“At Cornell University, my professor of European literature, Vladimir Nabokov, changed the way I read and the way I write. Words could paint pictures, I learned from him. Choosing the right word, and the right word order, he illustrated, could make an enormous difference in conveying an image or an idea.”
— Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, from “Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Advice for Living”, published in the New York Times Opinion section on Oct. 1, 2016.
* * *
“The right word, and the right word order…” – God, I love this.
I remember taking “Academic Writing and Critical Reading” with Paul Thur as a requirement for my undergrad. As the syllabus outlined, we were to read “challenging and provocative texts, written by anthropologists and literary critics, philosophers and art historians”. On the first night of class, Paul said that it was his job to teach us to read to “improve your ability to express complex, original ideas in readable prose.”
In my arrogance, I thought, “I’m forty-four years old, Paul. I know how to read.”
I was wrong.
This course kicked my ass and challenged every preconceived notion that I had about reading and writing. However, thanks to Paul Thur, I became a better reader and writer.
I love that Justice Ginsburg followed a similar path in her writing, taught by Nabokov, no less.
A study of the humanities sharpens the focus on the wonder of human accomplishment. We can use the knowledge accumulated over millennia by cultures across the world to grapple with the idea of what it means to be human. Through the humanities, we can expand our intellect so that it fuses with our imagination. In doing so, it is possible to look at–and attempt to understand–the human condition.
* * *
Leave a Reply