Reading sparked this essay. The constant push and pull between the two processes, writing and reading, continues. This continuous movement energizes me, engages my creativity, and prompts more writing. Reading throws off the comfort of passivity and demands I act. My books, littered with marginalia, stoke the desire to write. I am steeped in good conversation.
Working in a bookstore, living in a home brimming with books, and being a natural library slug, I confess I live with that humming power that emanates from bookish environments. The tactile expression of writers having written words that “crumbled in their hands” resonates as I recall scenes and paragraphs of my own that disintegrated before I barely had time to read them through. Books are the repositories of minds at work and if you listen carefully you might hear them call your name.
Shh! Listen.
Article comments
1 - kim
What a beautifully written essay on reading, writing, and passion. Excellent insights! Thank you.
2 - Vikk Simmons
Thanks, Kim, and thanks for taking the time to read my post.
3 - DebWhit
Ah, reading. I don't care if it is an escape. It's a lucious one. Well said, Vikk!
4 - Vikk Simmons
Thanks, Deb. And thanks for stopping by. Yes, I try to escape daily.
5 - Snarkattack
Great piece Vikk!
I've loved books for as long as I can remember and it was at university that I could no longer fight off the desire to start writing, so indeed I do agree with you.
6 - Vikk Simmons
Thanks! It's always nice to connect with fellow booklovers.
7 - Donnie Marler
Great essay, Vikk. Thank's for sharing it with us.
8 - Vikk Simmons
Donnie,
Thanks for reading and sharing your comment. I appreciate it.
9 - Sukky Fagbohun
Wow Vikk, If writing is truly an art,then you have painted a masterpiece. Your ability to paint with words as though it were paint set on canvass makes this an excellent essay. I am looking forward to more of your essays.