Ode to Literature

Life is like a library owned by the author.

In it are a few books which he wrote himself,
but most of them were written for him.
Harry Emerson Fosdick

Bonjour all!

Never the one to miss a chance to pick up a good read, I know that being a bookworm, it means searching for books that can really be riveting and leaving you hanging in thoughts about it long after you've put it down.

Speaking of which, these are early days and there are longer days ahead for such a project, but lately, I've been itching to start writing, collecting all these thoughts I have written down on my journals, waiting for these thoughts to turn into action. I've gathered an idea for what to write on, and who knows (early days!) i would hopefully wish to get it published maybe...? haha, now that would be my dream if that ever happens!

It's called "Memories of an Evening" and it intertwines in capturing the stories of certain characters and their lives owing up to either a tragic event or something riveting and inspiring as first-struck love, in which its conclusions and endings all fall symbolically under the depths of Evening.

Right now, i just have certain essence of what these characters are shaping into and the bigger picture of their lives.

I was thinking probably once in a while upon completion, I would then extract it to here and ask for thoughts on it. It would be a great support. I'm very much excited for this, an eagerness that I have not felt for quite sometime.

Personally, I am very much a book collector. Sometimes being in my favorite bookshop, there's so many to choose from, let alone great authors and poets, I feel I want to grab them by the handful. I've been quite picky in terms of what I prefer, such as wanting titles to be hardcover or rare/first editions, if possible.

Also, I never leave home without a book in my hand. Go through all of my bags and you'll bound to see either : a Moleskine/ notebook I jot my thoughts in as well as writings, and a book.

Lately I've been reading some interesting reads, so here are some I would like to share with you.

Currently, I'm reading "Art As Experience" by John Dewey for my Issues in Aesthetics class. I didn't think much about this book, but given that I had to pick it up, I glanced through its pages, read a couple of chapters and I was really taken away.

Some interesting lines I've found had an impact:

"In order to understand the meaning of artistic products, we have to forget them of a time, to turn aside from them and have recourse to the ordinary forces and conditions of experience that we do not usually regard as esthetic."

"In order to understand the esthetic in its ultimate and approved forms, one must begin with it in the raw; in the events and scenes that hold the attentive eye and ear of man, arousing his interest and affording him enjoyment as he looks and listens: the sights that hold the crowd; the fire-engine rushing by..."

"Ultimately there are but two philosophies. One of them accepts life and experience in all its uncertainty, mystery, doubt, and half-knowledge and turns that experience upon itself to deepen and intensify its own qualities- to imagination and art."

Bright Star- The Complete Poems & Selected Letters of John Keats, was my first book I purchased in 2010. I shall never forget that. I am in a complete Keatsian phase where truth is beauty becomes valid in my reawakening of how I view life now where poets, writers, and others have come before us and spoke of such aspects during Romanticism.

Sometimes I would drift off , ravine walks to nowhere, alongside beautiful music as Ludovico Einaudi or Arvo Pärt, especially his Für Alina.

Für Alina struck a chord with me somehow. As I dug a bit into the story behind such a beautiful simple piece, it turns out that this piece was dedicated to a family friend's daughter who set out to study in London. Within its piece, there was a rendering of the feeling that one was off to explore the world.

I played this piece over and over again, the first time brought slight tears to my eyes in a bit of sadness for recollecting memories in my head. The second time came to a conclusion that this piece was to be what i call my "centrepiece" that I would listen to when I start writing.

There are some books that in one's lifetime, leaves you spellbound. This was one of them. It's incredibly cinematic, very provoking and deep. I could not put this book down.

There was an instance where taking the train, I arrived at the beginning of the "U" that is the main train line, and I began to read it. The next time I looked up, I was on the other side of the "U".

And that's all for now, ciao!