books that changed my life: in progress

Reading the Book that Changed My Life: 71 remarkable writers celebrate the books that matter most to them,

Has inspired this beginning of a list:

1. At 9, not the first adult novel I had read, but the first from the adult section in the public library, for which I was reprimanded when I was hungry and clueless enough to ask the librarian where I would find more books by Margaret Mitchell.

2. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

At 18, opened up the world in a way that travel up, until this point, had only imagined. I have read all of Hesse since then and yet they all remain part and parcel of that one thin paperback novel.

3. At 13 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte indirectly addressed the idea that one's passion may not be one's destiny. Choice comes into play even when every hormone in the body screams otherwise. Letting the tall, dark and handsome, broody one get away is often the only way to keep what's you for yourself. Controlled passion became a theme throughout my teen years to which I adhered somewhat successfully to greater and lesser degrees, and now largely defines my sexuality.

4. Virginia Woolf's ORLANDO redefined social expectations in my 20's when I realized that the hardcore feminists, who had insisted I must be a lesbian to be a feminist, were self-serving  in their proclamation. Loving the male and female parts of myself equally, for different reasons, was part of loving myself, regardless of the social pressures from either side of the divide to affix a label.

5. In my 30's it was Joseph Gold's READ FOR YOUR LIFE that gave my reading purpose. I learned with great disappointment that Reader Response Theory had gone out of fashion by the time I was studying literature at university, but without calling it that, Gold's book was a master's class in the process of reading as a form of self-analysis to which I continue to adhere.

6. Though introduced to scifi in my 30's by DUNE and Delaney, it wasn't until my 40's that I really acknowledged genre fiction as literary. ISLAND by Huxley was the clincher and so many others many others now besides. Margaret Atwood's SURFACING had made an earlier impression but HANDMAID'S TALE was next level.

5. By my 50's, I was a librarian and THE DIAMOND AGE by Neal Stephenson gave me glimpse into a new world of information rich living. Suzette Hagen Elgin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Tongue_(Elgin_novel)

6. My 60's turned the tables and writing became part of my reading experience to a much greater degree. Journals and memoirs became sources of information pointing me back to my 20's when I first encountered Doris Lessing and Ana's Nin, my 30's with Marge Piercy. Re-Discovering Octavia E. Butler, having read her vampire series earlier but re-visiting her Cassandra-like vision of 2024 in the Parable series.

Positivity Meter

Perhaps a useful tool for determining if your self-prescribed bibliotherapy is working :) http://www.positivityratio.com/single.php https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/are_you_getting_enough_positivity_in_your_diet Now one interesting fact about all living things is that scientists estimate that, on average, we replace one percent of our cells each day. That’s another one percent tomorrow, about 30 percent by next month, and by next season, 100 percent of our cells from today—that’s one way of looking at it. So maybe it’s no coincidence that it takes three months or so to learn a new habit or to make a lifestyle change; maybe we need to be teaching our new cells because we can’t teach an old cell new tricks. We’ve concluded that a ratio of at least three-to-one—three positive emotions for every negative emotion—serves as a tipping point, which will help determine whether you languish in life, barely holding on, or flourish, living a life ripe with possibility, remarkably resilient to hard times. Ratios of about two-to-one are what most of us experience on a daily basis; people who suffer from depression and other emotional disorders are down near one-to-one or lower. If you make your motto, “Be positive,” that will actually backfire. It leads to a toxic insincerity that’s shown to be corrosive to our own bodies, to our own cardiovascular system. It’s toxic for our relationships with other people.

