Winning students write to favorite authors
This article appeared in the Tampa Tribune on Jan. 6, 2002.Pasco County students recently participated in a ``Dear Author Writing Contest'' in which they were asked to write to a favorite author and explain why a book had a special meaning for them.
Here are the winning essays among high school students:
DEAR ORSON CARD,
You made me cry for a little boy I will never meet, but already have. I know Steve from your book ``Lost Boys'' better than I know most of my own friends because you allowed me, the reader, to see what was going on inside his mind in a sudden epiphany at the end.
I cried for all innocence when I cried for Steve. In comprehending that I had cried for more than just a fictional character, I was able to read in a way that I had never read anything before.
Reading ``Lost Boys'' made me realize that anything worth reading is worth reading more than once, and is worth reading thoroughly. Sure, teachers had told me that before, but I figured that I could pick up on everything that I needed to the first time I read a book.
After becoming aware that Steve had actually been dead through half of the book and was struggling just to have other people see and hear him, I started to see how blindly I had been reading. I had even overlooked the importance of Steve and his actions!
My actions have been altered. I no longer skim literature, even if I am under a time constraint. I have learned to hold each word in my mind just that extra moment to make sure that I fully comprehend what the author is conveying. This technique of reading not only makes me stay alert when I read, but allows me to enjoy the literature for the work of art that it is.
Your writing also made me realize that literature, like any art, is not one- dimensional. Every book that I have read of yours has had several ``main plots'' that branch out over and over again until the branches overlap just as a tree's branches overlap.
Over the years you have written a forest of strong trees that will no doubt endure generations. Already, the three generations present in my family find your writing irresistible. I fell in love with ``Lost Boys,'' my older brother with ``Ender's Game'' and my mom with ``Past Watch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus.''
Not only is my family now closer because of the eclectic manner of your writing, but I am more appreciative of novel types that I used to scoff at as I walked down the aisles of Books-A-Million.
Instead of turning my nose up at the fantasy and mystery areas on my way to the science fiction section, I now take the time to look at a few books that are outside my usual area of interest.
For this I thank you, for it was you who really introduced me to innovative writing styles and to new authors that I would have otherwise only heard of through my friends.
My friends have also changed because of you. In your writing, you present different religions and personality types in a way that almost forces your reader to be open-minded.
In ``Lost Boys,'' Steve's mother and another mother discuss how differently the two mothers approach raising a child. The two characters may not end up being able to see the opposing viewpoint, even though you are explicitly showing the reader that neither character is more correct than the other character is.
All of the lessons in reading that you have given me have made you my teacher. The many life lessons that you have provided have made you an unseen mentor to me. For everything that you have done and for all that you will continue to do for me whenever I pick up my worn copy of ``Lost Boys'' or any other books regardless of the author, I thank you.
Dawn Selvidge
Gulf High School, New Port Richey
MR. JOHN IRVING:
Hello, my name is David Gillis. I am 18 years old and I am in the 12th grade at Wesley Chapel High School, outside Tampa Bay. I wanted to write you and let you know that your literature has had an important impact on my life.
I first began reading your works over four years ago when my mother insisted that I read ``A Prayer for Owen Meany.'' The book quickly became my favorite novel and I have read it three times and counting.
I have not experienced a book so complex and insightful since then. I have given a copy to my best friend, my father, my girlfriend and others that I care about because I believe that the statements contained within those pages have the potential to be life altering.
``The Hotel New Hampshire,'' ``The Cider House Rules,'' ``A Son of the Circus'' and ``The Water Method Man'' all gave me a bit of insight into other fantastic worlds you have created. I enjoyed all of those works tremendously, but it is ``A Prayer for Owen Meany'' that has really compelled me to examine life and the person I choose to be.
From a personal standpoint, the religious aspects of your novel are by far the most meaningful pieces of the book. I find John's adolescent struggles with his religious convictions very comforting, and I too question and envy those with the ``faith of a child.''
Owen's beliefs and actions helped me to ponder God's use of his children as ``instruments.'' As I examined the world around me I came to realize that people are on this earth for a reason whether they are aware of it or not. Admittedly, I am not as pious as I would hope, but I have faith that one day I will realize the truth as John did in your novel.
Your book was more than just enlightening; I was motivated by the tale's most distinctive character. When Owen became ``The Voice'' and had the opportunity to express the concerns and thoughts of his peers, a part of me woke up and aspired to do the same thing.
I began writing for the school newspaper in my sophomore year and established my column, ``Gillis' Grind,'' in the 11th grade. I try to do my part in making our institution a better school by addressing issues such as faculty competency and prejudice among the student body.
``A Prayer for Owen Meany'' was very fulfilling and entertaining, but it leaves me with a few questions concerning its meaning and its creator. Aside from sharing the name, does John represent more than just a character, in other words, is the book a little bit autobiographical?
If so, is this true for other books you have written? I also wondered about the categorization of John as a ``non- practicing homosexual.'' What, if any, is the significance of this and why is it mentioned repeatedly?
I thank you for sharing your writing with the world. The content of your books has given me innumerable hours of enjoyment. I hope that you will continue to create exceptional literature and wish you the best of luck.
Sincerely,
David J. Gillis
Wesley Chapel High School
DEAR ``AUTHOR UNKNOWN,''
It is to you that I am writing a thank you for all of your wonderful and inspirational writings over the course of history. No other human author will ever be able to replicate that accomplishment.
