Comments on: Otherwhere http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2006/02/26/otherwhere/ the writing life with extra crunchy bits Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:50:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: FRITZ http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2006/02/26/otherwhere/comment-page-1/#comment-530 FRITZ Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:41:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=230#comment-530 I get what you are saying. When I was ten, I sat down with 'The Bastille' in order to impress my parents and get me into the swanky advanced reading class, where children were encouraged to act out stories of magic and adventure, rather than reading silently like the 'average' class. This paradox is amusing and tale-telling (a pune?). I have read Bonhoeffer and Plato, John Stuart Mill and Descartes, and other 'stock' philosophers and theologians. I read 'The Nation' fervently.<br/><br/>But when it is time to drift and dream, I immerse myself in those classics...Narnia, Oz, and otherwheres. Because the true philosophy behind those books is innocence over worldliness, and bravery over compromise.<br/><br/>We all need our Otherwheres. I get what you are saying. When I was ten, I sat down with ‘The Bastille’ in order to impress my parents and get me into the swanky advanced reading class, where children were encouraged to act out stories of magic and adventure, rather than reading silently like the ‘average’ class. This paradox is amusing and tale-telling (a pune?). I have read Bonhoeffer and Plato, John Stuart Mill and Descartes, and other ‘stock’ philosophers and theologians. I read ‘The Nation’ fervently.

But when it is time to drift and dream, I immerse myself in those classics…Narnia, Oz, and otherwheres. Because the true philosophy behind those books is innocence over worldliness, and bravery over compromise.

We all need our Otherwheres.

]]> By: PG http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2006/02/26/otherwhere/comment-page-1/#comment-524 PG Mon, 27 Feb 2006 20:21:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=230#comment-524 Blimey SM, give yerself a break! From the list of things you had to do the other day, you deserve, no, you need to read. It should be no-ones' business but your own what it is, (I read the most mind numbing pap - crime thrillers, mostly, when I have time). There's nothing wrong with escapism; why is it we spend our time encouraging our children to read wonderful tales and then feel we have to deny ourselves the same pleasure as we (allegedly) 'grow up'? Oh dear, I've started to rant, can you see the spittle forming? ;) Blimey SM, give yerself a break! From the list of things you had to do the other day, you deserve, no, you need to read. It should be no-ones’ business but your own what it is, (I read the most mind numbing pap – crime thrillers, mostly, when I have time). There’s nothing wrong with escapism; why is it we spend our time encouraging our children to read wonderful tales and then feel we have to deny ourselves the same pleasure as we (allegedly) ‘grow up’? Oh dear, I’ve started to rant, can you see the spittle forming? ;)

]]> By: testdriver http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2006/02/26/otherwhere/comment-page-1/#comment-523 testdriver Mon, 27 Feb 2006 17:15:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=230#comment-523 No matter how often I have to defend it over dinner, I maintain that you never fully own your experience until you give it a name. Reading, especially reading fantasy/youth fiction--so many new analogies and made-up words--helps me stretch my experiential vocabulary in a completely different direction from the stretch that comes with reading Sartre. More words, more names, more subtle thinking. Everybody wins, right? No matter how often I have to defend it over dinner, I maintain that you never fully own your experience until you give it a name. Reading, especially reading fantasy/youth fiction–so many new analogies and made-up words–helps me stretch my experiential vocabulary in a completely different direction from the stretch that comes with reading Sartre. More words, more names, more subtle thinking. Everybody wins, right?

]]> By: tammara http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2006/02/26/otherwhere/comment-page-1/#comment-522 tammara Mon, 27 Feb 2006 14:37:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=230#comment-522 I absorb ways of feeling and thinking from novels of all sorts (and the occasional memoir or biography). If I don't write, I keep those thoughts and feelings to myself, which I suppose is not a crime, and yet keeps me from connecting with others. I think that was my initial draw to books in my childhood - the escapism involved in reading. But in forcing oneself to then write in between reading bouts is a difficult but necessary thing for truly examining yourself, as well as communicating with others. Facing the light, as you say. I absorb ways of feeling and thinking from novels of all sorts (and the occasional memoir or biography). If I don’t write, I keep those thoughts and feelings to myself, which I suppose is not a crime, and yet keeps me from connecting with others. I think that was my initial draw to books in my childhood – the escapism involved in reading. But in forcing oneself to then write in between reading bouts is a difficult but necessary thing for truly examining yourself, as well as communicating with others. Facing the light, as you say.

]]> By: krista http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2006/02/26/otherwhere/comment-page-1/#comment-521 krista Mon, 27 Feb 2006 06:19:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=230#comment-521 I love reading. What about Roald Dahl? Ah, great fun. I love reading. What about Roald Dahl? Ah, great fun.

]]> By: Celtic Knitter http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2006/02/26/otherwhere/comment-page-1/#comment-520 Celtic Knitter Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:06:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=230#comment-520 I think its good that you get that escapism . . . better books than drugs, right?<br/><br/>It's funny . . . I'm studying book publishing now and everyone I go to classes with just loves fiction the way you do . . .except for me. I don't care for a lot of fiction. I'm mostly a non-fiction reader. I guess I feel like if I'm going to sit down and read . . . I might as well learn something from it. I think its good that you get that escapism . . . better books than drugs, right?

It’s funny . . . I’m studying book publishing now and everyone I go to classes with just loves fiction the way you do . . .except for me. I don’t care for a lot of fiction. I’m mostly a non-fiction reader. I guess I feel like if I’m going to sit down and read . . . I might as well learn something from it.

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