Feminist Fiction Recommended Titles (in process)

Woman on the Edge of Time Small Changes City of Darkness, City of Light Sex Wars Native Tongue Female Man Golden Notebook Memoirs of a Survivor Briefing for a Descent Into Hell Handmaid's Tale Edible Woman Surfacing I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Temple of My Familiar Mists of Avalon Joy Luck Club Woman Warrior Red Tent Orlando Room of One's Own Kindred Parable of the Sower Wide Sargasso Sea Gate to Women's Country Middlemarch Fear of Flying Clan of the Cave Bear Fingersmith Tipping the Velvet Foxfire Girl, Interrupted Delta of Venus Diviners Stone Angel Fire-Dwellers Devil's Arithmetic Diamond Age As We Are Now Bellwether Red Azalea Fight Night

Stone of Patience mythology

https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/tatar/2018/09/29/silence-stones-of-patience-and-storytelling/

GAGE 1st Wave Feminist

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/45580/45580-h/45580-h.htm https://susanbanthonyhouse.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Matilda-Joslyn-Gage-WNLC-1890.pdf

Poem by Jackie Kay "Rubble"

consciousness poems from poemanalysis.com

https://poemanalysis.com/poems-about/mind/

Bartleby as poetry resource

https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/index-to-subjects/

1st Terry Pratchet

EQUAL RITES

"If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly."

Words to live by for any would-be artist.

And,

"...a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."

To remember when confronted by one's own or another's dogma.

Or the lack of agency inherent in a situation beyond your control.

"Sometimes you just have to go the way things take you."

Wisdom for wonderlings:

"The important thing about magic is how you don't use it."

"Coruscate" does seem to describe Pratchet's light touch with fiction.

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FictionalColour?origin=serp_auto

