC production of Hard Times we were watching the other night. I once tried to get into the book but found it depressing, as I recall. The BBC production was depressing as well, come to think of it...)
In any case, in Hard Times Dickens seemed to be making the point that the people that worked in the awful factories of 19th century England, like the children of Gradgrind, needed circuses to maintain a semblance of sanity. One could make the case that in our dizzying world, we too need to be entertained. I know I certainly feel that way. (A regular question around our household is, "Is there anything funny on?") Life in its complexities can wear us down and wholesome distractions can be a blessing.
The problem, as we know, is that today's world is rife with entertainment that is anything but wholesome. For starters, professional wrestling, pornography, most reality TV, and violent video games spring to mind. Writers have the opportunity either to improve the situation by writing worthy and nourishing novels, scripts, op-ed pieces, magazine features, blog entries, etc.--or to make it worse by adding to the drek. A scripture with a million applications also applies here: "as we have opportunity, let us do good unto all people..." Writing that heals and uplifts while it entertains can be of service in God's kingdom as much as a donation to World Vision or quality time with the family.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Write to get the truth out there (2)
In citing yet another book I have on the go, you will wonder if I do nothing but read. (No I don't, but sometimes it so happens I've discovered more than one great book and want t0 get through them all before returning them to the library. Okay?)
This other book is Upon the Altar of the Nation: A Moral History of the Civil War by Harry S. Stout. Having an interest in the Civil War, I went looking for this book when I noticed Christianity Today had selected it one year as a "Book of the Year." What Stout does in Upon the Altar, in my opinion, is to look at the Civil War neither from a "conservative" nor "liberal" point of view. Instead, he looks at it from the perspective of just war theory as set forth by Christian thinkers from St. Augustine onward.
For those of us who luxuriated in the strains of Ashoeken Farewell while watching Ken Burn's magnificent Civil War series on PBS, it is a let down. We like our heroes and our sanitized versions of the past. But in this book, Abe Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, and Robert E. Lee often come across as morally deficient--even as they in other ways were good men. Not unlike the way the Bible depicts its heroes, come to think of it. Stout is strictly fair, citing fact upon fact, and the result is a look at the past as it was, not as we wish it had been. We should look at the past in such a way, says Stout, not in order to pass judgment on the people who lived back then. Instead it is so that we can go forward living the right way ourselves.
Stout in his writing (and a fine writer he is) in other words, is "getting the truth out there." A worthy goal for any of us.
This other book is Upon the Altar of the Nation: A Moral History of the Civil War by Harry S. Stout. Having an interest in the Civil War, I went looking for this book when I noticed Christianity Today had selected it one year as a "Book of the Year." What Stout does in Upon the Altar, in my opinion, is to look at the Civil War neither from a "conservative" nor "liberal" point of view. Instead, he looks at it from the perspective of just war theory as set forth by Christian thinkers from St. Augustine onward.
For those of us who luxuriated in the strains of Ashoeken Farewell while watching Ken Burn's magnificent Civil War series on PBS, it is a let down. We like our heroes and our sanitized versions of the past. But in this book, Abe Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, and Robert E. Lee often come across as morally deficient--even as they in other ways were good men. Not unlike the way the Bible depicts its heroes, come to think of it. Stout is strictly fair, citing fact upon fact, and the result is a look at the past as it was, not as we wish it had been. We should look at the past in such a way, says Stout, not in order to pass judgment on the people who lived back then. Instead it is so that we can go forward living the right way ourselves.
Stout in his writing (and a fine writer he is) in other words, is "getting the truth out there." A worthy goal for any of us.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Media and me
After thinking of the above title I realized it was also a play on the title of a book I'm finishing called Acedia and me: A Marriage, Monks, and A Writer's Life by Kathleen Norris. (In the link, Norris defines acedia as "the spiritual aspect of sloth.") If anyone deserves the title of "a writer's writer," surely it is Norris. A poet as well as prose master, her books are packed with meaning. She writes about the day to day, but with references to literature, scripture, the words of ancient monks, and her past life. Rich stuff.
My reason for bringing her up is that Norris especially illustrates to me how (as per my last post) books connect us to an author. Over the years I feel I have "come to know" Norris--at least in ways she has chosen to reveal herself. (Analogies to God's self revelation in scripture, perhaps?)
But speaking of self-revelation (and getting to "Media and me") I wanted to say something about my own evolving interactions with media over the years.
When I was a child, there was TV (a few channels), radio, and printed matter. That was it. Before I could read or write I felt attracted to writing, perhaps because my father, a prof, read voraciously and had a "study" full of books. I occasionally went into the room, put paper in the Underwood and tapped the underline key. I wanted to create the look of lined paper. When asked what I was up to, I would say, "It's for when I learn to write." As far as I recall my father never reprimanded me about it.
