The Author’s Search for Meaning
Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it. ~Hannah Arendt
The author as an artist is in a unique spot as far as philosophy and ideology goes. Everyone from politicians, to religious authorities, to the scientific establishment wants their audience to believe that they have a monopoly on truth and meaning. The author is one of the few teachers that presuppose the opposite.
The author examines what these other groups are teaching and may adhere to some of their doctrines, but usually from a distance. Writers are suspicious of black and white thinking because it is their responsibility to view everything as it really is or as it really should be. When they look out on the world, they don’t see black and white; they only see black and white on the page and even the page possesses many more colors than black and white, if you read it right.
Authors are not interested in clever definitions or persistent dogmas. They are looking for perspective and the voice to capture it. They explore reality while everyone else is busy defining it. They look under the stone while others simply assume that a rock is just a rock. If they define anything on page one, it is only to question this definition on page three. The reality the author examines is not static. It is a world with endless questions, a cosmos of ever-changing interactions, each with a complex meaning, each waiting to be explored.
– Jones
So true, great post! – Actually something interesting Joseph Campbell said in one of his books.. Mythology and poetry (anything that has to deal with symbolism) are based off of biological signs that are inherent to us. And he explains, this is the reason why mythology and literature in general should not be taken literal, it will only encourage the deflowering of a language that hasn’t yet been forgotten, only because its inherent to us.
Thanks, Campbell Sounds like an interesting read. I’ll have to get my hands on some of his works. Sometimes as a writer I hope I am not taken to literally. I think analogy and hyperbole can often get to a point much better than a clear unequivocal statement can.
I had a long debate yesterday with a friend, as to whether writing or film is more “realistic”. I opted for writing, because of exactly the process and execution you describe. Writing offers a chance for multiple perspectives, and a (hard to achieve!) non-manipulative means of communicating with a readership…
oh does this make sense?
Yes, This makes perfect sense. A good novel frees the author to explore as many perspectives as they would like. Many films, of the existential sort, try to replicate this multiplicity of individual points of view and do it very well. But, I couldn’t imagine a film that could match the perspective of a novel like Joyce’s Ulysses.
Wow! Here I just wrote about how friends helped and inspired me to write today, and you liked what I wrote, so now I’ve just read this post on “The Author’s Search for Meaning,” and found it very enlightening. The universe must definitely be in alignment.
“The author as an artist”
I really enjoyed this phrase and the entire article. I’ve been a professional writer for the past five years and all my friends tell me that I’m an artist. My boyfriend says my books make him feel like hes looking at a famous painting.
It’s good to hear that your friends see you in this light. It’s always appreciated when people look past the profession of the writer and see the point of writing, which is art.
connecting with people – its such a rich vein – i don’t do it in order to write but because i cant help it – i find people fascinating – they are stories i have not read yet.
Writing is like mining.
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