"Conversation" with ChatGPT on Writer's Block

https://chatgpt.com/share/41ac8582-77d0-4b81-b783-753c639f9eee Limbic System and Writer's Block April 28, 2024 This conversation may reflect the link creator’s personalized data, which isn’t shared and can meaningfully change how the model responds. You said: How does the mid or mammalian brain contribute to writers block? ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Writer's block can be caused by a complex interplay of psychological and neurological factors. While it is not directly related to a single part of the brain, the "mid" or "mammalian" brain—commonly referred to as the limbic system—plays a significant role in emotions and memory, which can contribute to the experience of writer's block. Here's how: Emotional Responses: The limbic system is responsible for processing emotions, including anxiety and stress. When a writer experiences high levels of anxiety or fear (such as fear of failure or fear of criticism), it can activate the limbic system, leading to increased stress hormones like cortisol. This emotional response can lead to avoidance behaviors, such as avoiding writing altogether, and can impair creative thinking. Memory and Associations: The limbic system includes the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory formation and retrieval. If a writer has had negative experiences related to writing—such as harsh feedback, failure, or rejection—these memories might be triggered by the act of writing, leading to emotional distress and contributing to writer's block. Fight-or-Flight Response: The limbic system is involved in the body's fight-or-flight response. If the brain perceives writing as a threat due to the stress it may cause, this system can trigger a state of heightened alertness, diverting energy and focus away from creative tasks like writing. To manage writer's block stemming from these limbic system responses, writers can consider strategies to mitigate stress and emotional tension. This might include mindfulness techniques, relaxation exercises, establishing a calming writing environment, or reframing negative thoughts about writing. Building positive associations with writing by setting small, achievable goals and rewarding oneself can also help rewire the brain's emotional responses to writing tasks. You said: Neurologically, how and why do these strategies work? ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Strategies to manage writer's block work neurologically by targeting different pathways and systems in the brain to reduce stress, improve focus, and rewire negative associations with writing. Here's how and why these strategies work: 1. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques Mechanism: Mindfulness practices, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which counters the stress response triggered by the limbic system. Benefits: By calming the mind and reducing cortisol levels, mindfulness can decrease anxiety and improve concentration. This leads to a more relaxed state, reducing the emotional barriers that contribute to writer's block. 2. Creating a Calming Environment Mechanism: The brain is sensitive to environmental cues, which can either trigger stress responses or create a sense of safety and comfort. Benefits: A quiet, organized, and pleasant environment can signal to the brain that it's a safe space, reducing the fight-or-flight response. This can lower stress levels, helping writers feel more at ease and more likely to engage in creative thinking. 3. Reframing Negative Thoughts Mechanism: The brain has a tendency to ruminate on negative experiences, which can create neural pathways that reinforce fear and avoidance. Cognitive reappraisal or reframing can help break these patterns. Benefits: By consciously reinterpreting negative thoughts and replacing them with positive or constructive ones, writers can weaken the associations between writing and stress. This can lead to the formation of new neural pathways, reducing the emotional impact of negative memories and promoting a more positive mindset. 4. Setting Achievable Goals and Rewards Mechanism: Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with motivation and reward, plays a key role in reinforcing behaviors. By setting small goals and rewarding oneself upon achieving them, the brain's reward system is activated. Benefits: As writers complete small tasks and receive positive reinforcement, their brain releases dopamine, creating a sense of accomplishment and motivation. This can encourage continued engagement with writing and reduce the impact of writer's block. 5. Building Positive Associations Mechanism: The brain's associative learning system connects experiences with emotions. Creating positive experiences around writing can rewire the brain's connections. Benefits: Engaging in enjoyable activities before or after writing, or associating writing with things that bring joy (like a favorite song or a comfortable space), can help create positive associations. This can lead to a decrease in anxiety and an increase in willingness to write. These strategies work by engaging different neurological systems to lower stress, boost motivation, and create new, positive associations with the writing process. By addressing both the emotional and cognitive aspects of writer's block, writers can gradually overcome these barriers and improve their ability to write consistently. You said: What if the block stems from the content itself? If the writer cannot say what they want to say because of subconscious material? ChatGPT said: ChatGPT When writer's block stems from subconscious material or content that a writer finds difficult to express, it suggests a deeper emotional or psychological barrier. This type of block can occur when a writer is attempting to explore themes or subjects that are emotionally charged, traumatic, or conflict with their internal beliefs and values. Here are ways to address this specific type of writer's block, along with the underlying neurological reasons: 1. Journaling and Free Writing Mechanism: Free writing allows for expression without judgment, bypassing conscious restrictions and enabling subconscious thoughts to surface. Benefits: By writing without a specific structure or goal, writers can access deeper emotions and memories. This can help uncover the underlying sources of resistance, providing a non-judgmental space to explore complex feelings. 