The main point that Oates makes is simply “write your heart out.” She argues that you should never be ashamed of what you do and your passion for it. She advises, “Read widely, and without apology. Read what you want to read, not what someone tells you you should read.” In essence, she is advocating the notion that you should follow your own way, to follow your own direction.
Furthermore, both Baxter and Oates question the problem with leaving behind an example or giving advice.
In “Full of It” Baxter states,“ The curse that The Great leave behind is the curse of their absolutely unfollowable example. Their lives and their work cannot be replicated and they create a bizarre perspective when they seek to offer advice.”
On that note, Oates asks, “What advice can an older writer presume to offer to a younger?”
Both of these writers have influenced me into thinking that I should write whatever it is that I wish to write about. I should read whatever I wish to read about. Though I can’t help but feel that this piece of advice is all too obvious. At the same time, I also feel like I am being cheated out of being given advice at all. Since they both say that I should follow my own direction, I am left without any sense of direction. What if I don’t know what I want to do? What then?
Yes, it is quite confusing. I completely agree. We have these two writers telling us to go our own way...but wait,if we listen to their advice, isn't that not following our own way, but rather, following theirs? At what point does an influence become a force? I enjoyed the simplicity in your description of Baxter's and Oate's words. I followed your thoughts, and was then confronted with same provoking question that you had. Well done!
ReplyDelete