Why do we write; why do we read?

I suppose the reasons for writing and/or reading vary according to the number of different people who write and/or read. Some use the written word as escapism, entertainment, information, excitement, knowledge some because they love language.

On a recent day excursion to the mountains, I had a conversation (a real one, not one in my head) with my companion. He told me about the time he signed up for some self-improvement seminar. The first question the speaker asked was, “How many of you have purchased a self-help book or tape or attended a seminar?” The entire roomful of people raised its collective hand. Next he asked, “How many of you purchased a second self-help book or tape or attended a second seminar?” Again, the hands rose.

“Why, he asked in summary, “If you finished the first, did you need a second?”

It’s that way with fiction, isn’t it—reading it or writing it?

You buy one fiction title today, finish it and you’re ready for the next one.

You finish writing one masterpiece and you rev up the motor to start on the next one.

We hunger; we need; we feed

It doesn’t matter why, does it?

A book for right-brain people

I'm inserting a totally unrelated post as a 

recommendation for someone. 

It's a kindle version of a book 

someone recommended to me.

I downloaded it with the kindle to review and now I'm passing it along. That's all...

Why do you blog?

Been wondering ...

Is it art imitating life or the other way round?

Is it searching for life or a life in search of?

Is it Waiting for Godotor just an unexplored fear?

Am I asking you or am I asking me?

I don't live in other people's houses

I visit them. I wander around their rooms when they’re not home, when they’re sleeping, while they’re sitting at their dinner tables. I watch what they watch on their TV. I read the books they’re reading. I eavesdrop on their conversations.

I’ve left the comfort of an air-cooled desert home to sit in the chilling rain in Carolyn Graham’s Midsomer County; I’ve tried to send mental solutions to P.D. James for her Inspector Dalgliesh ; I’ve planned escapes from Neolithic apes on The Island of Doctor Moreau.

I’ve traveled cross country with the Joads and Bishop Jean Marie Latour, hitchhiked the galaxy alongside Arthur Dent, sailed down the Nile in a cabin next to Hercule Poirot, swung from vines with Tarzan, warded off velociraptors in Jurassic Park, chased down a monster alongside Dr. Frankenstein’s neighbors, and had my heart broken with C.S. Lewis by the death of Joy Grisham.

And I’ve loved both men and women who have touched my heart by their very gentle souls.

More than experience, reading helps me understand motivations, drives, purpose, both good and evil, and I am better able to touch and love the people of my life.

Why do you read?

A momentary lapse of reason (with apologies to Pink Floyd)

Good phrase, that line from the 1997 album Momentary Lapse of Reason

That’s how I answered when I asked myself why I’m doing this blog. But it’s too late to stop now. I’m going too fast.

I’ll try to keep the late-in-life introspection to a minimum but I know I won’t always succeed.

Some of the stuff I write here creeps into my fiction and vice versa so I’m guessing it’s okay.

I just hope I don’t look back one day and regret the revelations.

But then, regrets are nothing more than the result of that momentary lapse, aren’t they?

Christmas message from the Buddha

From the Abhisandha Sutta, I offer this Christmas message to all ...

Photo courtesy of my sister, Rosemarie Perniola

In [undertaking the five precepts of Buddhism], he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the ... gift, the ... great gift — original, long-standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning — that is not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and is unfaulted .... This is the ... reward of merit, reward of skillfulness, nourishment of happiness, celestial, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven, leading to what is desirable, pleasurable, and appealing; to welfare and to happiness.

A blog of a different name

Originally, I planned to have a different title for this blog. I was going to call it Them’s Writin’ Words, a bastardization of  Them’s fighting words, a phrase attributed to and made famous (sort of) by Ring Lardner in Gullible’s Travels. I’ve read Travels and despite what Wikipedia says, nowhere in Lardner’s work do those three words appear in sequence. Perhaps they are, by nature of the work, implied.

Take a look yourself. The text is free. But if you don’t want to go there, the words as penned by Lardner are:

You know they's lots o' words that's called fightin' words.

I wasn’t confident about the title because I didn’t like the way it looked in the URL, all squished together like unkerned letters pressed together to accommodate justified text in limited space. They just look like a mistake.

I just thought I’d mention it here.