It has somehow been nearly a year since I wrote anything, and I definitely blame COVID for that. I’ve heard from many people that their creativity felt stunted after the year we had in 2020, and I will agree. Here’s to moving forward and rediscovering our creativity!
I have to thank a friend of mine for inspiring my first spark of interest this year. She sent me the link to a Brené Brown Unlocking Us podcast interview with Angus Fletcher. If you don’t know who that is, you are not alone. I hadn’t heard of him before this either, but now I own his new book Wonderworks: The 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the History of Literature. Fletcher is a special kind of genius, and hearing him speak about his passions is inspiring. Before you read his book, check out the podcast with Brené Brown here.
This blog post isn’t your usual book review, because Wonderworks is not your usual book. Fletcher uses his vast knowledge of neuroscience and literature to weave together a fascinating list of literary inventions that have shaped the world. These inventions are also not your usual tinkerer inventions created to perform a certain task, but rather inventions in literature that have helped humanity learn and unlearn throughout the centuries. Fletcher himself explains how to use his unique book:
“The chapters are interconnected but independent, like books on a shelf. So, if you’re seeking a particular benefit from literature, you can jump to reading that chapter now. If you like to be surprised, you can browse out of order. And if you’re a committed bibliophile, you can start at chapter 1 and read right through” (Fletcher 27-28).
With chapter titles ranging from “Rally Your Courage” to “Unfreeze Your Heart,” Fletcher uses examples from a wide range of literature to teach us to utilize what we read to inspire change.
Since I am a self-proclaimed bibliophile, I am reading Wonderworks front to back and must admit I have not quite finished the book. I read one or two chapters each time I pick it up, and I always walk away having learned something new. After the isolating year of COVID, I am especially looking forward to the chapters “Find Peace of Mind” and “Lessen Your Lonely.” If you are a literature lover, you will want to have this book on your shelf. If you are fascinated with how our brains are wired and how stories affect change, you will want this book. Fletcher writes as though he is sitting across a café table from you, and he is a fantastic conversationalist!
Works Cited
“Brené with Dr. Angus Fletcher on Life-Changing Inventions in Literature.” Brené Brown, 22 Apr. 2021, brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-dr-angus-fletcher-on-life-changing-inventions-in-literature/#close-popup.
Fletcher, Angus. Wonderworks: The 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the History of Literature. SIMON SCHUSTER, 2021.
Literature. love. life 