Did a Book Ever . . .
Change your mind?
One of the more uncomfortable experiences I have had as an author was a debate over at eharlequin.com about The Roofer. While I consistently had positive feedback in reviews (it was published by MIRA), one woman accused me of having an "agenda" when I wrote the book and felt that child abuse was overreported, and . . . in particular, books like mine should carry a warning label.
It might be easy to dismiss the woman who was arguing with me at the site as a crackpot. In fact, I found her arguments to be weak. However . . . Ialso have to admit that I spent a couple of years as a mentor to unwed teen mothers and won a Jefferson medal for my work. I believe that child abuse, as well as genocide and certain other crimes will be our most shameful events when history judges us. I gather food for the food bank. I give money to the homeless. I DO have an agenda. I want my gay friends to be able to marry. I want the world to be colorblind. I want my children, with their Mexican surname and heritage, to be judged the same as children whose last name is Smith.
However . . . all this got me thinking. What about the POWER of a book. Has a book every changed your worldview? Ever rocked your world in such a way that it really and truly made a difference in how you live your life?
This book did so for me.
What about YOU?
36 comments:
I spent my youth reading rather than playing (or doing homework), so it's fair to say books made me what I am. I could probably come up with a hundred books that changed me enough that I can assess their specific impact. Just to name one: Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh.
I wash dishes 365 days a year, and don't mind it a bit.
Stephen:
As you know, I adore that book. It makes all my life seem different than it did before I read it.
E
Probably every book I've ever read.
Without going too deep I'll say:
The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman because it changed my life by making me realize there were a lot of ways to make a living as a writer.
But you can include the Bible and dozens of others on the world view thoughts.
A ridiculous book by some unknown author was about a musician when I was having second thoughts on majoring in it, and it changed my mind. I think about it all the time. The book plot wasn't even that good, but the story line about her career and her music made me realize that I needed to do it.
Also about a thousand other books have changed me, but this stands out recently.
And PS, The Roofer is STILL my favorite of all the books you've written. If the woman was arguing about it then she obviously didn't understand it. Plus, people write about these things because they happen. To ignore them would accomplish nothing.
LOVE YOU
Mark:
Believe it or not, I have never read that book, but I hear a lot about it.
E
Oldest Daughter:
I know, with all my soul, you are meant to make music. You are ONE with your violin.
And yeah. I don't think she "got it." Child abuse isn't "trendy." I don't write gritty books for a real "agenda" like some nefarious plot. Fiction is about life.
E
I fist read Man's Search for Meaning when I got it off my father's book shelf. The original copyright is in 1959, the year I graduated from high school, so I suppose I read it in the early 1960's. It was a little paperback. Now my copy (that same paperbook book)is marked, tattered and falling apart. In fact, I gave that copy to my son and bought myself a hardback copy. I hope Paul is as moved and changed by the book as I was.
I can think of no more important issue than the issue of child abuse. My Roy Rogers chose Roy Rogers as his hero because of Roy and Dale's love for and care of children. Roy and Dale did it by adopting hurting children. Between their own children and their adopted and foster children they had nine children. Three of those children died early tragic deaths. Finally, it is not their movies that make them heroes to me and to my Roy. It is their love of children.
Joe:
That book changed my life. I read it when I was hospitalized witha life-threatening bout of Crohn's disease. I was in so much pain 24/7 that I was hooked up to a morphine drip . . . and I felt utterly hopeless. I couldn't imagine that reading a book about the HOLOCAUST could make me HOPEFUL but I read it on the recommendation of a friend, and literally . . . my life changed.
E
Let me get this off my chest first. What the hell kind of nerve does anyone have in thinking that child abuse is over-reported? Are they out of their minds? Wrongs against humanity are the only instance, jmo, where "Less is more" DOES NOT APPLY.
That woman should be shot. Do I sound irritated? LOL
I can't think of any books that have changed my viewpoint, but I can tell you of one that changed the way I viewed my life: Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way". Nothing made me look at myself more deeply than that book, and helped me to be a better me.
