Ray Bradbury is a living legend of literature, particularly science fiction and fantasy. I have long been a fan and got to hear him speak several years when he gave a lecture in Denver. If you ever need a pick-me-up for your imagination, select a passage from any of his many books.
Bradbury communicates gleefulness and a deep fascination with life. He reminds me, in tone, of G.K. Chesterton.
I’ve greatly enjoyed and benefited from his musings on creativity. One of my favorite nuggets from Bradbury is this:
“By living well, by observing as you live, by reading well and observing as you read, you have fed Your Most Original Self.”
Goethe complained of a world with so many echoes and so few voices. Bradbury provides a simple plan for being a voice and not an echo.
Have to agree… Dandelion Wine is a wonderful book and I still have to read Martian Chronicles.
Thanks for keeping such a nice blog!
Mark,
Each time my Italian grandmother put a plate of pasta in front of me, she’d say “Mangia, mangia. Che te fa grande.” (“Eat, eat. That you may grow strong.”) It’s a wonder I’m not heavier than I am. I realize now, looking back, that she just didn’t feed my stomach; she fed my soul.
Bradbury’s quote reminds me of the need to feed our souls (our most original selves) and to feed other people’s souls. Thanks for the thought.
Chris