Richard Russo | On the Book that helped shape his life
Reflections from Russo on his birthday today!
Pulitzer Prize Winner and eminent American novelist Richard Russo, when he was asked [by a renowned Magazine] to name a book that helped shape his life -
‘Let me show you’, says he, and then rising up from his couch, he speeds up quick to his bookshelves, and returns delightfully ‘cradling’ in his hands, “A Child’s Garden of Verses” by Robert Louis Stevenson.
This is the first book that he seems to have read, as a little boy!
I was quite intrigued and wonder-amazed at the writer’s impulsive joys when he was asked about a book that had helped shaped his life.
A book that helped shape his life!
Indeed, books possess this intense magical charm on them – ain’t they? - a charm that opens up effortlessly to the ardent and enthusiastic reader, and casts a ‘spell’ on them in such phenomenal ways and sways.
Hence me thought of taking us all into the ‘Garden’ of Children’s Verses, that’s had the legendary Richard Russo charmed for all of his life!
Well, this illustrated book has such beautiful poems, short, cute and sweet, - each poem contained within a single page, with some beautiful illustrations accompanying each of them – to the top of the page.
The very first poem, titled, ‘A Reader’ is such an alluring read in itself – with an equally befitting illustration to match its aura.
Here goes the poem –
To Any Reader
BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
As from the house your mother sees
You playing round the
garden trees,
So you may see, if you
will look
Through the windows of
this book,
Another child, far, far
away,
And in another garden,
play.
But do not think you can
at all,
By knocking on the
window, call
That child to hear you.
He intent
Is all on his
play-business bent.
He does not hear; he
will not look,
Nor yet be lured out of
this book.
For, long ago, the truth
to say,
He has grown up and gone
away,
And it is but a child of
air
That lingers in the
garden there.
The power and the charm of books to the child, so beautifully carved out in verse, and in such a sweet and sonorous style!
screenshot from the book
Today, the charm of books has been lost on the child, due to multifarious reasons that we all know, and the pavapetta child is in no way to be blamed here!
The child simply ‘adopts, adapts and adepts’ to the technological lure, that’s right in front of them!
Bringing back the book to the child is then the need of the hour!
Yesterday, while offering my felicitations at the inauguration of the fortnightly symposium of In Tandem, [The Research Club of the Research Dept of English, Queen Mary’s College, Chennai], I had emphasised much on this point as well.
It’s not about getting a degree. It’s not about getting an education.
It’s about acquiring a qualitative and superior education that would help steer the progress of our society, enhance the standard of living of our people, transform their thoughts and ideas and steer them on the way to becoming liberated individuals.
And for this higher order thinking to be effective, books play a major role... ...
I had remarked, at the lovely gathering of dignitaries, faculty members, research scholars and PG students of English gathered together on the occasion.
Well, yes! Bringing the book back to the reader is a challenge!
A real challenge indeed!
In the past few years, many literature departments have pioneered the introduction of graphic novels to their students – both at the UG & PG levels.
A welcome move!
A very proactive move in the right direction indeed!
Graphic novels are sure bound to enhance the attention quotient of today’s kids to a great extent, thus involving them greatly in the process of enjoying their literary delights.
Through this post, I would like to put forth an earnest suggestion – a case for introducing comics in our UG & PG literature syllabi - comics like - Tintin, Asterix, Tinkle etc that have their own unique literariness and literary sensibilities to them.
Just imagine how nice and how engaging, how good and how pleasant it would be for both teacher and student - to read through a Tintin or an Asterix or a Tinkle in class!
Yes! Let’s strive to make our literature classes more artsy this way as well!
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a 1980s personal copy of Tintin from my little collection...
In addition, schools, colleges and universities should make a provision to include illustrated editions of verses for their students to make the reading experience more joyous and engaging for today’s kids.
I would also like to gently reiterate the fact that, there’s nothing to make the elite in academia to shoo away, and shy away from such an engaging and rewarding enterprise, if – and if at all we want our zoomers [Gen Z] to have a very wholesome experience of reading in their literature classes.
In an age and clime when blended learning and asynchronous classes have become the buzz word, the concept of blended learning could be tweaked a little further [especially in the Cambridge and Oxford versions] 😉 to include - the blending of words with pictures for that inclusive feel and effect on the reader!
To conclude, I would like to reword and rephrase the famed Darwinian dictum on change -
It is not the most intellectual or the strongest that survives; it’s those that are able to best adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which they find themselves.
Augurs well for the future of literature departments all across the world! Ain’t it?
PS: For an added literary delight on the majestic aura and the glowing halo around lovely books, do tune in to our past post HERE!
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