There is, however, something that changed my viewpoint - returning to college. I had one incredible professor who helped me, as well as the other students, grasp and understand the concept of critical thinking - viewing all sides of a situation before forming an opinion.
Kath:
I was extremely upset at the time it happened. It ended up that others chimed in agreeing that yes, my book should have had a "warning label" because one of the plotlines had to do with child sexual abuse. Granted it was my book, but I am against any kind of warnign system as censorship anyway. So . . . it was one of those episodes in my author life that . . . was memorably awful. Luckily few and far between.
E
Some readers have their own agenda. Or maybe it hit too close to a home that is in denial.
On the Beach and A Town Like Alice both by Nevil Shute though I didn't realize it was the same author when I read the second one. Didn't pay attention to who wrote it. I should probably see what else he wrote.
And I Take Thee, Serenity by Daisy Newman.
All fiction though I know there are some non-ficiton gems out there that did make a difference.
I can't think of a book that changed my world view, unless you count that I grew up somewhat sheltered. I grew up thinking a building we called the Sears Tower - an office building - was THE Sears Tower - and considering it was about 10 stories high I always wondered how on earth it was the tallest building in the world. Because where I grew up, was the world to me.
Books showed me there was more. I still want to live on a prairie, in regency England, in Avonlea and I want to travel where there are dragons and sorcerers, have magical powers and slip through a wardrobe.
Actually I just thought of a book that did change me...
A Walk on the Beach by Joan Anderson
I think it's time I read it again.
Erica,
First off, I just wanted to let you know I read that comment you left on Sex's blog, in regards to Tarot readings, and I have got to say that you are one of THEE MOST interesting people I have ever had the pleasure of happening acrossed my wake. You never cease to shock the hell outta me, and that's a GOOD thing. :)
With that being said, the book I read that changed my way of viewing not only myself, but the universe around me was "Getting Through The Day" by Nancy J. Napier.
It's subtitle?
"Strategies for adults who were hurt as children".
The book entails a "how to" guide on what one can do when suffering in the moment of past childhood hurts, and that in fact, we ALL have past hurts that can afford to heal, no matter how big or small.
Because let's face it..... Pain IS pain.
I gave my copy of the book to my grandmother before she left to go back to North Carolina after she had come to visit our family. She had offered to "pray the gay" outta me, and told my mom she had a "devil" in her that made her act irrationally, and tried to forcefully insist that she "lay hands upon her, so as to get the devil out".
My mom responded by threatening to call the cops on her if she didn't get out.
I think my grandma needed to read that book more than ANYONE.
I'm going to have to go on a mad hunt for Man's Search for Meaning now.
And I'm with Amy. I wanna travel to lands where there are dragons and sorcerers. I've got renegade wizard blood coursing through muh veins. :D
I love that you wrote about child sexual abuse. I'm not convinced it will go down in history at all, though. It barely goes down now, hardly at all, which is a shame and horror, given the statistics.
Books raised me, too. I'm with Oldest, though. There was this little book called High Note, Low Note, which cemented things for me.
Switching my main focus to writing is probably the hardest thing I've ever done. I will never stop making music or passing it on. Honestly, I don't think I could live without either, but even as I know it's what's it's supposed to be, I mourn the 24/7 musical life, at times. There was this little book where a girl was deciding between painting and piano. Even though I read it at 12 or so and have forgotten most of it, including the title, I referred to my memories of it often when it became clear a decision had to be made.
Amy:
Funny . . . I read Anderson's book and it is one of only a small handful of books I loathed. I think it came across as selfish to me when I read it. BUT . . . I read it when I had less children, less stress. Maybe I would have a different view of it now.
E
Realm:
LOL! Well . . . you know . . . I think my life is really very ordinary. But . . . that honest-to-God happened to me and scared the crap out of me.
E
P.S. And wow . . . that sounds like a powerful book.
Spy:
I agree. As people become more stressed and the world so populated and so on . . . I think a ripple of evil floats through.