Both the diversity of time periods as well as the choice of topics that you have presented us with will long be remembered. We have been taken on a journey through time with the driver hidden from sight, leaving all of our focus on the story being told. By choosing to remain anonymous, you have made the experience that much more alive.
You have sacrificed the credit you deserved to tell us a story. A story free from the judgments that could be made if the author's name were present. Over time, many good writings have been dismissed or misinterpreted merely because of the identity of the author. You, on the other hand, help us read with a more objective and refreshing point of view.
For example, if Robert Frost discussed iambic pentameter, we would be hearing about a method or style of writing poems. If an author such as Dave Barry wrote about iambic pentameter, we would be hearing about an Olympic contest in which three men and a horse carry an enormous iambic five meters in the snow.
Lastly, if a doctor mentioned iambic pentameter, we would be taking one every four to six hours for indigestion of The Tampa Tribune. (Note: I am in no way advocating the use of iambic pentameter or any other type of pentameter as it may cause sneezing, coughing, itching, scratching, dryness of mouth, involuntary rhythm and unwanted death.)
In all three of these examples, the definition of iambic pentameter as well as the reader's response vary depending on who the information is coming from. That is why the absence of the author's name forces him to be more descriptive and creative, writing from the beginning and taking the reader with him for the ride.
Yes, Mr. Unknown, your technique and your writings have left an impact on our language because you, so nobly, left your name off. I, however, am not so noble.
Scott Daniel McDermott
Wesley Chapel High School
DEAR JONATHAN LARSON,
I just wanted to write to you and express my feelings on the play you wrote entitled ``Rent.'' I was in the seventh grade when I first heard a fellow classmate mention your play.
I was told that it was a play about struggling Bohemian artists coping with life and AIDS in New York City. I took an immediate interest in the play because I am an actor and I was struggling with the decision of whether or not to make acting my career.
I went that year to see ``Rent'' and I can honestly say that I have never been the same since. ``Rent'' touched me in a way that no other work of art has. Each of the characters in ``Rent'' represented a different part of myself, and allowed me to examine myself more clearly.
I have been told by so many people that I should not become an actor for so many reasons. I was told that I would never make it in the acting world because I am not talented enough, do not have the right look, or because I am black.
Suddenly, I was faced with these characters who were all races and genders rejoicing in life and art. They had a passion for art that outweighed any flaw or setback that they faced.
Your message to ``forget regret, or life is yours to miss'' has been a part of my life for years. I finally realized that I cannot go through life scared that I may not make it. I would have to live with the regret of not following my heart for the rest of my life. I am now going to college with the plans of becoming a musical theater major.
Your play also dealt with the issue of AIDS. I honestly have to say that before this play I had never really been faced with the reality of people living with HIV. The idea of people coping with the virus seemed distant and unreal.
This play allows you to identify with people suffering from the virus. You are not only taken through the journey of fighting HIV, but you are also shown the heartache of their loved ones. This play does not tell you how to cope with dying, but it shows you how to rejoice in life.
After seeing ``Rent'' I became involved in the ``Fight Against AIDS.'' I realized that there are so many people out there who thought the same way I did. I wanted to help sufferers and their families, and I do. The play has inspired millions of people to join in the ``Fight Against AIDS.''
I am very disappointed that you died before you got to see the fruits of your efforts. I know that you got to see your play one time before you died. Your death only strengthened the message ``No Day But Today.''
You lived every day as if it were your last and have inspired me to do the same. You have touched my life in a way that few have, or ever will. I thank you eternally for the legacy that you left behind and want you to know that you will always hold a special place in my heart.
David Singletary
Wesley Chapel High School
DEAR MR. SALINGER,
I am writing you in regards to your novel, ``The Catcher in the Rye.'' I had always heard there were two kinds of people in the world: Those whose lives were forever changed by your book and those that wished to destroy all memory of it.
Personally, I fall under the former category. I initially picked up a copy of the book to discover firsthand what all the controversy was all about. Within minutes, I was hooked. I read the book from cover to cover in one sitting, devouring every cynical yet witty word.
To this day, I have not found a book that has affected me so profoundly. While reading, I would find myself thinking how similar Holden Caulfield's way of thinking is to my own. Many just call it ``cynical adolescence'' but I believe it to be something more.
Holden Caulfield finds joy in only one thing, his little sister Phoebe. To him, she is the only pure, honest, beautiful thing left in the world. At the end of the book, he places her on a merry-go-round and sits back watching her go forever in circles. She is the only thing he deems worthy of existence and the merry-go-round is his attempt to keep her there, free of the world of ``phoniness.''
Although I have never gone to these extremes to guard others from the fallacy of the world, I do find myself losing faith in the quality of people every day.
I was raised to stand up for what I believe in and to never compromise my values. I find that those who think similarly to me are a rarity in a high school environment. People say or do whatever it takes to be popular these days.
Popularity is an illusion. People don't realize that in two years, no one will remember who was dating who and who made prom court, but they will remember the quality of character that was evident throughout the years.
Although I try to keep myself from being too cynical, I do make sure always to be honest about my feelings and to only do what I want to do or what I feel is right, not what will make me popular.
Although I did find Holden Caulfield too cynical at times to really appreciate the beauty of the world around him that has not yet been tainted with those few who try to make the world adapt to them without really working for what they deserve, I did truly like this book and hold it to be true evidence of your literary genius.
I just want to thank you, Mr. Salinger, for writing a book where the concept still has me thinking, years after I first read it.
Sincerely,
Genevieve Lau
Wesley Chapel High School
