One Small Post for You, One Giant Leap for Me

[thezachcooper]

Hello everyone!

After some time of floating among the posts like an anonymous phantom, I’ve decided to join. I’m nearly choking with anticipation: I can hear the hinges on many doors flinging open to new thoughts, perspectives and evaluations.

I am nineteen, and will be a college sophomore in the fall. I’m focusing presently as a double-major in English and “Writing and Rhetoric”. I don’t think I have to say it but: I want to become a great writer. Words have always been a feverish passion of mine, and all of my first intellectual love affairs have been with words. Even when I was very young my parents would set off lexical fireworks at home very frequently, and they still do.

To my utter delight, their most dazzling synonyms and verbs (I like verbs especially) weren’t the only ones out there in the far orbits of the English language. There were new words to know and to use in books and dictionaries, words for all sorts of things. Thus, my sojourn to grandiloquence began!

My father has some of Ayn Rand’s books on a bookshelf. I remember him mentioning Anthem to me when I was younger. However it would be some years and plenty of new words later until I’d actually touch one of her novels. It made such a change.

It would seem highly unlikely that any of her prose would’ve made it into any English class I could hope to take at my High School. When one of my teachers would sit in for an absent colleague, this individual would place “A=A” in the corner of the chalkboard and calmly slash through the equals sign. They also liked entertaining students’ questions about it.

Furthermore, considering of the titles my classmates and I were assigned since middle school into high school, any of Ayn Rand’s work couldn’t help but stick out. Not so much like a sore thumb, but like a skyscraper in a field of wheat yielding to the wind.

I did not have an easy time being a teenager. Books (and plays) like The Giver, The Secret Life of Bees, Death of a Salesmen, A Lesson Before Dying, The Color Purple, or All My Sons, did not help me. While the books are not to blame, they were spices of the phenomenal confusion, frustration, guilt, shame and sense of worthlessness which distorted and benighted my otherwise sparkling character.

It could not have gotten much worse; I mean it.

By the time I was a senior I was an intelligent slacker, slithering by on twinkles of great insight. I was given a copy of The Fountainhead to read for my AP English class, possibly only because the budget was tight and the copies were courtesy of the ARI.

I barely made it halfway through before I fell behind with the assigned reading pace and stopped reading it altogether. The words which did sink in lit a small candle in my mind. My classmates thought the book was somewhat ridiculous, and were uncomfortable reading it. They were very pleased when the class moved on to read Siddhartha, a much thinner volume indeed.

I took time to look into Rand. I’ve always been a little capitalist, and here was someone I could learn from.

Serendipitously, soaking up what I could something became clear to me. An effort could be made, and should be made if one seeks an end product. Also, that the quality of the end product was greatly contingent on the effort given. No middleman, no wispy gobbledygook about God, phases of the moon, or limits written in genes, could thwart this from being true. Whatever it was, I could do it, and do it well, I just needed to apply myself.

From this one spark, an entire inner chandelier burst into countless more illuminations. If I could do something of value, by that potential alone, I was not worthless. I am a living breathing human creature, A is A! That’s utterly fantastical, but true! And I am delighted by that truth, moved by it even. In due course, I also realized that I could only be worthless, shameful or disgusting if I had made that decision. The more I realized how much of my life was in my hands, and how capable those hands were, the more frustrations and low feelings peeled off of me.

I relearned confidence and self-esteem, and resurfaced from an abyss.

Needless to say: I owe quite a bit to Rand. And I might add, to other hidden thinkers as well.

A copy of Atlas Shrugged sits on my desk. I’m over halfway through and intend to read to the end. Afterwards, I plan on finishing that copy of The Fountainhead which my school was so quick to get rid of it and let me keep. In addition, did very well at my university these past two semesters and through no small effort. I look forward to doing even better. I am elated the things of this universe are knowable, and I intend to fill my head in heaping spoonfuls at a time.

I look forward to being among new and active minds!

Positively,

Cooper

P.S. I apologize for any gratuitous semicolons. I get carried away with independent clauses.

Edited August 26, 2009 by Cooper

[Brant Gaede]

Hi, Zach. You might read "West with the Night" for style. I suggest you read "The Fountainhead" through before finishing "Atlas," but no big deal. I read "Atlas" first, when I was 19, in 1963. To be a great writer you have to have something to say, which in itself doesn't have to be so great, but if you are expert in the subject your expertness will elevate it. If you have a passion aside from writing honor that too and they will eventually inform each other. Above all remember, writers write.

