Carl Phillips’
Another and Another Before That: Some Thoughts on Reading was a really
insightful piece on his own journey in reading and writing in which he has
taken the time to express what he’s learned on this journey. As a fellow writer I can appreciate the
suggestions he has to offer. The way he starts of this piece does remind me a bit
about our class discussions about paying attention walking and writing. His concept on how to look at reading is
great: “as the lifelong construction of
a map by which to trace and plumb what it has ever meant to be in the world,
and by which to gain perspective on that other, ongoing map—the one that marks
our own passage through the world as we both find and make it.” I agree with his idea that reading is
necessary to gain perspective on the world, it’s like that old saying about
putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and seeing if you can walk a mile
in them.
There
was one point in his essay that I laughed when I read because I do so strongly
relate to the sentiment he shares: “Writing has always been for me an entirely
private act—I don't share poems with other writers, I've no particular interest
in having my work workshopped. Writing is one of the few spaces where I can be
alone and not be questioned as to why or how I choose to be myself. Reading has
also been that, from the start. I think it's true to say that, through
childhood, the one thing I most looked forward to was being permitted to go
upstairs to my room and read.” It is as
if he captured on paper, verbatim the thoughts that have for years swam through
my head. It wasn’t until my first college level creative writing class that I learned
to accept that sometimes, just sometimes, constructive criticism is a good
thing. It also helped that when we did our workshops though the responders had
to write their names, the poets were allowed to remain anonymous so there was
somewhat less of a social anxiety to deal with. This, I greatly appreciated
considering (go figure) I had already been clinically diagnosed with anxiety
just six month prior.
I can
appreciate how later in the article he says everything counts, from People Magazine
to the New York Times. But right before that he said something that really
stuck in my head, “any poet worth reading probably read everything that came to
hand, out of that insatiable desire, that curiosity that makes us wants to
grapple with the irresolvable and/or memorable and transcribe it in lines.”
While I agree whole heartedly with his statement, it’s somewhat disheartening
because lately it just seems like there’s not enough hours in the day to read
all I want to! He seemed to understand this sentiment also as he ends the piece
with this pearl of wisdom, “If we are genuine readers and writers, we should
see squarely the impossibility of reading everything there is to read—and yet,
impossibly, we should want to try.” On
this same note, I Love the fact that he lists all the authors that have
influenced him over the years and what he has learned from them. It gives me
something to look forward to when I have some free time; reading suggestions
are always welcome. In conclusion, I have to leave you with my favorite quote
from the article: “To read is to get a sense of the many ways in which vision
has manifested itself in the past and continues to do so. We are wasting our
time, though, if we believe that we shall thereby gain access to our own
vision.” For me, this was pretty thought provoking and after considering it for
some time, very true. Never have I read two authors that sounded exactly the
same; it seems to echo back to his earlier statement that, “an original voice
can perhaps half willingly be seduced; it is rarely mastered.”
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