I'm frequently asked why I would go to college to pursue a career in writing. Oftentimes, people can’t wrap their heads around the fact that I’ve decided to get not just one arts degree, but two. Next May I’ll be graduating with BAs in theatre and in English. I believe art in all forms, but especially the written word, has the power to change lives. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that books have shaped my life in profound ways and that others need literature just as much.
I remember sitting at my grandma’s dining room table and being pulled into the world of a book and the world of reading forever. I was about eight years old, and had been reading for a few years but until then I hadn't read a book like “Because of Winn-Dixie” by Kate Dicamillo. It was a simple book about a girl and her dog, but it changed my life. I hardly remember the details of that book after so many years. I do, however; remember exactly how it made me feel. I was drawn into another world. As I read, I was able to live in her world, even if just for a short while. I was able to escape some of the difficulties of my own life.
I sat at that table for what may have been an entire day. I probably got up for a bathroom break or food, but that aside I spent all day with that book. "Because of Winn-Dixie" prompted me to open hundreds of books after it and to dive into hundreds of new worlds that fueled my love for literature. The titles of many of those books have since faded from my memory, but their impact continues to stay with me.
After that, I only read books where a character in them died for awhile. I loved books like “Bridge to Terabithia” and “Walk Two Moons.” While those are common reading for a child in elementary school; the volume of these morbid books I read was almost frightening. My mom, however, encouraged me to keep reading them. My Great Grandmother, or as we called her Gigi, had just died and I was still trying to process it. I needed to understand death: why it happened, who it happened to, what others around the deceased did following their death. It gave me knowledge and a coping tool for such a difficult topic. If my mom would’ve stifled this sort of reading I probably would have stopped reading forever, thankfully she didn’t. The words of the authors I loved helped me grieve and cope.
Books have been there for me my entire life. They were there for me during the complexities of family life. They were there when we moved in with my Gigi to spend her final months with her. They were there when I transitioned from being homeschooled to going to public school. They were there when I was bullied. They were there in high school when I struggled to keep hold of friendships. Books have always been there and I want to give that gift to other people. I want to give the gift of finding a new reality, a new home, a new friend, even if only for awhile.
Reality can sometimes be a difficult place to be. Written words allow a beautiful rejection or acceptance of that reality. They either give you a break or let you see your own world in a way you never have before. In part, I want to write to help others handle their own reality. Open their eyes to new worlds and to their own world. I want others to know that there will always be a book, an article, a play, or a poem to inspire and support them even if that support comes from an author they'll never meet. More than that, I want to write because it's what gets me through the hard times as well. I don't mind others asking why I'm an English major actually because it means I get another opportunity to talk about my favorite topic: books.
