Oregon150

By: Ellen Waterston, The Nature of Words

I’m all about the written word.

Why all this fuss about the written word? I am persuaded that the ability to clearly articulate one’s place in the world through writing goes a long way toward ensuring a more informed and “present” present as well as enlightened future. I’m convinced that the ability to step back and put oneself in context and consider others’ perspectives produces individuals with more compassion and understanding of themselves and the world they live in. Sitting down at a desk with the intention of writing about something is not the same as talking, e-mailing, Twittering, Facebooking, MySpacing. The act of creative writing starts with an honest Q&A with self with no real or imagined audience. When done well oddly it guarantees a universal audience, engages others, inspires their own honest expression.

In addition, putting this rich English language to work in imaginative and provocative ways keeps the language alive as much as the act of writing enlivens the writer. English, historically a rich blend of Germanic, Latin and French, and now more recent contributions from all over the world and from new technology, has more words than any other language. This is a big and colorful box of paints.

There are a growing number of nationally acclaimed writers from Oregon, many of whom are showcased at annual literary events throughout the state. These authors and poets are making waves on the national level by not only retooling their Oregon experiences into stories but also by using the language in a distinctly Oregon way. Regional writing at its best. The Oregon Stories Project, as part of Oregon 150’s celebration, is a grassroots example of the richness of regional language and experience shared through writing and underscores the truth (and urgency) of the old adage: “We can’t know where we’re going unless we know where we’ve been.”

My dream for Oregon’s future is that schools and colleges continue to make skilled written communication a priority, that all Oregon’s young children are taught to read and to make reading a lifelong habit, and that the fruits of these educational efforts are manifested in the high level of informed discussion between all Oregonians and an every-growing number of outstanding authors and poets from Oregon who help keep us honest.

Relative to this dream and to writing in general, I have some questions I’d love your help with:

Is written expression, creative and literary, under assault or being enriched by all the different ways of communicating that currently exist?

With the advent of electronic, “virtual” books, will only the rich be able to afford the real thing? Does it matter?

Is the best way to encourage reading through writing or vice versa?
Is the English language being strengthened or weakened due to texting, e-mails and Twitter or is it being reduced to its lowest common denominator? Can a language only grow richer as it adapts to new uses or can it be reduced in variety and texture?

Can you picture?

About: Ellen is a writer and the founder and director of The Nature of Words, a literary non-profit in Bend, Oregon.
Check out the website: http://www.thenatureofwords.org/