In his essay “On Stories” C. S. Lewis recounts a conversation he had with a bright American student. Lewis told the man that what he liked about stories wasn’t primarily the plot and the characters. Of course you need the plot and the characters to further the story, but for himself, Lewis said, it was the portrayal of the world itself that excited and intrigued his imagination, and drew him into the tale. The student replied that he cared not “one brass farthing” for all that – he just wanted to know what happened in the end. Lewis goes on to talk about storytelling and imagination, and I find myself in complete agreement with him. Indeed, any story must have a world in which to set the characters and further the plot. But a great story is all about what stirs the imagination, and that is the critical key.
So this blog will be my “two cents” on reading, and learning, and education, and imagination – and how all those things tie into my vocation. As an "old fashioned" librarian, I want all my patrons to enjoy reading - how could it be otherwise? But I also know that my profession is a bizarre combination of the timelessness of print and the cutting edge of technology. So a post on Google Books or open source digital publishing is just as likely as a bit of literary musing on Winnie the Pooh or The Lord of the Rings.
C. S. Lewis, On Stories and Other Essays on Literature (New York: Mariner Books, 2002), 4-7.
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