"I started helping my mother here after school when I was six years old. I used to watch her, and it wasn't that she was selling books, it was that she was helping people become whoever they were going to be. When you read a book as a child, it becomes part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your life does." -Kathleen Kelly, "You've Got Mail" (1998)
For many years, one of my favourite movies was Nora Ephron's "You've Got Mail" (I suppose I am betraying my age here). Not just because I have a cheesy soft spot for romantic comedies, but because the character, Kathleen Kelly, who was played by Meg Ryan, was living out one of my dreams. She owned a quaint, adorable and magical little children's bookstore, "The Shop Around The Corner" in New York. But she was not just a business owner, she understood and so beautifully articulated the transformative power of reading in the quote above.
One of the reasons why I love studying and teaching literature so much is because it is such a rich subject. It is part history, geography, psychology, philosophy, sociology and more. What you read also expands your worldview, shapes your values and moulds your character.
As a child, I was a voracious reader. Books fascinated me and I loved my books more than my toys. I would read whatever I could get my hands on. Anything from Readers' Digest magazines to volumes of Encyclopedias that were lying around the house. Enid Blyton's books were firm favourite, especially the Malory Towers series. I spent many delightful hours laughing and cheering on for Roald Dahl's colourful characters in Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches and so on. Not to forget, literary giant, C.S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, which is an enduring classic. These wonderful stories captured my imagination and stirred my heart as a child.
When I entered secondary school, I was introduced to books like Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. (On the side, I must confess that I too indulged in guilty pleasures like Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High) However, it was the Bard, Shakespeare himself, that sealed my love affair with literature. Dr Caroline Chan, who is currently teaching English and NIE was my form and literature teacher then. Her passionate, energetic and humourous teaching made Shakespeare come alive during our study of Macbeth and Hamlet. We knew these plays by heart and were so amazed at how elegant, witty and beautiful Shakespeare made language to be.
I eventually went on to study literature at NUS for four fulfilling years where I thoroughly enjoyed studying the various periods and literary genres. It was during this time that I started to further my interest in Asian American literature. As I studied the works of Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, Russell Leong, Wakako Yamauchi and other Asian American writers, I found myself increasingly intrigued by themes such as the negotiation of the multiple, fragmentary nature of the diasporic identity, homesickness, hybridity and cultural healing.
This journey organically led me to my honours thesis on Representing Exile in selected writings of Jessica Hagedorn, a contemporary Filipino American artist who is conversant in several media. Perhaps one of the best ways to characterise her writings is the curious phrase, "airport music," which is the title of one of her multimedia theatre pieces. In this play, a line that is constantly repeated is: "the sad jazz of displacement." This poetically captures the essence of the exilic condition, which is one of transit and suspension.
After I graduated and started working, it became harder to keep up with my reading. Ironically, I got so tired of reading text when I was working in communications as a writer/editor/copywriter that I hardly read literary works during my spare time. On the rare occassions that I did read, I would pick up Christian literature, books by Neil Gaiman, Frank McCourt (I love Irish humour), and classics by Jane Austen ("Pride & Prejudice" never gets old). I also found respite during my travels to Australia where I spent hours wandering in stately libraries or charming second-hand bookshops that sold beautiful, old leather books for a steal. Some even came with gorgeous embossed book covers or handwritten messages to their previous owners. I just love knowing that my books have their own unique history and journey, and were lovingly given to their previous owners.
"We need in any case, to clean our windows; so that the things seen clearly may be freed from the drab blur of triteness or familiarity." - J.R.R Tolkien
To bring this long post to a close, I shall end with my favourite author, J.R.R Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings has been the most impactful book in my life so far. I would read it again every year if I could because it so powerfully and poetically affirms the value of myth in modernity. Many critics have dismissed myths of novels in the fantasy genre as escapist and even childish. However, I believe that modern myths like The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia allow readers to enter into a universe of myth and magic that allows for a liberation of the imagination, which has been stifled by the rigidity of modernity. Tolkien himself had argued for the "recovery" of a sense of wonder and re-enchantment which is so lacking in modernity.
Through the courage of unlikely heroes like Frodo, Samwise and Aragorn, who saved Middle-earth from destruction, Tolkien also reminds us that there is something worth defending and fighting for in our world. By positing the figure of the anti-hero, Tolkien reminds us that there lies in the ordinary man a great potential to take action, exact change and create their own possibilities. This is why I resonate so much with Tolkien's works. He helps people to re-gain a passion for living and re-affirms that action is meaningful and significant in the larger scheme of events. To me, this is one of the most valuable and empowering themes in literature.
For many years, one of my favourite movies was Nora Ephron's "You've Got Mail" (I suppose I am betraying my age here). Not just because I have a cheesy soft spot for romantic comedies, but because the character, Kathleen Kelly, who was played by Meg Ryan, was living out one of my dreams. She owned a quaint, adorable and magical little children's bookstore, "The Shop Around The Corner" in New York. But she was not just a business owner, she understood and so beautifully articulated the transformative power of reading in the quote above.
