“Art and literature constitute a continual negotiation with reality, they represent an exchange between identity and culture and the material, physical, and endlessly complex world they arise from.” -- Karl Ove Knausgaard, Inadvertent
CULTIVATING IDEAS & THINKING
Our ideas and our thinking are fueled by our reading. As a little boy crawling up into my tree house under the leaves of our shade tree, I always dragged a stack of books along with me. Not to read in order, but to read with a hedonism fueled by a desire to learn.
I generally read one book for awhile, then before completing it, picked up another, then another, and I began to see the patterns forming between texts. These cross-ideas would get me thinking, and I would lay back on the leatherette pillow my Dad had made for me, and begin thinking, staring at the clouds as they formed overhead, instilling new ideas into my mind. Creating a new understanding of the realities that existed beyond the shade tree.
This process wasn’t learned, it was naturally developed. I’ve always read books in batches, and for a long time felt guilty, because others taught me that this wasn’t the way to read. The rule was to read a book from beginning to end. I could do this with a really great book that resonated with me, drawing me into it’s pages. But, this was seldom the case. For a while, I felt guilty that I didn’t read books “the right way.” Later, I realized that I processed information differently than some of those around me, so I became accepting that this was the way I read.
MULTIDIMENSIONAL READING
Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash
Eventually, I discovered that others also read this way. Somewhere, I came across a self-help book whose author encouraged his readers to read at least six books at a time, across disciplines. This was an encouragement, and I have never looked back. I developed a way of reading that I call multidimensional reading. There are stacks of books throughout my house. And generally, I carry a stack of books with me (or a list of e-books) when I travel. Some are intended to skim, some to read at an average pace, others to read deeply. These books cross disciplines, I have developed 7 Reading Categories to fill my stacks. There are index cards, notebooks and my favorite pens near each stack (my wife says I’m addicted to paper).
DISCOVERING CONNECTIONS
When I’m next to a stack of books, I pick up the one on top and read for as long as it holds my interest. I take notes, I think, then I may break. Before I break, the book goes to the bottom of the stack and when I return, I review my notes, grab the next book and begin reading. When I do, I find gems like the following:
“The question of why I write sounds simple, but simplicity is treacherous, for now I have been sitting here in front of my desk in southern Sweden for three days without making any headway. The first thing that came to mind was a television interview with an author that I saw many years ago; he walked into the studio saying, ‘I write because I am going to die.’” -- Karl Ove Knausgaard, Inadvertent
“‘You must write as if you’re already dead,’ [Moyra} Davey writes in ‘Index Cards,’ quoting David Rieff who is in turn quoting Nadine Gordimer.’” -- Chris Kraus, Where Art Belongs
This is why it is difficult for me to answer, when someone asks, “What are you reading right now?” They want to know what one book I am currently reading, and I have to think, “What one book in my stacks should I recommend for this person? Sometimes, I’ll simply answer with something like, “I am reading several books right now that have had me thinking about how I view the world, but the one I’d recommend today for you is a classic that I am reading again, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.”
READ TO THINK
Now, you don’t have to read like I do. Read in the way that best suits you. But, always read to think. Read across categories, take reading notes to incorporate key ideas into your thinking, read books for entertainment to refresh your mind, and read hard books to stretch your mind. Read shamelessly, without regret,read some books fast, some books slow, quit reading those books that don’t resonate with you at the moment, and avoid only reading books in only your favorite category or area of specialization.
MY 7 READING CATEGORIES
Biography: Autobiography, Biography, Current Events
Novel: Classic and Contemporary Novels
Historical: Nonfiction and Fiction
Leadership: Business, Leadership and Productivity
Shorts: Essays, Poetry, Short Stories
Specialized: Personal Interest, Professional or Educational Specialization
Spiritual: Psychological, Self-Help, Spiritual
FOR FURTHER READING
A List of My Current Reading Stack
Inadvertent by Karl Ove Knausgaard
ESV Scripture Journal: Genesis by Crossway Publishers
Where Art Belongs by Chris Kraus
The Decision Book by Mikael Krogerus & Roman Tschӓppeler
The Futurism of the Instant: Stop-Eject by Paul Virilio
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Rethink by Steven Poole
The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
The Gift by Hafiz, translations by Daniel Ladinsky
Beowulf translation by Seamus Heaney
Browsings by Michael Dirda
A Mind at Play by Jimmy Soni & Rob Goodman
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