A Lifetime of Reading Versus a Lifetime of Writing
This past week I traveled to Florida to help clear out my dad’s house. He recently fell and hit his head, and now he’s in a rehabilitation center while his memory recovers. It may take him months to return to his normal self. When he does, we want him to live closer to my sister in Tampa.
I spent an entire day clearing out his office. I boxed up about 15 boxes of books, which will be donated to Salvation Army. While sorting through his library, I found about five genres of books. They could roughly be classified into five piles: literary fiction, poetry, religion, dieting, and gardening. You can tell a lot about a person by looking at what he or she reads. I had no idea my dad’s interest in religion was so pervasive. I boxed up about 14 different bibles. He’s Russian Orthodox, so there was a lot of liturgical books, prayer books, and commentary about early Christian fathers, biblical commentaries, books on transformational christianity, and so on.
The other genres were not insignificant either. Poetry alone probably comprised three boxes — Wallace Stevens, Byron Scott, William Wordsworth, William Carlos Williams, Alexander Pope, and many more well-known poets. In his living room, he dedicated an entire bookshelf for Anne Dillard’s works.
Many books had bookmarks placed about 40 pages into the book, probably where he lost interest. Not every book is worth reading cover to cover.
While boxing, I set aside some books for myself, such as What the Dog Saw, a new book by Malcolm Gladwell, The Origin of Creativity (it looked interesting), John Muir’s Longest Walk, and Things I Learned About My Father in Therapy, an anthology by Heather Armstrong.
Looking at all the books in the library, I am not sure that reading deserves so much praise. Certainly, much of what we write is a response to what we read, coupled with our experiences. We need some level of information to write. But if reading is merely absorbing information, soaking it up like a sponge, at some point, reading becomes passive. The reader must do something with the information: contemplate, act, experiment, reflect, respond, try, hypothesize, write, and so on. Reading is a catalyst for action (unless it’s just a leisure activity, or something to do to fall asleep).
About six months ago, my father was up visiting me in Utah. During his stay, he was pouring through The Happiness Project, by Gretchin Ruben, and taking copious notes. Presumably, he was reading to discover ways to be happier. He wasn’t just soaking it in. He was reading to act.
In his youth, my father was an English graduate student at the University of Washington, and he planned to move to Australia and write the great American novel. But then he realized, through reading, that the great American novel had already been written, time and again. The realization took away his motivation to write.
He’s actually an excellent writer, so far as I can tell from his letters. My mother said he would often compose essays for his classes just once, with little or no edits, and get As. She was disappointed that he did not finish his PhD and become an English professor.
The market for English PhDs was just as bad in the 70s as it is today, so it’s no wonder my father pursued a different route. Instead of going the PhD route, though, he made a terrible choice: He bought a tavern, and drank himself into alcoholism. Alcoholism sort of derailed his life. He later joined AA and became sober — and has been for 30 years — but he feels alcohol was the cause of so many of his life’s problems. (Sponsor tip: Get more details on alcoholism treatment.)
While boxing up books, cleaning up notes and endless office papers, I kept wondering, why not write more? So what if the great American novel has already been written. Does that make it a vain, repetitive effort to write it again? Exactly how much time should you spend reading? Isn’t there personal value in writing, even if the writing is redundant to other writings?
My personal approach is to read moderately. I wish I were a more voracious reader, but ultimately my real goal is to write a page, or post, since I’m a blogger. I keep stacking up my posts on findability, one after the other. When I hit 100, I figure I’ll have explored the topic deeply enough to begin writing and organizing a book. All my research will be there, ready.
Reading is certainly a catalyst for thought. When I draw a blank for topics to write about, I just search twitter for #techcomm, and review the most interesting post I find. But I always want to move into the writing space, rather than just reading. When I write, it forces me to evaluate topics more rigorously. It requires me to think about what I think. It gives me space to explore, and allows me to dabble in the world of ideas.
I loaded about fifteen boxes of books into my dad’s old yellow pickup and drove several miles to the nearest Salvation Army. Though I donated the books, I did save all papers — journal entries, notes, binders, anything I could find that was a personal expression he had written. I guess books themselves, the ones you choose to keep and line your bookshelves with, are a personal expression that reflects your interests and life’s passions. But somehow they didn’t seem worth keeping.
Nice post, Tom.
However, I think that you found out that your father did wind up becoming a writer. He just wasn’t writing the great American novel. He was writing his life, his observations, himself.
You’re lucky. Your dad put those things down and you now have the ability to learn from them to read what he gained from the time he spent reading and what he felt needed action. I suspect that the writing helped keep him sober and not just the passive reading.
The notes, the marginalia, the letters all express his great American novel.
Cherish it.
