Reading and Writing

"How does one get to be a writer? The first two requirements are these: to read insatiably, and to write incessantly" James Kilpatrick, THE WRITER'S ART.

"But if we ourselves would be read, one must first read what others have written." Roscoe Ellerd, a great teacher of journalism.




I enjoy reading; it has, during my last fifty years or so, been a major passion in my life. In the last twenty years, it has been the major passion in my life. I have read hundreds, no, thousands of books on all conceivable subjects except the physical sciences and mathematics. I read little fiction, since my reading objective is not solely entertainment but also to learn. Since 1992 when I initially retired from the active practice of law until now, I have read approximately four to five books a week; at least if you consider the average book to be between three and four hundred pages (Tolstoy’s War and Peace was much more than a day). I read less than that for a few years when I returned to the practice, but resumed when I re-retired.

I still get excited about the purchase of a new book. For the last ten to fifteen years, I have generally purchased books online via Amazon and normally ordered expedited delivery so that I did not have to wait long to receive the book. It seemed like Christmas to me when the books would arrive and I could not wait to get them open. Now, however since the advent of the Sony e-book, and Amazon’s Kindle, the waiting time is down to about one minute from the time I hear of a new book, until I have purchased it and started to read. Since buying my first e-reader about three years ago, I have purchased about five hundred e-books from either Sony or Amazon. The e-readers are the best things that have happened for the lovers of reading since Gutenberg copied and improved the Korean printing process.

I have found that a book is better company than most people, and much quieter. I can read whenever I like, read on a topic that is of interest to me, and need no one else to participate in the process. I read at all hours including the middle of the night when I find I now, without explanation, awaken without the ability to return to sleep. If I do not go back to sleep it is immaterial, in fact I sometimes prefer it. It is not that I have to arise early in the morning to get to court---thankfully (or not) those days are in the past. With the e-book you can have all your current books on the bed without inconvenience or clutter (it is the size of a thin paperback), and the e-book keeps accurate track of your place in each book you are reading, thereby simplifying going from one book to another.

Writing is a completely different process for me. I am not a natural writer, or one that feels a need to write. I enjoy the mechanics of handwriting, and still use a fountain pen. In fact, I have a mini-collection of Montblanc fountain pens (about 30 or so) that I use for letter writing, note taking when reading or outlining for an anticipated article or essay I will attempt to write. I actually use cursive, and do not print, and don’t understand why so many adults print instead of write. After about the fourth grade, you had teachers quite critical of you, and you received a lower grade, if you printed---but now the teachers do not know how to write----they print. Reminds me of something I read in James Kilpatrick’s, The Writers Art, when he said, “…we now have a bunch of illiterates, trying to teach our children literacy.” Teachers always love to hear me say things like that, but when I discover that seventy-five percent of all public school teachers read less than two books per year---they have earned the criticism.

Substantively I write because I think I have something to say, but not sure that I’m the best person to be saying whatever it is---my only quasi-expertise is in the law, and so when I write on another subject I tend to spend more time than necessary doing research because of being unsure of my topic. Therefore, I tend to procrastinate: I get coffee, fill my fountain pen, make phone calls, and take a nap— all to avoid beginning a writing project.

During my high school years in a small town in western Colorado I did little (or more accurately---none) creative writing. In fact, I can’t remember a single writing project ever assigned---after all, I was a jock. What could be more important than that? In the English classes, we spent no time analyzing the style of good writers. We did not spend much time reading the books of the classic writers from the past, or of the good writers of the 20th century. After military service when I arrived at college and took English classes with students from good high school programs, and some from prep schools, I knew I was in serious trouble. My grades reflected that trouble. It was not until I got into law school that I started to gain some confidence as a writer, at least in preparing legal argument.

Now that I have my new computer, and the new “Word” program I will start to write again, but with the caveat that reading will always be more important to me than writing. So, if you notice “gaps” from time to time in my writing, be assured that I’m not watching TV, since I don’t have TV, and am pleasurably doing that most favorite thing--READING!