In the essay "Why I Write," George Orwell said,
"I do not think one can assess a writer's motives without knowing something of his early development. His subject matter will be determined by the age he lives in --at least this is true in tumultuous, revolutionary ages like our own-- but before he ever begins to write he will have acquired an emotional attitude from which he will never completely escape. It is his job, no doubt, to discipline his temperament and avoid getting stuck at some immature stage, in some perverse mood; but if he escapes from his early influences altogether, he will have killed his impulse to write."
In two days, I will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English and writing. 2008-2009 will be a gap year for me before I return to academia to pursue my Ph.D.
This blog is a exploration and a promise.
While I am absent from official academia, I intend to stay active mentally and engaged intellectually. The impulse to write has been a key aspect of my personal development. In many ways, I write to ask and answer the big questions in my life.
But for me, writing is more than self-expression. It can trigger emotions, inspire new perspectives, and reinforce or challenge existing social conditions and norms. My aspiration, albeit a wild one, is to do most of these things. This blog is a vehicle for its beginning. Orwell also said,
"So long as I remain alive and well I shall continue to feel strongly about prose style, to love the surface of the earth, and to take a pleasure in solid objects and scraps of useless information."
His impulse and mine are very similar. Scraps of description, poetry, prose, book reviews, reflections on life, and much more are the paraphenalia of my brain that I toss out as the moment dictates. If you care to read along, I welcome your company.
No comments:
Post a Comment