Jonathan Swift in his The Battle of the Books describes two kinds of writers–the spider and the bee. The bee sips from myriad flowers, and makes honey. The spider weaves webs out of his own entrails.
Well, there are spider bloggers, and bee bloggers. A spider blogger largely writes about herself, her family and her life. It’s an online journal. And if one writes winsomely, and photographs well, a spider blogger can develop quite an audience, for readers hunger for truth, to know how it really is with people they are interested in.
However, without the refreshment and learning of prayer and scripture study and especially reading, Christian blogging (or teaching, preaching or writing) can become spiderish, producing cobwebs, not honey. You say the same things but with decreasing passion. And without passion, conviction can begin to fade.
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Writing about myself and my life is not my predominant interest in blogging, though I do some of those posts when I am exploring or understanding something. I am more interested in writing about ideas and spiritual exploration.
It’s now my third year of blogging, and I have discovered that if I do not read, I can repeat myself, though perhaps with less passion than when the idea first struck
Reading, on the other hand, stretches me. When I encounter new ideas, or a fresh take on old ideas, my thinking changes and enlarges to accommodate them. It’s as if the DNA of my mind has stretched; its double helixes are broader—and in the process I too have changed.
I have noticed that some of the bloggers I most enjoy are continually reading, and so their blogs keep fresh as they interact with, react to, challenge or are challenged by new ideas. As they ingest fresh riches, they have fresh riches to offer their readers.
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“Humankind cannot bear very much reality,” T.S. Eliot said. Similarly, we can only grasp an infinitesimal fraction of the riches of God, just as one who as ascended Everest from southeast ridge from Nepal will not have a different experience and perceptions than one who has ascended from the north ridge in Tibet or any of the 15 other routes. Though it’s the same mountain. And if we read their accounts, we are better prepared for the staggering beauty and the dangers: hypoxia, altitude sickness or blizzards.
So, too our conceptions of God, of Jesus, of the spiritual life, of happiness and the good life—our very thinking—will be considerably stretched and enlarged by reading. And this richness will be reflected in our blogs.
Read my new memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India (US) or UK.
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My book of essays: Wandering Between Two Worlds (US) or UK
So glad you liked the quote, Aly and Molly.
Penelope, I too have had periods of years in which i haven't been able to finish books–mainly when under stress.
I am in a “reading recovery” programme this year, forcing myself to finish each book in one day less than the previous one. I started with a goal of a book in 30 days, and since it's a two year programme will be reading a book a week by the end of next year, God willing. I am so relieved and happy to be reading again!!
Thanks for the Hemingway quote. Many have been referencing him lately.
Maybe it's time to reread one of his books!
Thank you for sharing something of your blogging journey – and for reminding us to read. Reading has always been my greatest passion: until I crashed into PTSS nearly 2 years ago and was totally unable to read for about 18 months. I am slowly starting again – and it was children's literature which helped me begin. But I have not yet allowed my reading to inform and feed my blogging deeply enough and your reminder is very timely!
Great Hemingway quote! Blogging has definitely been a lesson in “imperfectionism” in writing for me, but at least I have to something to say!
Aly and Miss Mollie, here's a quotation for you and me. In going where you have to go, and doing what you have to do, and seeing what you have to see, you dull and blunt the instrument you write with. But I would rather have it bent and dulled and know I had to put it on the grindstone again and hammer it into shape and put a whetstone to it, and know that I had something to write about, than to have it bright and shining and nothing to say, or smooth and well oiled in the closet, but unused.
Hemingway, Ernest
I was a spider blogger for the first 18 months of blogging, then felt I was repeating myself, and began reading books again to grow intellectually and spiritually. And loved it!!
I like this analogy! Lately I think I've sadly been more of a spider because I haven't had much time to read, but I want to strive to be a bee. I love the idea of produces honey with our words!
Reading certainly brings new ideas. And I believe I read that living adventures also helps with the writing. I do worry about repeating a story or idea. Rereading posts helps keep it fresh as well.