Okay, so I got curious as to whether others experienced reader's block, and found this lovely and still-relevant thread of discussion about it at LibraryThing, and another at the Guardian.
It seems that that statement the Jack character made in Shadowlands--"we read to know we are not alone"--applies to reading online threads about reader's block as well. I do feel thankful that this is not an isolated condition.
The only problem with these threads is that they refer to "reading" as spare time reading, which means that much of the advice revolves around telling people to wait out the reader's block or switch to reading something else. These are not options for me, since what I'm blocked toward is assigned reading with an imminent deadline. Although several people in the first thread said they really got blocked during grad school, they didn't say how they got around the problem.
Urgh.
By the way, the block is a little bit better, but still distressingly there, at least in part. I don't think the fall allergies are helping it much. Note to self: next year, wait until later in October, when the allergies ease up, to choose to make any class presentations. Except, well, I won't be in classes next fall (what a glorious thought!). I'll be studying for my big nasty exams instead, which task is big and nasty, but blessedly is more flexible in how one studies for it.
Oh, one more thing--there probably won't be any new posts until Wednesday-ish, as that's when my academic load lightens just a bit.
4 comments:
I think my solution is to bike - at least that's what i do when i'm too full. and because i enjoy biking and can do it hard enough that i think about nothing more than it being lovely to bike (and don't hit that pedestrian or be hit by that car), it gives me the energy to keep doing - or push out the clutter that doesn't need to be there.
since i know you don't like biking, perhaps you just need to find some other highly physical activity - like high-powered cleaning or chasing the cats around the apartment - to take a break, pump some adrenalin in your system and hopefully relieve the clog.
Thanks Brenda. Your comment jogged my memory, and inspired a command decision--tomorrow morning I'm calling to make an appointment to have my piano tuned.
I'm remembering how helpful it's been in past crises of various sorts: a great way of relieving blockages and of pouring out emotions without having to figure out what they are, precisely.
Music. Yes. That is the elusive answer I've been groping for after all the humor in the previous post's comments. Absolutely. That will loosen the cobwebs for sure.
Rodger: Humor? Wha...? I'd already ordered a truckload of Pop Tarts, dang it!
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