Carried by a breeze: Books take on a life of their own

It happens to paintings, music, film and books. Once the artistic creation is completed and sold in its various ways, the entity takes on a life of its own, independent of the creator's original intent or goal. In the case of novels, the book is read and digested and oftentimes interpreted and experienced in ways an author might be surprised by. In essence, the book becomes detached from the writer and can even be carried away by unseen currents to land in unexpected places.

Reactions to the book can be affected by trends in society, unexpected turns of events in the political, social and artistic worlds. Concepts the author never explicitly considered can suddenly become the lense through which the book is seen and even judged. And all of this is magnified if the author is writing a satire, which adds a layer of interpretation that is sometimes understood yet often is not perceived by the reader who traverses the work with a different frame of reference. From the writer's point of view, the off-course reader fails to see and appreciate the actual meaning the author attempted to convey. Readers, however, are bringing their own point of views, life experiences and perspectives to bear--with the potential of different reactions and interpretations.

In the case of Thinks Out Loud, I, the author, created a style, tone, and characterization clearly conveying a satirical take on the high-tech world, one that seems to be more and more accurate with each passing day. Or did I? A reader might experience the book in a different and unexpected manner. Satire? No way. It's a vitreous attack on the high-tech world! No, it's actually a tragedy of a romantic hero who tried to reach a higher level of existence. Etc. 

No matter how it's being interpreted, Thinks Out Loud is now aloft, drifting along on currents, landing in unexpected places and being experienced in unique ways. All beyond the 'control' of the author. What all this means is that the reader completes the artistic, creative cycle. And that is a valuable and essential role, for if a book falls in a forest and no one is around to hear, does it make a sound? 

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THE BOOK AND AMAZON: If you order Thinks Out Loud from Amazon Prime, you will be receiving an older version that is out of date and whose printing is lighter than the current edition. If on Amazon, order from the Thinks Out Loud option which will be the newer better print version. You can also order the newer version directly from the publisher via this website, thinksoutloud.com,  or from your local bookstore, which will either have the book in stock or available via a quick special order from Ingram, the wholesaler. 

A Blog (Novel) Is Born

During Thanksgiving 2009, I was talking with a friend about writing. And I was casting about, trying to come up with some different approaches to reach a reading public. My friend said, “What about a blog?” And I said, “Never thought about it.” But right then and there I did start thinking about it. I told her I wouldn’t be the kind of blogger who reports what I’ve had for lunch or how I spent my summer vacation or when I realized I was a writer. She said that was fine; I could write about anything. She was right, but the thought of trying to come up with connected thoughts about something/anything seemed intimidating. I said I would think further about it and that, in theory, I liked the idea: the sense of direct connection with readers, of their ability to respond in a comments area, of my words going out into the electronic universe. I just didn’t know what words to send out.

A week later, I gave it a tentative try. Following an easy step-by-step process, I had created a basic blogsite via Blogger. Here was my first baby step:

What Is Your Pet’s Eco-footprint?

In Time To Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, Robert and Brenda Vale argue that the resources required to feed a dog equal about twice the eco-footprint of an SUV. Based on their research, my daughter's cloud minnows have a footprint of a Vespa LX150.

Posted 5th December 2009 by Martin Perlman

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That was it.
Not exactly brilliant but it was a start. This first posting set the tone for the ones that followed on an irregular basis, weekly, sometimes twice a week: The Future of Reunions in the Digital Age, Facebook Connects to the Other Side, Clouds R Us (more on that one later).

I alerted friends and family, and, to reach a larger audience, I found web articles on the same subject (Reunions, Digital) and in the reader comments area made a comment and added a link to my post. People visited. Some commented. I was a blogger.