Hi y’all! So, obviously reading and writing go hand-in-hand. Kinda like hearing and speaking. My writing would be quite illiterate if I had not indulged in reading many wonderful works throughout my life. And a handful of sublime. Cough, cough Twilight. I have two favorite authors, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Brett Easton Ellis. (It’s a mouth full so my brother and I call him Brellis)
I fell head-over-heels for Fitzgerald’s work after reading the short story, “Winter Dreams.” He has an enchanting style, but more than that he displays important life themes through brilliant characterization. I feel that Fitzgerald is well-aware of human fault. His characters are often lustful or overly materialistic. They are usually chasing the unobtainable, and seeking happiness in vanity. His real-life wife, Zelda, was a source of inspiration for him. After researching her, I often keep her in mind when writing off-beat female characters. She was beautiful, but suffered from many mental issues making her a loose cannon. I find her life, and his description of it, eye-opening.
Brett Easton Ellis is a writer who has helped pioneer the genre of transgressive fiction. He uses short prose and blunt wording. His most famous works are American Psycho and Less Than Zero. My personal favorite is The Rules of Attraction. His work is primarily satirical, focusing on platonic characters living in a self-absorbed society. I have never read a story of his with a true hero. I love the originality of that! His content can be incredibly graphic. It took me a while to read American Psycho because it is so disturbing. I enjoyed it thoroughly though, and I would say his work has influenced me more than any other author has. He can make a person question their own sanity, feel completely unsettled, and laugh simultaneously, which shows what incredible wit and power lie behind his words.
I have always had a passion for learning about the past! I call my particular interests “twisted history.” Dungeons, duals, dictators, and disease. Especially disease. Hit me up if you ever wanna discuss the plague, black death preferred. When I was in elementary and middle school, I read lots of mysteries or coming-of-age stories set in times spanning from the crusades to WW II. As I have matured, I still often opt for works on these subjects. Now, I read more detailed information about these times that requires a bit more reader discretion. An example is Number the Stars, a timeless piece of historical fiction about the holocaust. Side note, also would enjoy talking about Joseph Mengele or other concentration camp experiments anytime. I would adore this novel at any age, but it was also suitable for me as a child.
I am currently reading the book Red Sparrow. It is about Russian spies utilizing the art of “sexpionage.” Also a great movie! It is an incredibly riveting story, but as the description may imply, it possesses many adult themes. Speaking of the Soviet Union, I have a personal passion for the Russian Revolution. I have written a piece, it almost reads like a long free-verse poem, comparing the Grand Duchess Anastasia to Grigori Rasputin’s daughter, Maria. I would love to continue practicing to write historical fiction. It is a genre that requires a lot of thought and research. I have not gotten quite comfortable writing it; that is a huge goal of mine!
Overall, one of my favorite parts of both writing and reading is that it is all up to interpretation. A reader may not absorb my words in the way I have intended them to, and that’s okay. I could be wrong about the themes I draw from books, but the important thing is that I find meaning or a personal connection to them. I love that written work can be versatile while remaining the same.
Caroline C. Cole 