Books are magical objects. Since ancient times, books contained the identity of nations, the knowledge of centuries, the words of God, the histories of kings. Powerful people had books.
Books: preciously rare vessels of power. Vehicles of ideas and ideals. Changers of cultures and continents. Dangerous and revolutionary oracles.
It still bothers me on some level to imagine the various fires and wars that destroyed the Royal Library of Alexandria, the mass book burnings by the Nazis, the destruction of all Buddhist writings during the Muslim invasion of the Maldives in 1153, the burning of America’s fledgling Library of Congress by the British in the War of 1812. Ignorance is truly destructive.
Words contain magic. The ability to read and write was not only the ticket to a good living as a scribe or priest, but gave power, esteem and respect to the one who welded such arcane power. I heard an intriguing theory that the Merlin of King Arthur’s court wasn’t a magician—he simply knew how to read and write and understood the principles needed to construct the engines of war necessary for Arthur to bring the warring peoples under his authority.
My husband shared an article with me last week about a lawyer in Boston who passed a homeless veteran on a bench every Tuesday. They began conversing and the lawyer (Peter Resnick) found out that the veteran (Rob) liked to read. So Resnick brought Rob a book.
Rob gave that book to another homeless fellow, who passed it along to another, then another until the book had made the rounds to most of the homeless people in the Boston Common Park.
The next thing you know Rob and Resnick have gathered numerous homeless people for a book club every Tuesday, where they discuss the latest book they read. Resnick offered to buy lunch for them each week, but Rob said they could get free hot food anywhere, anytime. They just wanted to talk, be heard and be treated like human beings.
Books making us better human beings. Check out the whole article here [http://www.cracked.com/article_21608_6-sworn-enemies-who-teamed-up-kicked-ass_p2.html]
Fiction River: How to Save the World contains a powerfully humble story by Annie Reed. The sheer power of its premise could truly change the world.
In the story, “The Shape of a Name,” a young girl learns to write her name. And changes the world.
Women were some of the last to learn to read in our not-so-distant past. Currently, women in developing countries continue to be the last to learn to read. And, if you think that the issue of female illiteracy is not a big deal, consider Malala Yousufzai, the young lady who was shot in the head by the Taliban for promoting education for girls.
Imagine a world in which everyone could and did read. Imagine the bonds formed chatting about a good book, the links forged in classrooms, the partnerships formed reading and writing business reports or constitutions together.
Poverty isn’t the lack of money. Poverty is the lack of choice and options, leaving one stuck and helpless. Reading offers choices, options, knowledge. Knowledge is power. And power is the deathblow to poverty.
All because of The Shape of a Name.
Is there a book that has changed your life? Let me know what it is and if I can share it on this blog. Thanks for checking in this week.
Read deep and often!
Joy
