Dearest BookLoves,

I love change.

Have you heard me say that? I have, often. And I do mean it.

Then I get into the act and process and challenges that real change involves, and, well...love is a strong word. :)

There is much shifting underfoot here at Intralingo and in the Carter-Lee household. It is all positive while also being an adjustment.

Writing and reading —two of my true loves— have been given less space than usual, less than I would like.

Yet sometimes it's that gap, created by the shift, that allows a new perspective to sprout.

green fern between gray rocks — Photo by Nick Grappone on Unsplash

One wondrous change is that I now write a little less (quantity) but more regularly.

I've taken to drafting things on my phone, since sitting down at my desk for a concerted, uninterrupted spell is harder. I instead take snippets of time on the back deck as Tiber (the cat) frolics after grasshoppers and butterflies. Or with my coffee in the still silence of morning. Or in bed, just before I set my phone on its charger.

I drafted this post on my phone. I've journaled about my dreams. Written scenes for my novel. Blathered for a bit just to get words out of my head.

So even though time feels more crunched in some ways, that has allowed me to expand in other ways.

My reading habits have altered too. I haven't been able to dedicate long stretches to it either. And because my focus is divided, I decided to indulge in a couple of mainstream, non-world-lit titles.

I thought they might be easier on my rather busy brain. I thought they might be a treat.

That led to quite a realization.

Let me repeat my initial thought, for emphasis:

I chose a couple of books that I thought would be easier...

Uhm.

Isn't "hard" the exact label publishers use to describe translated fiction? In other words, it's the excuse they use to publish LESS translated fiction, and often diverse and own voices fiction too.

And isn't that one of the very premises I try to counteract right here? I mean, there's nothing intrinsically hard about a book just because it comes from or portrays another language, culture, identity, outlook.

And yet, on some level —I like to think a deep, unconscious level— I had bought into the stereotype too.

(It hurts to acknowledge that out loud, but you deserve the absolute truth from me, dear BookLoves. I'm as fallible as anyone else, after all.)

Now, let me repeat the second part of my statement:

I thought mainstream titles might be a bit of a treat.

Fair enough. I do love a good treat.

But you know how you sometimes crave fast food? Then you eat it? And feel a little (or a lot) bloated?

You know very well that your belly much prefers, say, an Italian deli sandwich or a couple of tacos on real masa tortillas.

That's how I felt with these two books. I didn't love either of them. I didn’t exactly regret reading them but my tongue and tummy weren’t satisfied.

Certainly both authors are talented. Both storylines developed nicely. The characters in both were fine and transformed over the arc of the novel. One sold well, I imagine, and the other sold millions (upon millions).

Why exactly? Well, with one I felt too many themes were packed in and so none received their full due. The other actually made me uncomfortable because it felt like cultural appropriation.

That is a topic that definitely deserves deeper exploration here, as does my active decision to not name these titles precisely because because my intention is not to critique books here. Stay tuned; I will offer more on these topics at some point.

Today's musing, though, is ultimately about the discoveries that may only be possible when we do welcome change into our lives.

It has challenged me lately, but I can honestly say, from the heart:

I do love change.

What's your relationship with change — in reading, writing, and life? Any shifts in your patterns lately? What was the experience like for you? Any discoveries? I'd truly love to know.

Leave a comment

Yours,

~Lisa

Lisa Carter is Founder and Creative Director of Intralingo, helping authors and translators write and readers explore stories. Lisa brings two decades of professional literary experience, including nine books and multiple other pieces published in translation, and nearly as many years of contemplative and compassion practices to her work. Her inclusive, engaged, caring presence inspires people to share their stories, create new ones and feel truly heard.

BookLove Letter

Change, in reading and writing and life