Thanks Julio. I appreciate your comment. Certainly there’s a lot of expression and self-definition in the reading choices one makes. It only makes sense to read a book if one finds the topic interesting, and when you add up 15 boxes of those choices, it is quite telling.
Thanks, Tom – what a good read (ironic, huh – I have to write a comment in order to exercise what you preached in the post . . .)
I feel the same thing applies to teaching vs just being a student and listening – I get so much more out of being the teacher.
It’s great that we all have so many more opportunities to write with greater potential for an audience than did previous generations.
Best wishes to your dad – I hope he is ok!
Eric, nice to hear from you. I like the analogy you make between teacher and student. I too get much more out of teaching. The best teaches invite students to learn. Elder David Bednar has similar philosophies. I can’t remember the exact quote, but he says something like this: The purpose of teaching is to invite students to act so they can learn the subject for themselves.
Beautiful post, Tom. I think the most profound part is this: [Writing] requires me to think about what I think.
So often, I think I’ve got something totally grasped – I know it all! And then I read. Something makes me rethink a previously-grasped point and I rush to write it down and suddenly, I’m thinking in new directions, seeing things that weren’t there before.
I started using the reverse sides of my calendar blotter pages for doodling tech concepts. I’d read a design spec, or even a PowerPoint deck, sketch out network deployments or process flows. Questions would come, I’d jot them down, too. Writing/sketching helps me ‘see’ what I’m reading.
I think you’re right, and that I’ve downplayed the value of reading too much in my post. Reading spurs all kinds of thought. Writing without having read usually results in uninformed, shallow content. At the same time, I think that one can hide behind books, always reading but never stepping out to act and think independently.
I’ve got shelves full of books at home, and sometimes I think that most of the books no longer have value to me – that they’re just taking up space. As yet, though, I haven’t boxed them up and taken them away. And some of them will never be boxed up, because they’re old friends and you don’t kick old friends to the curb.
I like your point that reading, if unaccompanied by some follow-up action, is useless. Yet I can’t totally agree: I think that reading has intrinsic value, even if it’s only keeping my brain engaged or satisfying my thist to learn things. Is writing more valuable than reading? I don’t know. Without writing, you can’t have reading. But without reading, writing has no purpose. I think I’ll enjoy pondering this for a while.
“Without writing, you can’t have reading. But without reading, writing has no purpose.” Wow, this is getting philosophical. It’s interesting how closely related the two activities are. You’re definitely right about the interaction between the two.
I should read more. Part of the challenge is that many tech comm books are somewhat boring. Maybe I’m just not reading the right books. If you have some favorites that you’d like to share, please feel free to add them to this thread.
Reading is one of the primary ways that we convey ideas. Reading allows you to learn and provides context for writing.
You can read about gardening and become a better gardener without having to write about what you read.
That fact that your father’s books don’t interest you is sort of irrelevant. His reading contributes ti the formation of his intellect — writings, conversations, political opinions, votes, and much more.
I wouldn’t assume that he lost interest 40 pages into every book based on the bookmark. While reading paper books, I stash the bookmark toward the beginning of the book while I’m reading the end. More often than not, I forget to remove the bookmark after finishing the book.
It’s interesting that you see reading as a means to the actual end — writing. I see the opposite — I love to read and I only write if I think I have something new to say. And if I don’t read widely, I might end up repeating something that has already been said — better — by someone else.
Finally, I don’t think there is a single Great American Novel any more than there is only a single great film. Or painting.
Sarah, thanks for your comment. Sorry for my slow reply. You have some helpful insights about reading and writing. I didn’t mean to say that the only productive activity that results from reading is writing. I really just meant that I thought reading should spur some kind of action. But my predilection for writing no doubt biases me to think that writing is one of the best results from reading.
I also see writing as a way to explore ideas, to think more creatively and analytically. Maybe any ideas I come up with have already been thought, and if I just read more widely I would realize that. But maybe not.
Thanks for following my blog, by the way.
For me, reading and writing are so closely linked that it’s hard to think of one without the other. It’s like a conversation – I read to “listen” and learn, to get viewpoints and meet people that otherwise wouldn’t be a part of my life, and then I write to respond to the ideas or work out my own, even if that response will never get to the person who wrote what I’m reading.
That having been said, live is busy enough now that aside from work, I don’t do nearly as much writing as I’d like to do, but I do sneak in a lot of reading.
Another thought-provoking post. Keep ‘em coming!
Thanks for your insights, Tammy. I definitely agree with the close relationship between reading and writing. One activity gives rise to the other. At the same time, my daughter can sit and read all day long, but when she writes, she tires out much more quickly.
I’ve found that I can either read or write. If I have both a goal to read 50 pages a day, as well as to write one draft post, I usually get one or the other done, but not both. I am pretty busy, but still…. I wish I were more productive.