One of the reasons why I love studying and teaching literature so much is because it is such a rich subject. It is part history, geography, psychology, philosophy, sociology and more. What you read also expands your worldview, shapes your values and moulds your character.
As a child, I was a voracious reader. Books fascinated me and I loved my books more than my toys. I would read whatever I could get my hands on. Anything from Readers' Digest magazines to volumes of Encyclopedias that were lying around the house. Enid Blyton's books were firm favourite, especially the Malory Towers series. I spent many delightful hours laughing and cheering on for Roald Dahl's colourful characters in Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches and so on. Not to forget, literary giant, C.S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, which is an enduring classic. These wonderful stories captured my imagination and stirred my heart as a child.
When I entered secondary school, I was introduced to books like Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. (On the side, I must confess that I too indulged in guilty pleasures like Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High) However, it was the Bard, Shakespeare himself, that sealed my love affair with literature. Dr Caroline Chan, who is currently teaching English and NIE was my form and literature teacher then. Her passionate, energetic and humourous teaching made Shakespeare come alive during our study of Macbeth and Hamlet. We knew these plays by heart and were so amazed at how elegant, witty and beautiful Shakespeare made language to be.
I eventually went on to study literature at NUS for four fulfilling years where I thoroughly enjoyed studying the various periods and literary genres. It was during this time that I started to further my interest in Asian American literature. As I studied the works of Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, Russell Leong, Wakako Yamauchi and other Asian American writers, I found myself increasingly intrigued by themes such as the negotiation of the multiple, fragmentary nature of the diasporic identity, homesickness, hybridity and cultural healing.
This journey organically led me to my honours thesis on Representing Exile in selected writings of Jessica Hagedorn, a contemporary Filipino American artist who is conversant in several media. Perhaps one of the best ways to characterise her writings is the curious phrase, "airport music," which is the title of one of her multimedia theatre pieces. In this play, a line that is constantly repeated is: "the sad jazz of displacement." This poetically captures the essence of the exilic condition, which is one of transit and suspension.
After I graduated and started working, it became harder to keep up with my reading. Ironically, I got so tired of reading text when I was working in communications as a writer/editor/copywriter that I hardly read literary works during my spare time. On the rare occassions that I did read, I would pick up Christian literature, books by Neil Gaiman, Frank McCourt (I love Irish humour), and classics by Jane Austen ("Pride & Prejudice" never gets old). I also found respite during my travels to Australia where I spent hours wandering in stately libraries or charming second-hand bookshops that sold beautiful, old leather books for a steal. Some even came with gorgeous embossed book covers or handwritten messages to their previous owners. I just love knowing that my books have their own unique history and journey, and were lovingly given to their previous owners.
"We need in any case, to clean our windows; so that the things seen clearly may be freed from the drab blur of triteness or familiarity." - J.R.R Tolkien
To bring this long post to a close, I shall end with my favourite author, J.R.R Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings has been the most impactful book in my life so far. I would read it again every year if I could because it so powerfully and poetically affirms the value of myth in modernity. Many critics have dismissed myths of novels in the fantasy genre as escapist and even childish. However, I believe that modern myths like The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia allow readers to enter into a universe of myth and magic that allows for a liberation of the imagination, which has been stifled by the rigidity of modernity. Tolkien himself had argued for the "recovery" of a sense of wonder and re-enchantment which is so lacking in modernity.
Through the courage of unlikely heroes like Frodo, Samwise and Aragorn, who saved Middle-earth from destruction, Tolkien also reminds us that there is something worth defending and fighting for in our world. By positing the figure of the anti-hero, Tolkien reminds us that there lies in the ordinary man a great potential to take action, exact change and create their own possibilities. This is why I resonate so much with Tolkien's works. He helps people to re-gain a passion for living and re-affirms that action is meaningful and significant in the larger scheme of events. To me, this is one of the most valuable and empowering themes in literature.
Thanks for your sharing, Michelle. Im tempted to explore Jessica Hagedorn after reading your bio to fill in my own understanding of Southeast Asian lit. Never realised You've got mail is based on a book, got to read it now. One romance chick lit sort of book that I like is One day.
ReplyDeletewrt One Day, the movie could not compare with the book though. Some books don't translate as well to screen, and I think, for me at least, You've got mail might fall into that category.
DeleteAll that is gold does not glitter,
ReplyDeleteNot all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
Thanks for sharing your love for reading, Michelle.
I share you admiration for Tolkien, one of the key members of the Inklings. I agree with you that fantasy is not escapist. In fact, Tolkien would add that "The only people who inveigh against escape are the jailers".
May you steer your future young charges towards the love of literature.