E
Erica,
I can't pick one. There are so many books, phrases, ideals... I love when the book as a whole makes you think, but just as much I love when a phrase resonates...
I guess I could provide a list. The one most popping to mind right now is an old favorite:
To Kill a Mockingbird
For so many reasons...
As a sidenote, I just had to jump over to ss@s's when I read Realm's comment... yay, I thought I was the only one... I've been reading cards since I was a teenager.
I'm sure many books changed by worldview, but I've read books that changed ME. In my late 20s, I was unhappy and angry. I started positive thinking books and listening to tapes on the subject. I realized I could choose to be a positive person instead of a negative person. So I did.
It sounds simple, maybe too simple, but it worked for me.
I have a theory on why child-abuse is toyed with in the legal system. Many of those in power have "secrets" their own, and don't want to enforce laws. It'd mess with their own sickness. JMO, of course. But haven't many black robes been spotlighted for having questionable files on their computers? And for what's it worth, we should put this crime at the top of our list. We're dealing with children here, our most precious treasures.
And so many books have enriched my life. The one that stands out are the, Conversations With God series. Loved them.
I can't think of an individual book that changed me, but I think it's ridiculous for someone to accuse you of having an agenda. Writing about something like child abuse is just one more way for people to realize it IS part of our lives, not just a trendy thing you chose to write about. That really irritates me she used that word.
I'm sure there will be people who won't like my novel about immigration because I take the viewpoint of the immigrant and don't label it a bad thing. It certainly can be seen as siding with illegals but my only motivation is to tell the story and hopefully get people to view it in a different light.
Merry:
I haven't read the cards in years . . . but very weird how we all dabbled.
E
Edie:
You know, I took a month-long biofeedback course at a hospital to deal with chronic Crohn's pain. It was amazing to me how well it worked--mind over matter.
E
melanie:
But I think that is SO important. THINK if a book like To Kill a Mockingbird had never been written. Or a book that illuminated certain plights of different races, or persecutions, etc. Even if it doesn't change policy, for example, but makes people see certain stories as about PEOPLE and individuals with families and so on, it is helpful, I think.
E
Strangely, the Joan Anderson book about when she goes away from her marriage to -- whatever one does if one has that luxury -- I did not read. This one, about her relationship with Joan Erikson, just fascinated me. Then there's a book like Eat Pray Love that people bow down to, and I don't like at all.
Good thing there are so many books! ;)
Erica, that's a good point. I would never change a part of my story for fear that people wouldn't like the message, but I hadn't thought about it in those terms. That's one more reason for me to stay motivated!
Yeah, really, Melanie. Do they accuse mystery writers of having an "agenda" for writing about murder? Why is murder more "socially acceptable?" Maybe because people think murder won't affect them, but child sexual abuse? It affects a lot of women.
Erica, sorry, are we going off topic? And you're like my best friend... I don't really believe in evil, but she does.
Now off to read more of Melanie's awesome story... :-)
Amy:
Oh . . . that sounds like more my cup of tea. The marriage one . . . I don't know. I don't feel like any of us have the luxury of walking away from all responsibilities. Or else it just feels too foreign to me.
E
The books that helped lead me out of my faith (which sounds very depressing but for me was incredibly liberating once I got past the hell-fear) were the most profound world changing books.
And also: "How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World" by Harry Browne. In many ways, that's my bible.
A book that didn't "change" my view, so much as "hone" it in some areas, is a fiction book I'm finally almost to the end of called: "The Proviso" by my friend Moriah Jovan.
I'm not sure it actually changed my mind, but Jung's Psyche and Symbol inspired some serious introspection.
Zoe:
Interesting . . .
Jude:
I find his life story interesting as heck.
E
Buy last chaos gold is the chance. Since I buy last chaos gold ; I had not had the bad memory. At present, I want to say thanks to the people who stole my account, if he did not to do that, I would not play it, I would not have lastchaos gold . Although I have little lastchaos money , I will on the way of the game for long time. I am a pessimistic person, but when I have cheap lastchaos gold , it changes my attitude of life.
Post a Comment