The unique and interesting thing about languages is that it consists of meaningful words that can be interpreted in almost any way. Thus as a distinctive individual, my brain was incapable of categorizing the meeting with Jonathan Safran Foer as a “theater day performance”. Unfortunately, the only image that words like theater and performance managed to paint in my head was that of instruments, dance, songs, plays and all other sorts of film-like experiences. I stood corrected however, as the Free Online Dictionary reminded me that a performer is indeed one who “portray[s] a role or demonstrate[s] a skill before an audience”. I had interpreted theater and performance differently all along, and grew up going to the theater to watch movies and going to events to watch musical performances. Little did I know, a meeting with an intellectual author and a conversation about his book too was a theatrical performance. Having re-set the buttons of my brain’s dictionary, I figured Jonathan Safran Foer was one talented performer. His very skill to construct a powerful story like that of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was itself a masterpiece, let alone the awakening conversation that took place on theater day.
To answer the question at its simplest, I enjoyed the performance very much. I didn’t find myself bored and drowsy amidst endless talks concerning solely Safran’s novel. A genuine conversation took place that not only gave advice but helped awaken me as well. Jonathan Safran Foer wasn’t from some third-world country who fell in love with New York City because his own country lacked resources that he deeply appreciated here. He was simply from another state who still found himself fascinated by the arts that the city that to offer. Foer’s answers to much of the questions did not fail to mention the astounding arts and cultures that thrive in New York City. Not that I was unaware of the opportunities that New York has to offer, but I definitely came to better realize that New York is indeed exceptional. I can stand in New York alone and taste the world around me. I can involve myself in multicultural experiences that a cowboy in Texas might never experience. I should love the subways because they get me everywhere I want to go even when I don’t have a car. I should absorb more out of the city life and breathe in the valuable atmosphere, for a life lost in the cyber world completely, isn’t a life worth living. It is only shameful to see that an outsider has come to knock on my brains to awaken it and make it appreciate the city that has raised me. Not only did Jonathan Safran Foer hold unique and sometimes odd viewpoints, Foer had the ability to express them publicly. Being ridiculed by the crowd wasn’t a fear he guarded himself by. I must stress however, that it was not necessarily the opinions themselves that came to impress me, but the very bold ability to express; a skill that we all should soon wrap ourselves around. Foer advised students to explore and take classes out of their comfort zone too. He stood as an example of his own advice as he shifted from a Pre-Med path to that of writing. Thus, Jonathan Safran Foer was a brilliant performer. Not only did he demonstrate his skills to the audience, he enabled the audience to apply those skills as well.
The human brain is the most potent possession, and when such a valuable item makes an effort to work, the result is indeed mesmerizing. When human creativity and imagination merge together, art is born. Art is simply your brain splattered all over. For every different brain, the splatter comes in different colors and ideas, thus making it unique to every individual. If I scribble in bright colors all over a paper, that’s my art. To me it represents jubilance and joy. If you put together words and write a song or a novel, that’s your art – it’s your brain’s creativity splattered all over. It represents a story, an emotion, a message, and perhaps anything you want it to represent. Art can be found in every style or form. This applies to the everyday activities as well. One can walk artistically like a model cat walks down the aisle. One can talk artistically like a clever detective who can force out every secret of yours unconsciously. At its very simplest, art is your brain expressing itself. According to Jonathan Safran Foer, art is anything that an artist intends to be art. That’s because the artist can see the picture, feel the emotion, and understand the message behind his work. Hence, the performance on theater day was art. The author was performing as he read his novel, and this performance was the very art that he was crafting as he stood. His words enabled the audience to visualize an image of the story. His interview represented his art, as he spoke in his own unique artistic way and expressed himself. The interview was indeed a form of art; it conveyed a message, a picture, and a feeling to the audience.
