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Real Name: Samuel Heath Member Since: February 03, 2007 Last Signed In: October 11, 2008 Profile Views: 4739 Blog Views: 53984 The Weedpatch Gazette The Weedpatch Gazette The Weedpatch Gazette The Weedpatch Gazette The Weedpatch Gazette The Weedpatch Gazette The Weedpatch Gazette The Weedpatch Gazette The Weedpatch Gazette The Weedpatch Gazette February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 
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Books and Writing
As though the usual world class air pollution was not bad enough in Kern County smoke from the many fires is hanging heavy in the air here in the Kern River Valley making it hazardous for young and old alike. Fortunately feeding myself and the resident cat is the extent of the essential exertion I face and I’m reminded it took a leisure class to produce the great works of literature. But whether such leisure is had by poverty or wealth a good education and a mastery of language, the skills and discipline of writing remains essential. It used to be that a library of finely bound books of great literature was the hallmark of a civilized society, and for those of us born to read before the advent of TV books were our path to imagination and adventure lifting us out of the ordinary affairs of day to day living, and in some cases delivering souls from desperate poverty. Benjamin Franklin was a man of great genius, and in his genius recognized the need of a public library in order to make books available to those who could not afford them. Alas, the libraries of America have fallen on hard times due to electronics and illiteracy and this generation does not cherish books the way past generations of Americans did. People interested in writing today should read the interview of Harper Lee by Roy Newquist. Her remarks are a scathing indictment on the lack of writing skills and the teaching of these in the universities over forty years ago, and the situation has only worsened since. When I wrote my critique of To Kill A Mockingbird I had the benefit of knowing the era and the kind of people Ms. Lee wrote about. And while derided by many, I have a beautiful cameo embossed and gilded rare copy of Thomas Nelson Page’s IN OLE VIRGINIA, and most of the great southern writers knew his work well though as the years passed many would become increasingly circumspect about even mentioning the name of Page let alone familiarity with his writings. When I began teaching in the 60s I became quickly aware of the coming slide into illiteracy due to the very things Rousas Rushdoony pointed out in Intellectual Schizophrenia and Harper Lee mentioned in her interview, things she undoubtedly knew were not going to be corrected, things that despite the Blue Book A Nation at Risk would become increasingly worse in the universities and their product schools of America. It was while teaching a graduate class of prospective teachers, all university graduates with their B.A.s in hand none of whom could write a paper worthy of a college freshman I knew there was little hope of improvement. Here is a continuing source of consternation when it comes to literature. To my utter amazement when the first edition of the Great Books of the Western World came out not one single woman was included! And despite the sop to women in the second edition, one must read Mortimer Adler’s justification for the exclusion of women to fully appreciate what the thinking of Adler and the committee was that led to the exclusion of women entirely from that first edition; quite remarkable, really. And all you ladies, you owe it to yourselves to familiarize yourselves with this. Gerry Trudeau had quite a bit of fun satirizing the common thinking of men during colonial times in America that the minds of women were too weak for the classics of literature. But here is Henry Thoreau’s comment: “Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations… By such a pile we may hope to scale heaven at last.” And given the admiration Margaret Fuller was accorded by transcendentalist luminaries of her time it is doubtful any thought a woman too weak minded for the classics of literature. While Mortimer Adler didn’t come right out and say such a thing, he may as well have. You see, I was raised with the books by Stratton-Porter and other gifted women writers. I was fortunate my reading was not confined to male authors, but included women as well. However, as Harper Lee pointed out writing was falling to an abysmal level in America and though hers became known as The Novel of the Century it must be admitted there are women whose writings are as dreadful as those of some men. Good writing, great writing has everything to do with the advancement of a civilized culture and a civilized society. TV supplanting literature has not contributed to a civilized America but quite the contrary. And it did not take the kind of vulgarity that began to creep into American writing that made the greatest of literary works what they were and continue to be as “the treasured wealth of the world.” Literature as the symbol of a nation must be the very best. And while America has such a great heritage of literature this has been squandered to the vulgar tastes of an increasingly barbaric nation that has left off the good manners and civilized speech that used to qualify the best of literature that is now mocked in the universities of America and our schools. For my part, I want the realism of Stratton-Porter’s Limberlost, Ingalls’ and Cather’s Prairie as opposed to the kind of violent, vulgar, profane and perverted realism in which America and the world is drowning. There is no denying the benefits of books that have stirred social conscience and led to the redress of righteous grievances. But neither is there any denying the need of books that make their own unique contributions to a healthy mind, a mind in which imagination, hopes and dreams find a safe harbor apart from violence and barbarism and encourages civilized, proper speech and behavior. Somewhere there must be room left for idealism in the face of pragmatism, and the best books keep such ideals alive long past the lives of their authors.