In a few years I did learn to write and to love it. In junior high I wrote my brother, away at school, "monster letters" and faithfully kept a diary for the year 1963. I loved English, even grammar and diagramming, and especially loved Creative Writing in Grade 12. I majored in English, wrote a column for the college paper one year and edited it the next. After graduation I took a single course in "print journalism" (learning elements I had missed) and began writing features for a local daily newspaper. I then landed a job as a reporter for a small weekly and stayed there just under three years. I remember it as the happiest time of my working life. I could hardly believe they paid me to do what I loved.
There was a simplicity to pursuing a media career in those days. The path seemed clear. The teacher of that journalism class (himself a former newspaper editor) told me to put my published stuff in a binder. Drive around to small newspapers. Walk in. Ask to see the editor and show him your stuff. Leave your resume. Even if he has no job, he may remember you when he does. So I did as he suggested and it worked. After visiting a dozen or so papers, one day I walked out with a job. "We were just about to put an ad in the Globe and Mail," said the publisher, "but since you're here..." I walked out the door feeling three feet off the ground.
In those days, if you had elementary skills and were "willing to go anywhere," as my teacher put it, landing a job in the field seemed doable. People with skills had value. Newspapers made bucks from ads, but needed copy to sell ads. The formula was simple. Today, as we know, that formula has failed many renowned newspapers. The New York Times and Washington Post subsidize their print operations through other enterprises. Perhaps it still is possible to acquire a starting position on certain community newspapers (which have proven more resilient than urban dailies) using the show-and-tell method I was taught. But even those opportunities are fewer in number, as this premiere website for jobs in Canada reflects.
For most journalists and writers of my generation, the way forward now seems more complicated. Blog, we are told. Create a "web presence." Write in a "web friendly" manner. While you're at it, acquire technical skills to become a webmaster. Learn how to make sure your stuff appears on the first page of Google. And so on. And on.
Oldsters can learn new things, of course, but it takes us longer. Today it seems to take me two or three hours to learn what used to take an hour. And doing so can feel like pulling hen's teeth. Adding pressure is the fact that sand in the hour glass of life is running out. How best should I use what is left? What I really want to do with the remainder (keeping in mind "if God wills") is to write. Write! My desire is the same as when I tried to create my own writing paper with my father's typewriter.
Now perhaps you better understand the meaning behind this blog's title and description. My own answers to the "Why write?" question are a work in progress. Based on my genes and life experience, I face it anew every morning. Perhaps every writer does, whether or not they often think about it.
I hope some of you will feel free to join me in this quest and, whatever your age or background, tell us about your own.
My reason for bringing her up is that Norris especially illustrates to me how (as per my last post) books connect us to an author. Over the years I feel I have "come to know" Norris--at least in ways she has chosen to reveal herself. (Analogies to God's self revelation in scripture, perhaps?)
But speaking of self-revelation (and getting to "Media and me") I wanted to say something about my own evolving interactions with media over the years.
When I was a child, there was TV (a few channels), radio, and printed matter. That was it. Before I could read or write I felt attracted to writing, perhaps because my father, a prof, read voraciously and had a "study" full of books. I occasionally went into the room, put paper in the Underwood and tapped the underline key. I wanted to create the look of lined paper. When asked what I was up to, I would say, "It's for when I learn to write." As far as I recall my father never reprimanded me about it.
In a few years I did learn to write and to love it. In junior high I wrote my brother, away at school, "monster letters" and faithfully kept a diary for the year 1963. I loved English, even grammar and diagramming, and especially loved Creative Writing in Grade 12. I majored in English, wrote a column for the college paper one year and edited it the next. After graduation I took a single course in "print journalism" (learning elements I had missed) and began writing features for a local daily newspaper. I then landed a job as a reporter for a small weekly and stayed there just under three years. I remember it as the happiest time of my working life. I could hardly believe they paid me to do what I loved.
There was a simplicity to pursuing a media career in those days. The path seemed clear. The teacher of that journalism class (himself a former newspaper editor) told me to put my published stuff in a binder. Drive around to small newspapers. Walk in. Ask to see the editor and show him your stuff. Leave your resume. Even if he has no job, he may remember you when he does. So I did as he suggested and it worked. After visiting a dozen or so papers, one day I walked out with a job. "We were just about to put an ad in the Globe and Mail," said the publisher, "but since you're here..." I walked out the door feeling three feet off the ground.
