Reading has been sort of a struggle for me in all my years of schooling. I used to say that I would only read a book if it was really interesting because I thought that if it held my interest then it was worth my time. Since then I’ve been going through high school and college where reading is mandatory, if you don’t read then you miss out on the knowledge that you are accountable for learning. I’ve had to teach myself to read with enthusiasm and to read with the intentions of finding a purpose for reading the text. What can I get out of this text that I can apply to my life and use in some other ways than just the reason that I am reading it in this moment? Every time I read a different text I ask myself this question and focus on what I’m trying to get out of the text. This is what the article was talking about also. McAloon talked about using the technique of lectio divina like we were taught in class to exam different text that he read; even the text that he didn’t really get anything out of. There was an author that he really didn’t have much likeness for but through this process of reading and meditating on the words of the author he came to respect the author’s words and even referenced them in his essay that we read tonight.
In the essay McAloon quoted Schneiders saying, “a literary work clears a space, creates a world, into which the reader is invited.” I agree so much with this statement and I love how it puts everything into perspective with how literary work impacts the world. It does create a world in which the reader is invited in, no matter what the genre is or anything. Little kids books invite them in to discover and stretch their imagination. History books take us back in time. Every book has its invite into another creative world and it’s what brought books to life for me. The more inviting books were and the more open I was to the books themselves, the more I began to read. It’s been a lot of growing into reading more and more but I love reading now and wish I had more time to read actually!
I really like that statement too: “a literary work clears a space, creates a world, into which the reader is invited.”
ReplyDeleteWhen you are reading you are drawn into a whole different place and time. You are perfectly situated in the story and drawn in through the words so that you can feel and imagine those moments in time.
I really loved learning about this technique-It was very useful in applying it to reading scripture. I definitely agree with that statement... Literary works take you away and create a separate world for the reader.
ReplyDelete