2. Therapeutic Approaches Mechanism: Working with a therapist or counselor can help uncover subconscious blocks by exploring personal history, trauma, or unresolved emotions. Benefits: A therapist can guide the writer through difficult emotions, providing tools to process and integrate them. This process can alleviate the subconscious resistance to certain topics, allowing the writer to access their material more freely. 3. Symbolism and Metaphor Mechanism: Using symbolism and metaphor can act as a buffer between raw emotions and their expression, allowing for a more indirect exploration of difficult subjects. Benefits: By using figurative language, writers can express complex or sensitive ideas without confronting them head-on. This can help break down resistance to certain themes and facilitate a gradual approach to the deeper content. 4. Reframing and Perspective Shifts Mechanism: Changing the point of view or the narrative framework can help disarm emotional blocks by providing a different lens through which to view the material. Benefits: Shifting perspective (e.g., writing from a different character's point of view) can allow the writer to explore difficult topics in a less threatening way. This can provide emotional distance, making it easier to address subconscious material. 5. Visualization and Mindfulness Mechanism: Visualization exercises can help writers connect with their subconscious and explore difficult emotions in a controlled way. Benefits: By visualizing a safe space or a supportive guide, writers can create an internal environment conducive to exploring challenging topics. This can help reduce anxiety and build confidence in confronting subconscious material. Neurologically, these approaches work by engaging different parts of the brain to process complex emotions, reduce stress, and create safe pathways to explore sensitive topics. By providing a framework to approach subconscious material, these strategies can help writers break through their block and find a way to express what they need to say. You said: Describe how writing through the block, and/or addressing the block can provide a catharsis for both writer and reader. ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Writing through a block, especially when it arises from confronting emotionally intense or sensitive material, can be a deeply cathartic process for both the writer and the reader. This catharsis emerges from the act of facing, processing, and expressing difficult emotions or experiences through writing, and can have profound psychological benefits. Here's how and why it happens: 1. Processing Emotions Mechanism: Writing provides a structured way to process emotions. When a writer engages with their block and explores the underlying reasons for it, they begin to confront and articulate their thoughts and feelings. Benefits: By processing emotions through writing, the writer can gain a clearer understanding of their inner world. This can lead to a sense of relief or release, reducing the emotional weight that contributed to the block in the first place. 2. Expressing Repressed Thoughts Mechanism: Blocks often arise when a writer is dealing with thoughts or memories that are difficult to express. Writing through the block can bring these repressed elements to the surface, allowing the writer to give them form and voice. Benefits: Expressing repressed thoughts can be liberating. It can help the writer release pent-up tension and move past emotional barriers. This process can also help them identify and work through any unresolved issues or trauma. 3. Creating a Sense of Closure Mechanism: By writing through the block, the writer is able to create a narrative that has structure and coherence, which can contribute to a sense of closure or resolution. Benefits: This closure can be emotionally satisfying, providing a way to move forward from the emotions or experiences that caused the block. It can also enable the writer to turn a personal struggle into something meaningful and complete. 4. Empathy and Connection Mechanism: Writing through difficult subjects not only helps the writer but can also create a connection with the reader. When readers identify with a writer's experience, it can evoke empathy and a sense of shared humanity. Benefits: For the reader, experiencing the writer's catharsis through their words can lead to their own emotional release. It can validate their own feelings and experiences, fostering a sense of connection and understanding. 5. Transforming Pain into Art Mechanism: Turning personal struggles into art can transform pain into something beautiful or meaningful. This act of creation can provide both the writer and reader with a sense of purpose and transcendence. Benefits: For the writer, this transformation can be a powerful way to reframe painful experiences. For the reader, it can be a source of inspiration and healing, showing that beauty can arise from even the most challenging circumstances. By addressing and writing through a block, the writer creates an opportunity for catharsis that can resonate with both themselves and their audience. This shared experience can be a healing journey, fostering deeper emotional connections and providing a sense of release and resolution. You said: There are many versions of what constitutes our basic emotions. If we used a double axis with fear/anger on one end and joy/love on the other, how might a writer use this structural tool to process and resolve painful memories? ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Using a double-axis model with fear/anger on one end and joy/love on the other can provide a useful framework for a writer to process and resolve painful memories. This structure can help visualize emotional states and transitions, allowing for a more organized approach to storytelling and emotional exploration. Here's how a writer might use this model: 1. Mapping Emotions Along the Axes Mechanism: By plotting emotions along a double-axis, a writer can visually represent the emotional spectrum and the relationships between different emotions. Benefits: This helps the writer see where their painful memories fall on the spectrum and identify patterns of emotional movement. For example, anger may shift toward fear or love, indicating different narrative arcs or emotional resolutions. 2. Identifying Contrasting Emotions Mechanism: The double-axis model encourages the writer to consider how contrasting emotions interact. If a painful memory is associated with fear, the writer can explore how love or joy might counterbalance it. Benefits: This structure can guide the writer in creating a journey of emotional growth and transformation. For example, moving from fear to love or from anger to joy can represent a significant emotional shift and a path toward healing. 3. Creating Character Arcs Mechanism: By using the double-axis model, a writer can design character arcs that demonstrate emotional growth. Characters can start from a point of fear or anger and gradually move toward joy or love. Benefits: This approach allows for a clear progression in the story, providing a sense of direction and resolution. As characters move along the axes, they can face challenges that help them overcome their initial emotional state. 4. Developing Conflict and Resolution Mechanism: The double-axis model can help a writer structure conflict and resolution within a story. Conflict might arise from characters experiencing fear or anger, while resolution comes from finding joy or love. Benefits: This model can serve as a guide for building tension and resolving it in a satisfying way. Writers can explore how different events or relationships contribute to shifts in emotional states, creating a cohesive narrative arc. 5. Exploring Emotional Nuance Mechanism: By visualizing emotions on a double-axis, a writer can explore the complexity and nuance of emotions. This allows for a more layered and realistic portrayal of emotional experiences. Benefits: Writers can show that emotions aren't static; they can fluctuate and coexist. For example, a character might experience anger and love simultaneously, adding depth to their portrayal. This model encourages exploring these nuances to create multidimensional characters. 6. Using the Model for Catharsis Mechanism: The double-axis model can guide a writer toward catharsis by illustrating the path from pain to healing. Moving from fear/anger to joy/love symbolizes a journey toward emotional resolution and growth. Benefits: This journey can be cathartic for both the writer and the reader. As characters confront and resolve painful emotions, they embody the process of overcoming and healing, which can be profoundly satisfying. In summary, using a double-axis model with fear/anger on one end and joy/love on the other can be a valuable structural tool for a writer to process painful memories. This framework offers a visual representation of emotional states, helps organize character arcs and conflicts, and facilitates the journey toward emotional resolution and catharsis. You said: Please list and map secondary emotions that would adhere to this primary axis model. ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Secondary emotions are more complex than primary emotions and often arise from a blend of basic feelings. In the context of the double-axis model with fear/anger on one end and joy/love on the other, secondary emotions can be mapped along the spectrum to better understand their relationships and transitions. Mapping Primary and Secondary Emotions on a Double Axis Axis 1: Fear/Anger Axis 2: Joy/Love 1. Emotions Near Fear Primary Emotion: Fear Secondary Emotions: Anxiety: A pervasive sense of apprehension and worry, usually linked to fear. Panic: An intense burst of fear or dread, often accompanied by physical symptoms. Dread: A deep, prolonged fear about something that is expected or foreseen. 2. Emotions Near Anger Primary Emotion: Anger Secondary Emotions: Frustration: The feeling of being blocked or thwarted, often leading to anger. Rage: An intense form of anger, usually with a loss of control. Resentment: A lingering feeling of anger or bitterness due to perceived unfairness. 3. Emotions Near Joy Primary Emotion: Joy Secondary Emotions: Happiness: A general feeling of contentment and well-being. Excitement: An intense, enthusiastic response to positive stimuli. Euphoria: An extreme state of happiness or bliss, often heightened. 4. Emotions Near Love Primary Emotion: Love Secondary Emotions: Affection: A gentle form of love or fondness for someone or something. Compassion: A deeper sense of caring for others' suffering, often linked to love. Gratitude: A feeling of thankfulness, often resulting from acts of kindness or love. 5. Emotions at Intermediate Points Between Fear and Anger Disgust: A complex emotion that can arise from fear, anger, or both. Contempt: A mix of anger and disgust, with an underlying feeling of superiority. Between Anger and Joy Satisfaction: A positive feeling following the resolution of anger or frustration. Relief: A sense of relaxation after an intense emotional state (anger or fear). Between Joy and Love Contentment: A stable state of happiness and satisfaction, often influenced by love. Peace: A sense of inner tranquility and harmony, typically associated with both joy and love. Between Love and Fear Guilt: A complex emotion arising from a conflict between love and fear. Shame: A blend of fear and a loss of love, leading to a diminished sense of self-worth. Conclusion This mapping of secondary emotions on the double-axis model allows for a nuanced understanding of how emotions interconnect and transition. By locating secondary emotions on this spectrum, a writer can better explore the complexity of characters and narrative arcs, illustrating the fluidity and multidimensionality of emotional experiences.