In those days, if you had elementary skills and were "willing to go anywhere," as my teacher put it, landing a job in the field seemed doable. People with skills had value. Newspapers made bucks from ads, but needed copy to sell ads. The formula was simple. Today, as we know, that formula has failed many renowned newspapers. The New York Times and Washington Post subsidize their print operations through other enterprises. Perhaps it still is possible to acquire a starting position on certain community newspapers (which have proven more resilient than urban dailies) using the show-and-tell method I was taught. But even those opportunities are fewer in number, as this premiere website for jobs in Canada reflects.
For most journalists and writers of my generation, the way forward now seems more complicated. Blog, we are told. Create a "web presence." Write in a "web friendly" manner. While you're at it, acquire technical skills to become a webmaster. Learn how to make sure your stuff appears on the first page of Google. And so on. And on.
Oldsters can learn new things, of course, but it takes us longer. Today it seems to take me two or three hours to learn what used to take an hour. And doing so can feel like pulling hen's teeth. Adding pressure is the fact that sand in the hour glass of life is running out. How best should I use what is left? What I really want to do with the remainder (keeping in mind "if God wills") is to write. Write! My desire is the same as when I tried to create my own writing paper with my father's typewriter.
Now perhaps you better understand the meaning behind this blog's title and description. My own answers to the "Why write?" question are a work in progress. Based on my genes and life experience, I face it anew every morning. Perhaps every writer does, whether or not they often think about it.
I hope some of you will feel free to join me in this quest and, whatever your age or background, tell us about your own.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Write to connect
Went to church this morning and stopped at the church library. Browsing new books, my eyes fell on the name Joshua Harris. The name was familiar--I'd read reviews of earlier books--but this title was especially fascinating: Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters. Harris, I knew, was on the younger side compared to me and the picture of the dude with the shaved head on the back cover bore it out. Yet I felt drawn to the book.
Here's why. I found it heartening that someone of the younger generation of Christians is interested in doctrine and theology, and, from what I could see, regards it as essential to knowing and serving God. I look forward to getting inside the head of this young man so different from me--learning who he is and how he thinks.
My point is that in reading this book, I am quite sure I will come away feeling "connected" to the author. It's what happens when we read. Despite new ways to communicate, people today feel increasingly isolated. Books, I believe, can help eliminate the distance and help us understand people similar and different from ourselves. Books go deep in ways You Tube, Facebook, tweets, texts, or e-mails generally do not, or can not.
Also fascinating about Dug Down Deep, by the way, and illustrating my point, were the front and back cover blurbs. The one on front was by Donald Miller, a non-traditional ("emergent"?) Christian voice of Gen X'ers; the one on back was by 85-year-old theologian J. I. Packer. Despite the generational and cultural gulf, the blurb writers found common ground in a well-written book.
Here's why. I found it heartening that someone of the younger generation of Christians is interested in doctrine and theology, and, from what I could see, regards it as essential to knowing and serving God. I look forward to getting inside the head of this young man so different from me--learning who he is and how he thinks.
My point is that in reading this book, I am quite sure I will come away feeling "connected" to the author. It's what happens when we read. Despite new ways to communicate, people today feel increasingly isolated. Books, I believe, can help eliminate the distance and help us understand people similar and different from ourselves. Books go deep in ways You Tube, Facebook, tweets, texts, or e-mails generally do not, or can not.
Also fascinating about Dug Down Deep, by the way, and illustrating my point, were the front and back cover blurbs. The one on front was by Donald Miller, a non-traditional ("emergent"?) Christian voice of Gen X'ers; the one on back was by 85-year-old theologian J. I. Packer. Despite the generational and cultural gulf, the blurb writers found common ground in a well-written book.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Write to get the truth out there
In short, we should write to tell the truth, with love. Obviously, a lot of people out there today are communicating, often hatefully, lies and half-truths in scripts, blogs, and books. (Christians, I might add, tend to be best at spotting lies in books with titles like God is not Great. We're not so good at noticing lies of a more subtle nature, say in the film Avatar.) Today's culture, in other words, usually does not write to tell the truth, with love. Instead it gives another prime answer to the "why write?" question, and that is, briefly put, self-fulfillment. Our reason for being on this earth, goes this reasoning, is to fulfill our potential, to "be the best we can be," and as a result be happy.
The Christian would answer, yes, we should strive to develop the gifts God has placed within us. But if that development is not prefaced by our saying, and meaning, "if God wills," then we're on the wrong track. (Remember that famous passage in James?)
A Christian, in other words, should say, "Yes, I'm called to write. But I'm also called to be a spouse (or remain single) and parent (or not) as well as, friend, neighbor, employee or stay-at-home worker. Wisdom is knowing when I should write or when I should skip my writing and help a friend or stranger, or dig in the garden, or take a nap...
