On writing

While I was reading through the weekend papers this week, an article in the Sun Herald resonated with me. James Bradley (author of The Resurrectionist), wrote about his reaction to the treatment of books on Oprah.

In many ways I agree with him, that it is good that people are reading, and if anything, Oprah’s show included, encourages people to read that’s a great thing. But for him something about the purpose of writing is being lost as books become solely about moral instruction, and therapy, with prepackaged messages and truths

“Real writing – good writing – does the opposite. It shows us the world as we have not seen it before. It can be frightening or wonderful. Its meanings reveal themselves gradually and often partially. It isn’t always clear but like a painting or photo or a piece of music you cannot put it out of your head, it forces you to try to make sense of what it is saying”

For Bradley, writing is more than about a representation of thought, but a process of thought, ordering ideas that we might have a new way of seeing.

Though that said I suspect we all read for differing purposes, to be entertained, to be challenged, to understand more of our selves, our experiences and our society, and I too find myself wanting to see the complex nature of the world in which live, on the pages I read (and for that matter the cinema screens too).