The Lady Writer Newsletter

https://www.theoi.com/Flora1.html

Her newsletter makes me believe she really is in it for the fun.

Quote:

"No other modern language known to me has the exact equivalent of the English 'fun'. The Dutch 'aardigkeit' perhaps comes nearest to it (derived from "aard" which means the same as 'Art' and 'Wesen' in German, and thus evidence, perhaps, that the matter cannot be reduced further). We may note in passing that 'fun' in its current usage is of rather recent origin. French, oddly enough, has no cor­responding term at all; German half makes up for it by 'Spass' and 'Witz' together. Nevertheless it is precisely this fun-element that characterizes the essence of play. Here we have to do with an absolutely primary category of life, familiar to everybody at a glance right down to the animal level.

This is from Dutch historian, Johan Huizinga's book, Homo Ludens, in which he argues that play is a process through which culture is created and continues to develop.

I don't know if he's correct about the word, 'fun', but I definitely think he makes some interesting points about the creative power of play."

The synchronicity of this popping up in my inbox while reading PLAYGROUND was just too good not to note : )

PLAYGROUND by Richard Powers

About emotional responses while reading. Time is controlled in a way reality rarely allows. The feelings can fall and rise, fly and sink, as in a warp. Fear, anger, sadness and joy can occupy the same moment and the experience mined for varied nuance, combinations savored and explored. Or, the onrush of insight afforded by the elevated point of view of observer can allow the tears to well, willingly or resentfully, toward release. How we release is our secret measuring tool of the reaped rewards of reading. 

Notes:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychohistory?origin=serp_auto

MYTH Flowers Meaning

Fertile fodder for poetic metaphor:

https://www.theoi.com/Flora1.html

Rasa

https://globalphilosophyresources.com/2017/08/10/rasa-indian-aesthetic-theory/

Octavia E Butler

Resource for collage

https://library.nyam.org/colorourcollections/

Labyrinthian Journey

https://douglasaburton.com/category/heroines-labyrinth/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGYRFSmNZ3w

The Hero/Heroine/Seeker/Fool's Journey

https://niemanstoryboard.org/stories/rewriting-the-heros-journey-to-fit-a-feminine-narrative/ https://douglasaburton.com/heroine-centric-story-structure/ https://heroinejourneys.com/category/seeker-journey/ https://www.eadeverell.com/the-fools-journey/

HAIDUN

http://www.baymoon.com/~ariadne/form/haibun.htm The haibun is prose (or a prose poem) interleaved with one or more haiku: The prose is not an explanation of the haiku. The haiku is not a linear continuation of the prose. Make each word count in the prose text, as in a prose poem. Compact micro-haibun limit the prose text, such as to 20-to-180 words. Most commonly only one haiku is included, placed after the prose, and serving as a climax or epiphany to what came before. Many haibun include more than one haiku and longer text than the above range, as long as the resulting work is strong enough. The juxtaposition of prose and haiku is important. The prose should add to the depth with which we experience the haiku. The haiku should add meaning to the prose. You could think about getting some "air" (as the skate-boarders and snow-boarders say) between the prose and the haiku. Robert D. Wilson, editor of the e-magazine Simply Haiku, includes these features for a haibun: "a linked form. The link is between narrative, prose sections and one or more haiku." wide range of styles and content. minimal repetition of words and phrases; "what is written is tightly constructed". strong haiku that can stand alone as poetry. "Haiku ... relate to previous prose sections yet not be an extension of the prose. The oblique but relevant association between haiku and prose is the defining moment of the haibun. ... The haiku link offers readers a springboard to multiple, and often unexpected, meanings."The haibun is prose (or a prose poem) interleaved with one or more haiku: The prose is not an explanation of the haiku. The haiku is not a linear continuation of the prose. Make each word count in the prose text, as in a prose poem. Compact micro-haibun limit the prose text, such as to 20-to-180 words. Most commonly only one haiku is included, placed after the prose, and serving as a climax or epiphany to what came before. Many haibun include more than one haiku and longer text than the above range, as long as the resulting work is strong enough. The juxtaposition of prose and haiku is important. The prose should add to the depth with which we experience the haiku. The haiku should add meaning to the prose. You could think about getting some "air" (as the skate-boarders and snow-boarders say) between the prose and the haiku. Robert D. Wilson, editor of the e-magazine Simply Haiku, includes these features for a haibun: "a linked form. The link is between narrative, prose sections and one or more haiku." wide range of styles and content. minimal repetition of words and phrases; "what is written is tightly constructed". strong haiku that can stand alone as poetry. "Haiku ... relate to previous prose sections yet not be an extension of the prose. The oblique but relevant association between haiku and prose is the defining moment of the haibun. ... The haiku link offers readers a springboard to multiple, and often unexpected, meanings."

