So thanks to my lovely booktwin Martha's tweet, I ran across this article over at Thought Catalog, entitled "You Should Date an Illiterate Girl." And honestly I have very few words beyond that it's the best thing I've read in awhile. Breathtakingly written, it made me think, try on several different perspectives, and feel so many things so strongly that I was in tears before I knew it. The good kind of tears. And before you say it, yes, I realize I'm pregnant and such a feat is much easier accomplished right now than under normal conditions. But still. Hormones aside, the entire second page of this piece is superb. And the last paragraph is incredible.
A warning: the language is strong and pervasive. The first page may make you upset, even angry. But keep reading. It's ridiculously worth it.
A favorite section:
A warning: the language is strong and pervasive. The first page may make you upset, even angry. But keep reading. It's ridiculously worth it.
A favorite section:
Date a girl who doesn’t read because the girl who reads knows the importance of plot. She can trace out the demarcations of a prologue and the sharp ridges of a climax. She feels them in her skin. The girl who reads will be patient with an intermission and expedite a denouement. But of all things, the girl who reads knows most the ineluctable significance of an end. She is comfortable with them. She has bid farewell to a thousand heroes with only a twinge of sadness.
I may have giggled towards the end of that "opinion piece".
ReplyDeleteThe comments are semi-depressing though.
:] so good.
ReplyDeleteI teared up a little bit. Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're back! I'm currently immersed in the world of Sevenwaters thanks to you, and I can't wait to read this article!
ReplyDeleteabsolutely love this! thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteI think the smartest girls who read, however, know that sometimes the heroes in books are not the same as THEIR own leading men and are wise to distinguish between the two...
ReplyDeleteOh, thanks for sharing that snip with us!
ReplyDeleteAfter tweeting this article earlier in the day and having a peek at your "beloved bookshelf," I think we may be literary soulmates.
ReplyDeletePS. Please tell me you named your son after Will Stanton. This will confirm my previous assessment.
PPS. I am definitely going to throw Rose and Mac into my far, far future naming pool. Not both at the same time though. That would be weird for siblings.
PPPS. I was named after Amy March, so I my be biased toward LMA names.
Aww I love the second page of that article, especially this line She has bid farewell to a thousand heroes with only a twinge of sadness. Although maybe I should say that I don't say goodbye to them with ONLY a twinge of sadness because there's a lot of sadness when I do part with fictional heroes.
ReplyDeleteJanice, I know. I finished it with a big grin on my face. The comments were really all over the place, weren't they?
ReplyDeleteKaty, hehe. Yep.
Natalie, did you? Oh, good. It's not just me. :)
Read, aw, thanks. I'm glad to be back as well. And absolutely thrilled to hear you're immersed in Sevenwaters. It's the only way to be. ;) Also completely agree with your later comment. They are wise and know the difference and the value of each.
Jen, my pleasure. I hoped others would enjoy it the way I did.
LM, you bet. Couldn't help it. I had to share as soon as I finished it.
S.L., wow. After reading your comment I think you may be right. And YES, my boy was indeed named after a couple of my favorite Wills, including Will Stanton and Will Ladislaw. And, of course, Will Shakespeare. :) And Rose and Mac make perfectly lovely future names. *sigh*
Chachic, exactly! I love that line. And I agree there's more to the parting. And I tend to return to them over and over. But, wow, that second page was awesome.
I thought it was beautiful and it brought a lot of people into a discussion. Very well done.
ReplyDeleteThat whole last paragraph had me wrapped around it's sentences.
ReplyDelete"She insists that her narratives are rich, her supporting cast colorful, and her typeface bold...You will accept nothing less than passion, and perfection, and a life worthy of being storied."
Perhaps not perfect but, YES.
I thought this came from a book until I read your post. Loved it, shared it. It made me feel all good about myself about being a girl who reads. :D
ReplyDeleteS.L., I too am named after Amy March!! Awesome/crazy! I grew up knowing many other Amy's but I was always the only one I knew named after this particular Amy, which always made me feel just a little bit special. Until, that is, the crazy universe brought me through my web surfing to your little comment here. Serendipity really is a wonder sometimes. (Also, my sister's name is Laurie. Yes. As in that Laurie. Little Women FTW!) So, hello, name twin! I hope that you do not spend too much time trying to refashion your nose with a clothespin, or throwing your sister's handwritten manuscript into the fire. :-)
ReplyDeleteI also loved this piece, incidentally. I felt kind of validated and a little bit warm and fuzzy. Thanks for sharing it!
(Other) Amy, that is so cool! :) Clearly though, we're still special. We're just a little more special together.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe your sister's name is Laurie! Your mom is my hero. My little sister is named Ariel, and everyone thinks it's for the mermaid, but it's actually for my grandpa. So, I think your family won this round.
THANK YOU for sharing this. So beautiful.
ReplyDelete