The Politics of Art & Authenticity

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q5bGq42-XmE/T3M3rYJ26iI/AAAAAAAAAYs/9KQfo2enznk/s1600/Katherine%2BVaz.jpg

After seeing Katherine read in person and after reading her works I have concluded that her words were meant to be read not to be spoken. This remark is unfair as it is not only directed at her but of all works of literature. I feel that any book being read out loud cheapens the experience and somehow waters down the literature. Even if the person reading is the author. However, this book reading did allow me to appreciate new aspects of writing and reading that I had not previously appreciated, and it was great to gain an insight and perspective from her point of view.

The main difference in reading her works or being read to was obviously that it was Katherine reading the novel. I felt strange and out of place by having literature read to me in a voice that was not my own. I am an avid reader and have grown quite accustomed to the voice in my head. Especially the way it will mimic the tones of the characters and where it will place emphasis. However when Katherine read I felt trapped in her interpretation of the characters. I was stuck with her monotone raspy voice reading me literary works that were quite complicated to follow. She did not read with any vocal variety or emphasis and it sucked the soul out of her stories. I found this to be quite ironic because I thought her reading would add to the story.  Unfortunately her voice and lack of excitement caused me to start spacing out after the first fifteen minutes.

The weirdest part of this event was that when I read her works I truly loved her writing style. I found her stories to be intriguing and even quite humorous. I could not stop reading and I enjoyed all of her elaborate and complicated metaphors. I did not find them distracting or overdone but rather interesting and it really allowed me as a reader to put myself in her shoes. It enabled me to connect to the story and relate to the situation. I felt as though I had known her better after reading one of her works as opposed to when she actually read the works.

The connection between the author and the reader is one of the most important aspects of literature. If not the most important aspect of literature. For that reason I found it necessary to read her works on your own in order to fully understand her literature and the message she was trying to convey. Reading it for yourself, allows you to internalize the information and add your own interpretation and input into the story. This helps establish the reader/writer connection because you immediately insert yourself into the story. The problem occurs when she reads her works and it made me feel as though there was only one true and correct interpretation of the story. Once that happened I felt I could not relate to it and it created a chasm between me and the story. The only way I was able to bridge that gap was by reading her novels and experiencing her stories through her amazing use of language and metaphor. It’s funny how I could have such opposite experiences of the same person but I guess that is what art and literature is all about.