Weekly Blog Post 1

"The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself." -- Albert Camus

There’s definitely something to be said about the written word. Before humans had the idea of putting their ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc. down on paper, these things were transferred over generations via word of mouth. Because of this, stories became twisted across their journey between different people. This wasn’t necessarily on purpose; interpretations became dissimilar, or the teller would simply forget a few details. One could also just flat-out lie. When something was written, it could be passed on exactly as the original writer intended (unless, of course, someone else was very good at editing). There is—seemingly—less room for error. Psychologically, we tend to accept anything published in a magazine, book, newspaper, or reputable online source as truth because of what it takes for it to reach that point. It must be approved by not only the writer but a series of editors and other superiors. Historians, etc. learn about the past from artifacts—and that can mean pots, bones, or recovered texts. It is true that (non-fiction) writing can be easily fabricated—A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, his not-so-factual account of his struggles with drugs and alcohol. However, they still sell that book in various stores throughout the country; it’s still regarded as a great work of fiction. If a precious diamond was discovered to be actually made of glass or something else ridiculous like that, it would immediately be denounced. Writing takes much more to lose its credibility, and that’s definitely saying something.
I chose this line because of how true I think it is—particularly when I think of rhetoric in the context of music. When I was growing up, Michelle Branch was one of my favorite singers. She told a personal story of when she visited a Spanish-speaking country (the name escapes me right now). She met a girl who did not speak or understand English; she took a guitar and sang one of Michelle’s songs in perfect English. She was amazed. Writing, rhetoric, is one of many things that are universal—everyone can relate to it, and it can bring just about anyone together. Without this art, I firmly believe civilization would indeed implode upon itself.