Had a really great discussion today in one of my classes about whether studying/reading/writing poetry “feminizes” people, and whether that’s a bad thing, and whether children should/do appreciate poetry. One guy suggested that no one in their right mind enjoys poetry, regardless of gender or age. He got pretty firmly put back in his place pretty quickly. :-) It’s interesting to think about, though. Do we as a society teach children that it’s boring to read literature, and especially teach boys that they shouldn’t read poetry? I think we do. My mother *always* read to me before I went to bed, and it is still a ritual with me (even though my mom doesn’t read to me much anymore :-) to read, strictly for pleasure, at least a few pages every night. But I know so many people who think reading is a waste of time. I know someone who asks me everytime I buy a book why I don’t just get a library card and spend the money on something else. He doesn’t understand the joy of having books that are old friends, that you can return to again and again and opening the first page is almost like getting a warm hug from someone you care about. Books are central to my life, to my concept of the world, and I can’t imagine a day when I didn’t read *something* that took me out of my existence, even for a moment, and gave me a glimpse of something else. I think that’s why I feel so strongly about theatre, too. Isn’t theatre, in a way, just a book brought to life? It’s a glimpse into something else, a different way of living, of feeling, of being.
Anyway, that’s enough rambling, I guess, for my first entry. Hopefully I didn’t scare you off, and I’ll write again when I think of something intelligent to say. Or at least, when I think of something to say. :-)
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