When I was around 8 or 9 years old, I came home from Barnes and Noble with A Little Princess in my arms. As I read, I found that I could connect with Sara Crewe more than I had with Amelia from Amelia Bedelia or any of the Littles from the book series. I felt that Sara and I, much like Sara and Emily in the book, had some kind of special connection and friendship. Since then I have carried Sara Crewe around with me from house to house and from home to school. She has become one of my very good friends.
Girl meets reality [Cinematic Literature]
In 2011, my mom and I went to go see The Help in the dollar theater near our home. My mom had read the book, as had I, and we were excited to see how it all played out on screen. As the story unfolded before our eyes, I could feel a greater connection not only to the characters in the film, but also to that particular time in our history. To see the people and events come to life before my eyes in a very real and almost visceral way impacted me in a similar way. After the film, I came to understand that the world is a much more complex place than I had previously supposed.
Happy birthday, Mom [Literary Letter]
Sometime in my late childhood/early teen years, I decided that instead of buying gifts for birthdays and Christmas and other occasions, I would write a poem tailored to the person I was writing for. These poems became love letters of a kind, especially when they were written to my family members. I wrote one of these poems for my Mom on her birthday, in it describing all of the wonderful things about her that I knew from experience or stories and imbuing all the love I had for her. This was the one gift that made her cry.
An unexpected poetic line [Religious Literary Experience]
During the year that we studied the Book of Mormon in seminary, I strove to faithfully do my scripture reading every day. Early on in that experience, I remember reading the eighth chapter of 1 Nephi, when Lehi is describing his exceptional vision of the tree of life. At the start of that episode, he describes a “large and spacious field” that stands near the iron rod leading to the tree of life “as if it had been a world.” In my 16-year-old mind, that last line was the “most poetic scriptures I have ever read.”
Lord of the---not---Rings? [Discussing Literature]
One of the main complaints about high school English classes is that students are compelled to read books that are too old, too thick, and too full of hidden meanings that completely destroy any hope of actually enjoying the book. When my sophomore class read Lord of the Flies, I hoped for something better. As it turns out, I discovered while reading this book that the thinly veiled imagery and allusions and metaphors actually did help me to better understand the novel, or at least make a connection to my own store of knowledge. As we talked about what we found in class, the discussions centered around the possible allegorical nature of the novel, and we all walked away more satisfied than we expected.
Girl meets reality part II [Literary Coping]
The transition from mission to home is a difficult one, and it was no less difficult for me. I relied on structure and consistency, and it seemed like my entire framework of living had been knocked to the ground. My friend gave me a copy of The Alchemist when I came home, and I devoured it in two days. It was the best gift anyone has given me. In its pages I discovered the truth that change is the one consistent part of living, and that even through changes, especially hard ones, we still can retain our personal purpose and fulfill that purpose by continuing to move forward.
I also write poems for my mom as gifts! They mean more to her than anything I could buy.
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