Ideal Insomnia

James Joyce was once asked about the audience for his rather arcane prose and references and he said, ” give me the ideal reader with ideal insomnia.”

This quip suggests what the true relationship between author and reader looks like. The reader must bring energy and willingness to the text offered and be open to the adventure of learning. Way leads on to way. When a reader encounters the unknown word or the strange world of the writer’s vision a choice is immediate…pick up a dictionary, suspend disbelief, soldier on or simply, quit. What is clear is that reading must be an active event not a dozy tea sip before the fire. You have to pack your bags and go.

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss pretty much told every kid that had his books what the joys of active reading were and are. We do get lazy and pass on “difficult” books that we don’t understand or prose styles we find off-putting and we miss out proportionately.

When we think of prose styles it might be useful to develop a spectrum say from Hemingway to Jonathan Lyly. On one end is Hemingway and his punching, simple word choices and on the other is Lyly who deliberately confuses with an array of literary devices and arcana. I do not live at either of these poles and hope for a text that is accessible and cogent. A “great book” for each individual is personal and I don’t want to judge their choices. But what concerns me are those that have no interest in tasting new tastes , seeing new sights and encountering other souls.

There is such a thing as the life of the mind and books are the vitamins that support that health.

I write this because I have so many friends that are engaged in the life of the mind…they read, they travel , they work with others and then they read some more. They are lively in the sense that John Dewey was going for when he said ” education is not preparation for life; it is life itself.” Conversations with these people-you know who you are-are a continuous delight.

So friends, stay intense and engaged when you read. I’ll, let you get back to it. Hope I didn’t make you lose your place…