[MD] Art and Stories

[MarshaV]

Hi Steve,

It took me a while to move with this telling.

    "Words are cold, muddy toads trying to understand sprites dancing in a field.  
    "But they're all we have."

Wonderful book!


Marsha






> 
> On Jun 1, 2010, at 7:49 AM, Steven Peterson wrote:
> 
>> Hi All,
> 
> 
>> Just finished Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel, the latest from the
>> author of Life of Pi--one of my all-time favorites:
>> 
>> "Fiction and nonfiction are not so easily divided. Fiction may not be  
>> real, but it’s true; it goes beyond the garland of facts to get to
>> emotional and psychological truths. As for nonfiction, for history, it
>> may be real, but its truth is slippery, hard to access, with no fixe
>> meaning bolted to it. If history doesn’t become story, it dies to
>> everyone except the historian. Art is the suitcase of history,
>> carrying the essentials. Art is the life buoy of history. Art is seed,
>> art is memory, art is vaccine."
>> 
>> “In addition to the knowledge of history...we need the understanding
>> of art. Stories identify, unify, give meaning to. Just as music is
>> noise that makes sense, a painting is colour that makes sense, so a
>> story is life that makes sense."
>> 
>> Have you read this? I'm not sure what to say about that last bit right
>> now other than that it grabbed me. I'd be interested in hearing your
>> thougts while I wait for the dust to settle.
>> 
>> Best,
>> Steve

> 
> On June 1, 2010, at 11:35 PM, Marsha Valkyr wrote: 
> 
> Hi Steve,
> 
> I'll give the book a try.  Thanks for the suggestion.   
> 
> 
> Marsha