Best of the Best: The inevitable superiority of the classics

I was perusing this article the other day, and I came across this paragraph.

"I just finished reading The Road by Cormac MacCarthy. It’s so good that it won the Pulitzer Prize. Afterwards I read the first few chapters of Lolita. I was shocked by Lolita’s superiority. Truly great books don’t come around every year. If you only read contemporary literature, you’re drawing from a diluted pool. Why not make the most of your reading time by finding the best of the best?"

Sorry, but I couldn't agree more. I think this is what I have been trying to say about contemporary literature for some time. There is some I seriously love, but honestly...if you look into history, it's probably been written better.

"If you’re a writer/blogger, ignoring the classics is a mistake."

What classics have you been wanting to read?

mme. bookling

Writing as Therapy?

To those of you stuck, pissed, hurting, confused, afraid, insecure, and blocked...

"Fury jams the gullet and spreads poison, but as soon as I start to write, dissipates, flows out in to the figure of the letters: writing as therapy?" (413).

She was on to something here. I was talking to my lovely red last night (who is on a personal writing retreat as we speak) and I was agreeing with her how writing seems to de-stigma all the feelings we think shouldn't be present. Usually, if I'm upset about something and just WRITE IT DOWN, it tends to be less demonizing. I think we fear the written word, fear that they will give permanence to a situation we would much rather see retreating from us. But I do think it turns out to be the exact opposite.

crm

Just love the work...

“I can’t get behind the ambition to be ‘discovered’ as much as I can get behind the ambition to write beautifully and honorably and steadfastly. Here’s what I believe about creativity. I believe that creativity is a living force that thrums wildly through this world and expresses itself through us. I believe that talent (the force by which ephemeral creativity gets manifested into the physical world through our hands) is a mighty and holy gift. I believe that, if you have a talent (or even if you think you do, or maybe even if you just hope you do), that you should treat that talent with the highest reverence and love.

“Don’t flip out, in other words, and murder your gift through narcissism, insecurity, addiction, competitiveness, ambition or mediocrity. Frankly – don’t be a jerk. Just get busy, get serious, get down to it and write something, for heaven’s sake. Try to get out of your own way. Creativity itself doesn’t care at all about results – the only thing it craves is the PROCESS. Learn to love the process and let whatever happens next happen, without fussing too much about it. Work like a monk, or a mule, or some other representative metaphor for diligence. Love the work. Destiny will do what it wants with you, regardless. Just love the work.”

~Elizabeth Gilbert

Found via Swirly Girl