The final day of the Macaulay Honors College orientation was least memorable in my point of view. Before getting on the train that day I was excited to meet the author of a novel that contained a likeable character that reminded me of Catcher in the Rye’s Holden Caulfield. I felt very proud to be a Macaulay student after the first two days of orientation and did not know what to expect for its finale.
After an enjoyable talk with Dean Ann Kirschner and spending some time with my future classmates it was finally time to meet Mr. Foer. From his picture on the back cover I expected a New York hipster and when I saw him he looked liked an artist with a sense of style in the way he stood. He began to read from his novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and I found it to be the most enjoyable part of the evening. The way he read his novel is different from the way I read it or different from the way anyone else would read it. He read it the way he wanted it to be read. That gave me a different experience and I experienced his art. That was the only part of the night that felt like an art performance. His appearance at the event was exciting but ultimately he expressed himself best when reading from his work.
When Associate Dean Tim Caron began to interview Jonathan Safran Foer the mystery of the author faded away. He seemed like a normal New Yorker that has a passion for writing about his city. That is his art and that was why we gave him importance. Tim Caron asked him questions about his life and his views on living in New York City and all of the culture that the city was famous for. Foer had his own opinions and would answer the questions in the way that was most comfortable for him. It added to characterizing the author in general but not necessarily his literature. The question and answer session did not add to the artistic goal of the evening especially in the way the questions were being answered. Art is an exploration and an expression of feelings through something tangible. Mr. Foer even said himself that he does not just think of these inspirations out of thin air. He takes his time to sit down and really thinks hard about creating his novel. He says that he only feels like he’s thinking when reading or writing. I took that to mean that he experienced life daily and that his thoughts came out when he was writing and that it’s hard work.
The evening with Jonathan Safran Foer was unique in that I never experienced it before. It ultimately was not as much of an artistic performance by itself as reading the novel gave a more full experience. Although I don’t think it to be so memorable it did give the other students and me an opportunity to experience art through a novel and a follow up by meeting the author as well.