When you read about the lives of famous writers, many of them say they let everything (marriages, children, etc.) go for the sake of "art." Actors and musicians also live by this ethic and as a result often do often produce art which, whether they know it or not, in some muted way reflects the image of God. God brings glory to Himself in mysterious ways.
But we Christians are on a different track. We seek intentionally to glorify God in arts and crafts, but we also seek to do so in churches, families, and communities. Bach, for one, wrote, in Latin, "to God alone be glory" at the end of most scores. Hopefully as we go about our days, we writers will "seek first the kingdom" in a thousand ways, with the hope that "all these things"--artistic expression which will last--will be "added unto us."
The result might not, like a Bach cantata, thrill and bless for millenia. But it might just help one other pilgrim on their journey.
The Christian would answer, yes, we should strive to develop the gifts God has placed within us. But if that development is not prefaced by our saying, and meaning, "if God wills," then we're on the wrong track. (Remember that famous passage in James?)
A Christian, in other words, should say, "Yes, I'm called to write. But I'm also called to be a spouse (or remain single) and parent (or not) as well as, friend, neighbor, employee or stay-at-home worker. Wisdom is knowing when I should write or when I should skip my writing and help a friend or stranger, or dig in the garden, or take a nap...
When you read about the lives of famous writers, many of them say they let everything (marriages, children, etc.) go for the sake of "art." Actors and musicians also live by this ethic and as a result often do often produce art which, whether they know it or not, in some muted way reflects the image of God. God brings glory to Himself in mysterious ways.
But we Christians are on a different track. We seek intentionally to glorify God in arts and crafts, but we also seek to do so in churches, families, and communities. Bach, for one, wrote, in Latin, "to God alone be glory" at the end of most scores. Hopefully as we go about our days, we writers will "seek first the kingdom" in a thousand ways, with the hope that "all these things"--artistic expression which will last--will be "added unto us."
The result might not, like a Bach cantata, thrill and bless for millenia. But it might just help one other pilgrim on their journey.
Monday, October 11, 2010
All media are not created equal
A theme of Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business is that different media have different best uses and strengths. This was brought home to me this week after I received a couple blistering e-mails from someone who later regretted sending them. In response I said that I too had sent messages I later regretted and that instant communication has a negative side. In the past we might have written out an angry letter, set it aside, then changed our minds. Today, it is far too easy to write the first thing that comes to mind (in a rage?) and hit "Send." Oops.
The question of what new media are good for, and not so good for, is one I ponder regularly. It impinges directly on what it means to be a professional or casual writer in the 21st century. E-mail is fantastic in so many ways, of course, and my siblings and I today can settle practical questions (when and where shall we meet?) in a few hours that used to take days. (People who text or tweet can settle such things in seconds of course.)
But e-mail is not ideal for dealing with sensitive issues, methinks--unless you can strongly resist your "Send" impulse.
The question of what new media are good for, and not so good for, is one I ponder regularly. It impinges directly on what it means to be a professional or casual writer in the 21st century. E-mail is fantastic in so many ways, of course, and my siblings and I today can settle practical questions (when and where shall we meet?) in a few hours that used to take days. (People who text or tweet can settle such things in seconds of course.)
But e-mail is not ideal for dealing with sensitive issues, methinks--unless you can strongly resist your "Send" impulse.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Why write?
This is a question I've asked myself a great deal in recent years, and no doubt others with an interest in writing have as well. I mean, it generally feels so much easier not to write, not to bother, and to excuse myself by saying, "Ah, everybody today is busy with their tweets, texts, reality TV, video games, or what have you. Are they really going to care what I have to say?
On a deeper level, I know those sorts of thoughts are not accurate. I know that things I have written have touched people: they have told me so. If you are a published (or unpublished) writer, your experience may be similar.
What is more, I know for a fact the difference other peoples' writings have made in my own life. Some of those books, articles, and web postings have been, almost literally, life saving.
So there, already, is the beginning of an answer to the question, "Why write?"
Much more could be said--particularly if, like me, you profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Check here again in a week or so as we explore this and similar questions further.
On a deeper level, I know those sorts of thoughts are not accurate. I know that things I have written have touched people: they have told me so. If you are a published (or unpublished) writer, your experience may be similar.
What is more, I know for a fact the difference other peoples' writings have made in my own life. Some of those books, articles, and web postings have been, almost literally, life saving.
So there, already, is the beginning of an answer to the question, "Why write?"
Much more could be said--particularly if, like me, you profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Check here again in a week or so as we explore this and similar questions further.
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