--Brant

[Chris Grieb]

Zach; Welcome.

What horrible literature choices you had to read but you have found the best. ARI is doing a great job with their bbooks program.

Just of courisity where do you go to school? Where do want to go to college and what do you want to major in?

[Brant Gaede]

He'is allready thier, Chris, and hes gonna majer in Engesh--its a sham thet so menny peeple cant writ wirth a dam!

--Basferg

tim for coffeee

Edited August 26, 2009 by Brant Gaede

[Robert Campbell]

Zach,

Welcome!

When I was in high school, we read our own quota of less than inspiring books (though not The Color Purple or The Secret Life of Bees; it was too long ago for either of them).

We did get Anthem in 10th grade English. I'm not sure how, exactly, because none of our English teachers seemed to like it much. But it got a lot started.

Robert Campbell

[Selene]

Zach:

Welcome to OL.

If it is not penetrating your privacy, what university or college are you attending?

You explained that one of your double majors is "writing and rhetoric". At one time, I taught rhetoric and

would be interested in the separation that is being made between writing and rhetoric in your major.

You may enjoy this website - I do.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/

Adam

[thezachcooper]

Thank you, one and all, for the warm welcome!

Chris,

Brant says it for me: I’m already in college, and I’ve since stated my major. Though I am happy to spark your curiosity. I’m glad we agree that my school was in the clutches of literary poverty!

Hi, Zach. You might read "West with the Night" for style. I suggest you read "The Fountainhead" through before finishing "Atlas," but no big deal. I read "Atlas" first, when I was 19, in 1963. To be a great writer you have to have something to say, which in itself doesn't have to be so great, but if you are expert in the subject your expertness will elevate it. If you have a passion aside from writing honor that too and they will eventually inform each other. Above all remember, writers write.

--Brant

Hi Brant!

I am pleased to take your suggestions!

I have a lot to say, and plenty of passions. I refuse anything less than success.

Zach,

Welcome!

When I was in high school, we read our own quota of less than inspiring books (though not The Color Purple or The Secret Life of Bees; it was too long ago for either of them).

We did get Anthem in 10th grade English. I'm not sure how, exactly, because none of our English teachers seemed to like it much. But it got a lot started.

Robert Campbell

Robert,

I think most English teachers have low opinions of Rand's work. My English teacher never revealed her opinion totally on The Fountainhead. She did however print copies of an online parody of the book for my class, whereas she looked sore when I made a quick critique of The Color Purple. Strange enough, her husband (who happened to be the department head) remarked that both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged were "life-changing."

I hold it’s important to read a little bit of everything. Yet there is, without a doubt, little equity between the literary canon of despair and the one of inspiration in the classroom.

Zach:

Welcome to OL.

If it is not penetrating your privacy, what university or college are you attending?

Adam,

I’m afraid that would be a penetration of my privacy. At the present time, I don’t want to disclose too much information about my merely personal life here. Also, my parents are towing most of the bill presently, I do not think they’d like it if I announced to the world where they were spending it. I hope you don’t take umbrage with that.

I haven’t taken too many courses in either of my majors. My intention was to knock down as many general education requirements as possible first. However, from the course listing, and chats with members of the Writing department, I’ll try and illustrate the distinction being made.

The biggest is that the “W&R” major deals completely with non-fiction writing, with the exception of literary non-fiction. There are courses in travel writing, writing in “electronic environments,” as well as courses in argumentative and persuasive writing. I’m imagining that rhetorical theory must be taught and applied in these courses, as well as the basics like how to organize one’s paragraphs.

Thank you for the website. I will be sure to comb it over thoroughly!

--Zach

[Selene]

Zach:

Completely understand your privacy and respect it. One of the reasons that I try to ask things that way.

That is an interesting distinction that they are making.

"...courses in argumentative and persuasive writing..."

It is almost positing that a fiction writer does not employ argumentation and persuasion, which would be false! B)

I see you use the language quite well.

Once again, welcome.

Adam

Edited August 27, 2009 by Selene

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Zach,

I am a little late (I am so behind with some other stuff I hardly have time to eat), but let me offer you a warm welcome to OL.

I am glad to see you already making yourself at home.

Michael

[thezachcooper]

Michael,

No apologies are necessary! I should hope you keep yourself busy.

It’s a pleasure to come aboard!

Thank you very much!

Zach