Fiction and Academics

Normally I don't have much time for pleasure reading because of the amount of reading I have to do for classes and papers. And when I do have time to read what I want to read, I generally do not turn to fiction. However, this summer has been different, and I would assert that the time I am taking to read fiction will benefit my academic work in the future for several reasons.

First, fiction (specifically novels) is a different type of writing than academic writing. I can read good fiction for hours a day and not become bored or tired while a dry academic book can put me out in less than 30 minutes. Spending time reading well written fiction helps writers recognize good writing style and hopefully improve their own academic writing. I have read some well written academic works, such as Stephen Neill's Interpertaion of the New Testament, 1861-1986. So, hopefully my break from the purely academic will improve my writing.

Second, fiction helps us enter into different worlds. Much of biblical studies is concerned with understanding and interpreting different worlds: those of the Old and New Testament. As we improve our skill in entering unfamiliar places, we will hopefully improve our ability to enter into and understand ancient worlds.

Third, fiction stimulates a different part of our being. It speaks to our imagination and creativity. It calls us to different ways of thinking, asking us to visualize in our minds the story that we find on the pages. In read fiction there is refreshment and a break from the tedious work or academics.

So, for these reasons I read with joy, realizing that the various genres of books I read develop and sharpen different parts of my mind and creativity. But take heed -- not all books are equal. Choose wisely.

The Book, El Libro, Das Buch, Le Livre

There always seems to be more to read than time available to read. In addition, the more I read the more I realize there is to be read. This can be quite distressing. So now, during a bit of a summer "break," I have entered into the worlds of fiction (Pride and Prejudice), the gospel of Matthew, synoptic studies, pneumatology, the Apocrypha, French, Nouwen, et al. It is a great challenge to know which to pick up and read because all draw my attention in different ways. I hope the philosophy of my college chemistry teacher, "divide and conquer," applies here and not the biblical concept of "a house divided cannot stand." If the latter applies, I am in trouble.

Lakefront Reading

I enjoy reading along the shores of Lake Michigan. It certainly beats my school library. One reason I enjoy the lakefront is that it is generally one of the cooler places in Chicago on a summer day. In fact, the temperature difference between the lakefront and other areas of the city can be quite significant, even 10 or more degrees.

There are also many interesting people to watch at the Lake. Families come to swim and grill, people walk their dogs and ride bicycles, and other people come to stroll or enjoy a restful afternoon. In fact the people can often be the greatest hindrance to thorough concentration, but these interruptions can often provide an opportunity to reflect on the reading material.

This summer I have been enjoying some of the writings of Henri Nouwen. Often the writings of Catholic authors are overlooked by Protestants, but I am thankful for several friends who have recommended his writings to me. This weekend I took Nouwen's Life of the Beloved to the shore and reflected on thougts about brokenness. Reading about brokenness while in the presence of people helped me to understand better the ways in which our lives are broken.

Language Game Hoops

Many PhD programs have foreign language requirements. Last summer I learned to read German. This summer I am studying French. In high school I studied Latin and Spanish. In college I continued my study of Spanish. In graduate school I learned biblical Greek and Hebrew. Now in my program my colleagues teach me bits of other languages such as Korean and Mandarin Chinese. So now as I study French I am discovering that there are not only false cognates with English but also with other languages I have studied. For example: the 3rd person plural form of ser in Spanish (son) is the same as the 3rd person masculine pronoun his in French (son). Thus the fun continues.

Although this language game can often seem quite absurd, it can be entertaining in some circumstances. On a recent red-eye flight I amused my mom by identifying the languages on the motion sickness bag on the airplane. Alas, normalcy and fun are relative terms.