Message
In a writing workshop I once took, the
literary novelist Ethan Canin told us that reading is "about connecting with a
sensibility." This resonated with me as
a writer because I know that when something I read compels me, it's because I
feel like I'm connecting to a certain world view in a piece of writing, a
specific take on a timeless theme, a fresh, original voice. A teacher I had in college used to like to
say "there are no new plots, just new characters" - and I'd like to take that
one step further. New
sensibilities. Lucky for all of us
writers - each of our sensibilities is truly individual. No one else in the wide world sees the way we
see - through our unique experience, through our distinctive eyes.
And that's the heart of point of view.
Not just who's telling the story or how
it's being told but the entire world view that an author translates through a
piece of writing to a reader.
Different readers connect to different
point of views, to different sensibilities. It's why I can read something and think "Wow, this engages me. I'm
hooked." And the guy sitting next to me
in the café can tell me he couldn't get through it. It's two sensibilities connecting - or
not.
So that's why I think Point of View is
essential as a writer and a reader.
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 The
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
This
is now one of my favorite
young adult novels of all time. Brilliant work. It's fun, it's fast -
but don't
let that fool you. It's super, super thoughtful and smart. It brings up
the
issues of social hierarchy, gender roles, elitism, Big Brother, and what
it
means to THINK about things, have things matter and have a purpose.
Love
that Frankie Landau-Banks! |
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 Writing Exercise
In
Disreputable History, E. Lockhart puts forward a concept that
becomes integral to the adventure her heroine decides to embark upon.
In one of her classes, Frankie learns about
the panopticon, a prison. Here's an
excerpt from the book:
"In
other words, the panopticon knew they could be watched at all times, so
in the
end, only minimal watching actually needed to happen. The panopticon
would
create a sense of paranoia so pervasive that its inhabitants became
practically
self-governing" (54).
Frankie realized that the moral
implications of this panopticon applied to her own boarding school. The
difference between "someone is watching
you" vs. "someone is probably
watching you" creates a certain paranoia, creates the way we act. Do
we act a certain way because
there are rules or because it's the right thing to do? Good
question. In this exercise, write a
descriptive poem, story or play that somehow answers this question. Perhaps a character is wrestling with this
very question. Perhaps you create a
setting of some sort that forces this question upon your character. Use
this concept as a jumping off place to
create a piece of writing of your own. |
 Outside Reading School Project
After reading the novel,
write a 1-2 page response to the role of the panopticon in your own
world. What/who provides your rules? How does this impact you as a
friend, a
family member, and as a student?
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 Songs for a Teenage Nomad
by Kim Culbertson
Sourcebooks Fire (September 1, 2010)
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