13 comments from 4 users
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posted by
Joty
on Jun 26, 2008 at 05:42 PM
Sam, did you ever see the episode of Twilight Zone with Burgess Meredith as a mousy little bank teller who loved to read? After the "nuclear holocaust", he was the only one left alive as he'd been in the bank's vault - he made his way to the city library which had also survived - only to have his (coke bottle) glasses break. THAT is my vision of hell!!! posted by
samheath
on Jun 26, 2008 at 05:50 PM
I doubt there is an episode I missed Joty, and I certainly recall that one. Shudder! posted by
storilori
on Jun 26, 2008 at 06:09 PM
samheath, I glanced @ your blog, I'll come back & read it in it's entirety, but I had to comment on the T.Z. episode. It was a must for my Dad, hence I got to see it too. As a small child who loved to read, that episode was terrifying! A young mind like it was, thought the end was him finding the library...... It freaks me out recalling that all so suppressed feeling. Good call. posted by
storilori
on Jun 26, 2008 at 10:51 PM
samheath, it makes me so sad to know that people don't read any more, especially children & teens. I was an only child, & was raised on a very secluded ranch, books were such an experience for me. You know when something is presented to you in one way or the other, & it's so special, that you think, wow, why me? I was about 10yrs. old & on a plane by myself & someone had left Chronicles of Narnia under my seat. Wow, I thought I had gone to Heaven. I felt so special to have found that special treasure. I felt so bad for the person that had forgotten it. Now a days the parents would just run out & replace it. I guess I felt like that was the only one or something. Parents I suppose have forgotten how wonderful reading is, so they don't instill it's hidden treasures. About a year after that, I found The Screwtape Letters. You can imagine my disappointment, I had no idea of the theological core. I love books,especially old ones. The problem is I just don't make enough time to read anymore. Sad.
posted by
samheath
on Jun 27, 2008 at 05:25 AM
How very true storilori, and how very sad. I've spent a lot of years alone both as a child and adult and books were my steady companions. C. S. Lewis made some remarkable contributions to literature, but Screwtape Letters was his attempt to put some deeply held convictions in focus. Thanks so much for your comments and I'll look forward to more. posted by
Joty
on Jun 27, 2008 at 07:38 AM
I was raised without television. That, combined with my mother's love of reading turned me into a voracious reader (I still am). I would lock myself in the only bathroom for privacy while my brothers pounded on the door or yelled to my mother that I was reading in the bathroom again. How many times I heard the phrase, "she's got her nose stuck in a book." Or telling my mother I would turn off the light and go to sleep "just as soon as I finish this chapter." Over the years, my personal library got so big I finally had to downsize. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done - I am possessive about my books, and choosing which ones to let go was almost impossible. My husband, not a reader, was even more proud of those books even though he was the one who had to schlep the boxes and boxes of them each time we moved. My oldest daughter is the only one out of six who likes to read, but not to the extent I do. Not too long ago, I was standing in a checkout line at KMart behind a father and three kids. I just stared in amazement - two of those kids were actually reading the books they were going to purchase while waiting. I commented to the father how wonderful that was to see - and it was.
posted by
samheath
on Jun 27, 2008 at 07:44 AM
The stories I could tell Joty. I have a friend whose wife threatened him if he didn't get rid of the books in their garage so she could park her car in it. Still wonderful to see kids reading books though. posted by
swilli
on Jun 27, 2008 at 11:52 AM
I was discussing this very topic with a friend, yesterday. She is 14 years younger than I am and grew up with television. She knows all about the early programs and can quote titles, names, and plots from decades ago. She is still that involved with television programming, watching shows she's not only seen several times but also has them recorded on tape or CD. She is not a reader. I was, and still am, an avid reader. My family had no television until I was in my teens. TV was then, and continues to be, a novelty which did not take the place of books or even radio (back when there was really great programming on radio). I always had a book propped up on the back of the kitchen sink while I did my washing dishes chore. I looked forward to Sunday when Red Ryder came on. I was a huge fan of The Shadow and Inner Sanctum. Kids today may have their electronic devices but they have missed out on truly great experiences by not being able to tune in to Stella Dallas or Ma Perkins. The humor of Jack Benny, Fred Allen, or Duffy's Tavern had the entire family roaring with laughter. I wonder how many bloggers will recognize these names? I won the local library's reading contest so often that I was barred from participating after a few years.I am still addicted to books. If I find myself with only 2 or 3 unread books in my home, I panic and make a rush trip to the nearest book or thrift store to buy more. However, I am choosy about what I read. Too many authors have made a name for themselves and then churn out rubbish. The books I do purchase are well cared for as one would a good friend. My bookshelves are full and give me great pleasure just to look at them. Hmmmm, sounds a bit neurotic. ;>) posted by
samheath
on Jun 27, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Hi Swilli, and what a lot of great memories in those names. I admire George Lucas for insisting on making the film Radioland Murders in tribute to the gloden age of radio. Nothing neurotic about the love of books. posted by
Joty
on Jun 27, 2008 at 04:27 PM
Sam and Lori - have you read Lewis's Till We Have Faces? His version of the Cupid and Psyche myth. It's wonderful. And did you know that even though he wrote The Magician's Nephew several years after writing the first 5 Chronicles of Narnia, he wanted it to be read first? swilli, how I understand that feeling of panic! Just today I went to Books 'n' Crannies simply to turn in some paperbacks for credit on my account, lol, and ended up buying 3 more! Then over to Postal Plus where I found the books I'd ordered from Amazon.com had arrived. So I'm set for at least three or four weeks... posted by
samheath
on Jun 27, 2008 at 04:33 PM
Way to go Joty! And yes, being somewhat of a Lewis scholar I'm very familiar with his work and his crochets, which themselves are fascinating. posted by
storilori
on Jun 28, 2008 at 10:41 PM
I love looking in the thrift stores, my man doesn't share my appreciation, so ,you know the story. I was down @ the thrift store in Mohave & I picked up a signed book by the author, around 1932. I loved the title, " I'll Cry Tomorrow." It seemed very appropriate. About 3/4's through it I realized, that the author was Jane Russel's Mom. Good book, & great find. When I found "The Chronicles " I was on the ranch, so I read " A horse & his boy " first. Oops. Joty, thanks for the 411 on my FAV. C.S. Lewis posted by
samheath
on Jun 29, 2008 at 03:53 AM
Way to go storilori; I used to haunt any place that had books. And found some real treasures that way.
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