Recently,
I read a wonderful book by Ukranian-born cultural commentator and journalist Vitali Vitaliev, memorably
titled, Life as a Literary Device: A
Writer's Manual of Survival. Amazon
describe it as “an analysis of how literature has bound his life and an
exploration of how to survive in the modern world.”
Reading
it was a wonderful springboard for me.
His comment, “I
dread unlimited choices, which to me can be almost as baffling as no choice at
all,” really resonated as making choices is at the heart of the craft and
philosophy of creative writing.
I also loved the survival tips, which were
interesting and thought-provoking. One
of these suggests re-reading familiar books from childhood, which can be calming
and reassuring at low points. How true. This
form of bibliotherapy rekindles happy memories and nostalgic thoughts, as we
also associate the actual text we are re-reading with the circumstances in
which it was read. I count myself lucky
that my dearly loved, and sadly recently late, mother used to read to my brother
and I when we were very young, while we were snuggled up in bed, and this
helped to nurture my love of books, leading to many hours spent reading under
the covers by torchlight when the rest of the house was asleep.
I liked the advice “Relax about
tomorrow and just see it as gathering information for your survivor’s guide.” Yes, life is a survivor’s guide, a giant
research project, as we accrue the knowledge and experience that will guide us
on the journey.