Your clever topic is certain to draw out your readers, but your friends may be hiding their books before you visit!
Your dad might have read these books to give himself strength. Religion, gardening, and poetry are not so far removed from each other. Eating tomatoes still warm from the garden feeds the soul, too, don’t you agree?
Your father realized his full potential by creating you; I bet he is so proud. In a way, his not writing spurred your determination to write. You did good.
(thank you for reading this!)
Thanks for your insightful comment, Susan. You’re right that a parent’s greatest creation is his or her own children. Certainly he has been a good mentor and coach for my own writing. I regularly send him articles to review.
If the books appear not to be worthy of reading again, and again, it would certainly be a good idea to poass on to someone who would like that book.
Becaiuse, if there are not many to read, what we wite will heve to be read ourselves only.
Well, I would not consider even that as a writing effort. In fact, it would be a credit to the original writing if we ourselves would kie to read it again at a later date.
And if we like that writing on that other day, we are qualified to continue to wite.
If the writing does not appear likable, then do all that is needed to improve the writing, but one should never give up writing , and reading, too.
Thanks for your comment, Ashok. What is your favorite book to read?
When I moved into a new apartment a few years ago, I didn’t feel quite at home until I had finally taken the books out of the boxes and put them into my newly-bought bookshelves. I felt true relief: these books were not only my old friends, they were also cherished objects that saw me through a lot of transitions.
As of reading, well, I read for all sorts of reasons. Learning, research, pleasure, leisure…and procrastination. I sat at my laptop this morning to write a blog post, and what have I been doing for the past half hour? Reading a few posts from my Twitter feed.
And now that I’ve put a few words into sentences, I really should get on with it:-)
Oh, and by the way, I enjoyed reading your post….
Lise, I like the list of reasons you added in this comment. Re books as old friends, I’ve found I’m just as happy with little book icons on book review posts on my blog. In fact, if I reread my reviews and notes, I remember even more about the book than I would just having it on my shelf.
Your dad is a good man, Tom. As what you said, you know a man by what he reads, I believe that he has a wonderful heart. I’m sure he has no regrets about the PhD but yes, he does have regrets with drinking.
Reading is not something I enjoyed as a kid, but now I can’t get enough. I am a college student, so obviously I don’t particularly enjoy the required readings in some of my classes, but sometimes I do. I read mostly for pleasure, and a lot of the time I find a book that I love and I will read and re-read it! (Not sure how practical that is, but I can’t help it)
Although I have never really thought about this statement about reading, eseentially, being nothing without writing. I have to say, it does strike an interest. I enjoy writing as well, especially in my own words, not when I try and make myself sound smart.
I really appreciate your point and hope to see the different perceptions of it while reading and writing in the future.
Bridgette, thanks for commenting. I didn’t mean to imply that reading it nothing without writing. I meant only to argue that too much reading can become somewhat passive. Hopefully one acts upon the reading in some way. But even if not, I was probably too extreme in my views in this post. Part of it is frustration with my dad for not having written more, which is obviously an activity that I value and probably prioritize over reading. But I’m sure one could argue the matter the other way.
A fine and sensitive post. Thank you, Tom. Enjoyed very much reading it and thinking about it.
Thanks Ugur.
I thought this was great insight into your dad’s life. I wish you could have discussed some of your observations with him before his passing.
I have been lucky that my 2 daughters (1 just completed her under grad studies) never really cleaned their bins out. I was able to present my daughter with an anthology of her works and photos (close to 150 pages!) from birth to college. She was so surprised and slightly embarassed when her peers saw me doing it at her Phi Beta Kappa ceremony. Her career path is Journalism and Mass Communication. She gently reminded me: “Mom, I was born to write.” Yes, one chapter of her 6th grade diary was entitled “Rumors and Gossip.” Long before TMZ emerged as the God Father of Multimedia Tabloid Gossip, my daughter was making notes on the hot rumors at her school.
Launa, thanks for sharing the experience with your daughter’s writing. I too would definitely look to save any kind of journals and other keepsake expressions from a person.
(Just a slight update — I know it might not have seemed this way based on my post, but my dad didn’t pass away. He’s just in a rehabilitation center and not entirely himself.)
A poignant and touching post, Tom.
Thanks for posting it and I do hope your father is doing better.
Thanks for the note, roGER. My father is doing quite a bit better, thankfully.
Wow, great post! Glad to hear your father is doing better. I really need to read more, but now I’m having to focus on writing and trying to find a few readers for my book. It sounds like your Dad was good at getting into the flow; I know some poems of mine seem to come out finished, sometimes it feels like they are writing themselves and I am just their conduit into this dimension, haha!
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