By Victor Ochieng’
I believe, fellow avid readers always find it hard to read texts that suffer from paucity of profundity. More so, when sometimes they meet pieces that are devoid of intellectual depth. Somehow, blogs and books are not out of this discourse.
Perhaps, it is what inspired Richard Bacon to observe, “Some books are to be tested, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few are to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”
On books, I remember reading a certain article attributed to the late Philip Ochieng, where he was reminiscing on how he instructed a friend who was travelling from the United States to bring him best books that would boil his brains. No wonder, as a legendary journalist, his ken of knowledge and mastery of the queen’s language was at the epic peak.
Therefore, this is free advice to fellow scribes: serious readers always look forward to reading pieces penned with panache. They look for fineness and finesse in texts. Somehow, unique technique employed by serious scribes sates their gargantuan appetites for winsome words.
Albeit, being able to write right is not easy the way some people think. Any professional writer will be swift to admit. It is an onerous task. More so, when the writer is sensitive to obey the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, “Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing.”
So, I hold the view that a great writer is the one who abuts the art on some brilliant thought. Insight is the meat of a great text. No wonder, a better writer strives to anchor the art on something of universal worth. Most venerable writers buttress their phenomenal writings on higher ideas and ideals in life. They build relevant content propped up by sound disciplines such as philosophy, psychology and sociology. On the same ambit — religion, culture, morality and lovely language — act as good guides to words woven well. Ultimately, such are drops of ink that make people think.
In actual sense, when a writer has paucity of some properties I have pointed out, their write-ups fail to be didactic – able to teach. Again, moral values miss in their missives. Yet, through the skillful use of the pen, the writer should glorify virtues (good deeds) but vilify vices (bad deeds).
Ipso facto, sometimes it is very dangerous to be a writer who is bereft of religion, culture and morality. Such writers are the ones that decide to be petty and pedantic. I believe, while reading this and that, you must have encountered shallow scribes who hide behind troglodyte things such as indecency, vulgarity, profanity, negative ethnicity, cheap politics, et cetera. Ironically, such ilk of writers who court controversy sometimes trend. Albeit, they hardly convince the conscience of serious readers who have a knack for objective pieces.
In the whole scheme of things, writers should build their art on lofty ideas. Based on this, you now know why the oeuvres of Apostle Paul of Tarsus remain stencil as epics on the metal sheets of unfolding generations. Pauline epistles occupy the better part of the New Testament of the Bible. Biblical scholars categorise Paul’s letters as those he wrote to churches and the ones he penned to protégés who were under his training and tutelage.
Moreover, a novelist such as Chinua Achebe rose as the father of African prose because his scintillating stories had the structure of culture. In his interesting and intelligent tales he came out as the custodian of Igbo customs and tradition. His prose was not just prosaic and poetic. Instead, voracious readers enjoyed his books because he captured captivating aspects of his people. Therefore, his sartorial style and elegant éclat was a true testament that writers who are rich in the ways of their people produce wonderful works that withstand the tremendous test of time.
In addition, a writer such as Bertolt Brecht anchored his good books on the philosophy of Marxism. It is the notion that passionate lovers of literature can point out in his great texts such as the Caucasian Chalk Circle. Literary luminaries also posit that Marxist thought run through Ngugi wa Thiong’os rich writings.
Therefore, with this useful knowledge, you will acknowledge that there are two ilk of writers. There are writers who think. Then, there are writers who make people think. The former, in their own stunning stance, make a lot of sense by paying homage to the wise words: Before you write, think. Albeit, the latter group are the best. Somehow, when they decide to put pen on paper, they are cognizant of the fantastic fact: the essence of writing is to provoke people to think. This is in order. For the sage said, “This old world, with plenty of people, only 5% think, 15% think that they are thinking, but 80% do not think at all.”
The writer is an editor, orator and author. vocheing.90@gmail.com.
