How would you narrate your own life? It depends on the listener, you would probably say. Well, generally speaking, there are two ways to go about this. The first is the presumably objective, fact-based, chronological, linear way (as in a job interview). The second is your personal story as you would tell it to a loved one comprising emotions, jumping back and forth in time, stretching even into your ancestors’ lives etc. The first ist the narrative as found in news, the second is the narrative found in books. So, assuming you had one hour a day that you want to spend trying to make sense of the world around you and maybe even what is going on inside you, wouldn’t it be better to read a book with the depth of experience than another news snippet?
I recently watched a video by writer Adania Shibli about The Experience of Palestine in Narration. She reflects on her role as a translator between local people trying to convey what is going on to reporters who try to cover the story. What she discovered is that there is a fundamental gap between what people experience and what is reportable as interesting in the news. And this is not a question of good versus bad reporting, but about what is reportable as part of a relatable story and what is not. Watch the video before you continue reading:
The News – Narrating the Well-Structured Outsider-Observer Perspective.
… text here
Books – Narrating The Messy Insider-Experience Perspective.
Other elements … langage abstract / buzzwordy etc. vs concrete … experience in clarity … narrations accessible … where to begin a narrative … what is considered important and totally irrelevant … small details vs the horror around … brokenness of narrative vs. clear beginning-middle-end structure of news or those in power (claiming clarity vs. messiness of life) …
Our Recommendation for 2025: Read More Books and Less News.
Read more books on topics that interest you and less news. Do it for a year. Take some notes on what you’ve read and your personal reflections on it. If you think it didn’t enrich your life and understanding of the world, quit after a year. If it not, continue for the rest of your life and you’ll understand why Socrates famously stated that an unexamined life is not worth living.