Sarah Hall's BURNTCOAT

p39 There is art, the item, or the concept. And there is the story of art, which is not its interpretation, its meaning. p110 It's all art, even thought, everything is.

Interactive Journaling from The Free Library

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Interactive+journaling+as+a+clinical+tool.-a0355938647

AI web page on bibliotherapy?

Bibliotherapy: A Four-Stage Process

In bibliotherapy, participants are lead through a four-stage process of identification, catharsis, insight, and universalization with a character or theme in a story.  I’ve also heard it described as a four-stage process of recognition, examination, juxtaposition, and self-application. With some analyzation, you can probably see the similarities behind these two schools of thought regarding the process.  For example, identifying (or recognizing) yourself in a character describes a similar internal event.

1. Identification/Recognition

Have you ever been reading ardently for a while when suddenly an event in the plot or a character’s remark “strikes a chord,” causing you to pause and reflect on your own life?  (I personally spend half of my time reading staring off into space.) At the moment you pause, you become aware of something about yourself or about life that has always been there but never been articulated thoroughly. During such a moment you are making a text-to-self connection (and you are entering the first stage of bibliotherapy).

2. Catharsis/Examination

The word “catharsis” is Greek for “cleansing.”  In this step, we arouse and release what has been suppressed after identifying it.  For example, we often read, watch movies, and tell our own stories because we feel better afterward (even under paradoxical conditions, such as when there is an ending we don’t agree with).  Even if the story itself doesn’t spark an emotional release, sometimes dialogue with others can serve this purpose. Our spontaneous responses (and the spontaneous responses of others around us) can reveal a lot. We often use storylines to release strong reactions to previously ambiguous issues.

3. Insight/Juxtaposition

Without guidance, a lot of us naturally stop the bibliotherapeutic process after identification and emotional release.  (Well, the movie is over. Back to the dishes…)

Entering the stage of juxtaposition takes mental effort because it involves putting two concepts (or two storylines - your life and the life of a character) side by side in order to compare and contrast them.  If taking on this task, it’s important to conduct it in an environment that encourages creative thinking (aka - not with pessimists). If role-models for behavior are possible in the characters, this should be discussed with an openminded person (or group of people) in a situation designed to stimulate original thinking, original connections, and playful attitudes. Creative writing activities can be assigned to solidify new understandings.

4. Universalization/Self-Application

If you find yourself able to integrate insights from the first three steps into your life (while truly sensing the human condition at work in your own story and in your own problems), you have successfully used the power of abstract thought to make bibliotherapy effective. If you take it further to face challenges with awe, cultivate an accurate sense of self-importance, and garner a new level of critical examination towards yourself and the outer world, the story choice and your participation in the reflection are a gift that will keep on giving.

Keep in mind, this can take months or years. Continual reflection and identity formation may develop as your mind wanders back to the story time and time again. Ultimately, you can use the process repeatedly to dive into yourself (while healthily distancing yourself from your life at the same time).

Final Clarifications

The four-stage process mentioned above is what makes bibliotherapy distinct from regular guided reading groups and book clubs. Educational professionals who have studied the process implement bibliotherapy in small group settings.  

Pamela Colman Smith

https://archive.org/details/green-sheaf/mode/1up

Bokononism

https://inthesetimes.com/article/i-love-you-madame-librarian