The first two books we read in my Women & Literature class were Autobiography of a Face and Truth & Beauty. These books are intrinsically bound together because both are autobiographical/biographical accounts written by two very good friends, Lucy Grealy and Ann Patchett.
The first, Autobiography of a Face, is Lucy’s journey through the struggles of cancer, surgery, and growing up. In a way Ann’s Truth & Beauty picks up where Lucy left off (in reality there is some overlap). We see Lucy’s side of things as the battle Lucy faces against the world while Ann’s point of view shows Lucy’s battle with herself.
Before I continue I would like to say that I do would not suggest these books to just anyone. A lot of the issues that Lucy deals with are expressed quite openly and are not, in my opinion, suitable for most audiences (I’d include myself in that list, but I unfortunately had to read it for class).
On that note I’d like to comment on what I’ve learned about my own creative writing from reading these books. Lucy and Ann had a unique friendship, a real friendship and in my mind friendship is a noble thing. It’s a tricky thing. But its important to understanding mankind. I enjoyed that aspect of these stories. Ann, the unfailingly loyal friend and Lucy the needy yet unendingly loving friend communicate together quite a lovely and real struggle of friendship. THAT is something that interests me and inspires my own writing (I need to work on making my fictional friendships a little more realistic with ups and downs instead of the friend coming off perfect side-kick to the main character’s every need).
However, the harsh, unchecked content of some of the stories these two authors tell (especially Ann) may be taking the concept of communicating reality a bit too far. The events described are all true (as far as the reader knows) and admitting that the dark and scary side of life happens is important for writers of both nonfiction and fiction but what really struck me about the manner in which these dark and scary moments were communicated was the fact that they were presented as common place, as normal and acceptable.
As a writer (and reader) of mostly children’s literature, sci-fi/fantasy, and young adult fiction I may be biased but I see the writer as someone who has a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. We can communicate not only what we see, but also what we hope to see. We can paint a picture of a better world. We can set the bar high. We can encourage people to be the best version of themselves possible. Call me a dreamer, but I want my writing to do exactly that.
Please don’t think that I’m putting down these authors, because they are very talented and I enjoyed the books as a whole, but I’d like to see my writing take a different route. I was my writing to say, “Look! Life is hard. This is what this character did about it, and this is how they overcame. What are you going to do?”
Concerning how I hope to integrate this into my own writing perhaps a practical analysis of my story would be in order. I would need to pinpoint where in my story the most real moments occur (hopefully its all ‘real’ in the sense that its true to the way humanity really is, but obviously certain moments will stand out more than others) and ensure that my portrayal of those moments is honest. Does it show the dark and scary reality of life? Hopefully. But does it also show how the characters overcome and seek out a solution to the dark horrors of life?
The reality is that life is both the ups and the downs. You can choose to dwell on the negatives or you can choose to pretend they don't exist. OR you can, like me, hope to communicate both. When I'm writing about the highs of life I don't want it to come of as being rose-colored. But when I'm writing about the lows I don't want it to be without hope. There is always hope.
-Jessica
I know this is a controversial subject, as everyone has his or her own point of view of reality and how it should be communicated. Please feel free to respectfully comment on your opinion of this subject.
You mention that these books are not suitable for most audiences. Why is that? I haven't read them, so the details could be escaping me, and I can understand why much of adult writing might not be appropriate for small children, but why not for adults? Don't the details of the real world allow us, the readers, to understand that world in a more rounded way (pun unintended)?
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to your own goals, that's understandable because you have a goal for your reader and a focus on your audience (you want to specifically go for "uplifting"), but should that be a requirement of all authors and all books?
I am by no means trying to imply that there need to be requirements for authors, or even for readers. This is America. Everyone has the freedom to expose themselves to as much of "reality" that they would like to. But everyone, being from different backgrounds and having different points of view, see reality in different lights. Being aware of the honest details of the real world does help us understand the world but details when presented in a certain way can be detrimental to a person's view of reality. And I say that only because I am fully aware of the power of writing.
DeleteParents don't allow their children to be exposed to certain types of content because they fear how it will affect them. Are grown-ups no longer able to be affected by what they read? Not at all! I am frequently excited and saddened and enraged by what happens in the books I read. Books have a way of doing that to people (children and adults alike). Its the same with "negative" content (obviously a person's definition of negative is also a debate...). For better or for worse, books can and do affect people. I choose, when I am able, to be cautious about I read. But obviously, while I think others should do likewise, everyone needs to choose for himself or herself how they will let themselves be affected by what they read.
All of that aside there were definitely aspects of each of these books that I enjoyed. Not only were they written well but there were plenty of positive elements that showed the capacity mankind has for great things. The importance of friendship and loyalty was communicated. And the horrible reality of drug addiction was, too. They weren’t a complete waste, nor do I feel that no one should read them. I just think they should be treated with caution and know that I do not plan on reading them again.