It may be that I first knew of Ben Okri from the quote below, found on Denise's blog. I have not read him, though having seen him talk, however briefly, about his writing process, I look forward to doing so. He was awarded the Booker Prize in 1991 for THE FAMISHED ROAD.
He has been described as a magical realist, which I assume means the presence of events that cannot be explained in terms of the ordinary, or that cannot be explained at all. I am not sure where magical reality veers off the path of life as we know it, for I find life filled with much that defies explanation. Things happen and even if we know why, we often do not know how. Being able to let go of the how of things has freed me, day to day, from feeling responsible for finding answers where none exist. This may not be the world of which Mr. Okri writes, but from his quotes, I suspect it is at least close.
"We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn't have expected." ----Ben Okri
He has been described as a magical realist, which I assume means the presence of events that cannot be explained in terms of the ordinary, or that cannot be explained at all. I am not sure where magical reality veers off the path of life as we know it, for I find life filled with much that defies explanation. Things happen and even if we know why, we often do not know how. Being able to let go of the how of things has freed me, day to day, from feeling responsible for finding answers where none exist. This may not be the world of which Mr. Okri writes, but from his quotes, I suspect it is at least close.
"We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn't have expected." ----Ben Okri
20 comments:
It seems that fatalism and destiny are closely entwined with magical realism. I'm going to try and find this book. I wish I could watch the video but my computer is struggling with its connection tonight - lots of fog.
I found this fascinating, particularly at its end. The thought that the book is not about this happened and then that and we arrived somewhere. The story takes us on a journey and it is the journey that matters--we want to engage the heart of our reader and take them with us.
I think I need to think about THAT as I work on my memoir. The story or stories have to take those who read it on a journey that will engage THEM and to stop being concerned with the WHERE it ends.
Thank you so much, Marylinn, for including this!
"Mysterious and beautiful things that make us human." And, "Ideally I'd like my readers to not finish my books, and to finish them." I understand. Oh I loved listening to him, Marylinn.
I've always loved magical realism. Borges did it so well. I haven't read Okri, but he seems a true poet. I love how he describes story as "an interval in the enchantment of living." That is just gorgeous. On my way to find more of Okri.
I've been thinking a lot about this lately and your post hit the nail on the head. I will investigate this man more closely...sounds like a wise and interesting soul. Thanks.
listening/watching him choose his words with thought and care was so wonderful, and i realized how unusual it is. so many people speak glibly, quickly, as though it were as easy as plinking down a bowl of rice krispies.
thank you so much, marylinn.
Thank you for posting this. Reading Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close at the moment. Magic realism?? A fever dream? Just captivated and captured by his writing.
Rubye - Please return and try again, or go to You Tube when the fog has lifted. I think you will find much that resonates in his brief talk. You Tube also seems to have some other clips. When we've both gotten the book, maybe we can discuss.
Jeanette - When they started calling it "creative non-fiction," I thought about memoir, briefly. I could not get inside my own story in a way that let me feel it was big enough, universal enough. And I still don't know a way to weave in any magic, other than by fictionalizing it. And thus, I write essays which can wander off in any direction. He gave me much to think about with my writing, too.
Jayne - I'm glad his words spoke to you as they did to me. Just from the little I know, Life, as he sees it, seems to be less an ordeal to be gotten through and more Great Mystery to be experienced. Something more light-footed, if that makes any sense. :)
Kerry - Yes, that's how he and his work struck me. I find myself growing farther and farther away from notions that are fixed and absolute, regardless of the subject, and being drawn more deeply into...this. xo
Susan - I have to confess that I was especially taken with the way he spoke for I have known, for a very long time, that I leave spaces around my words. It is affirming to be in such company, reaching into the corners for what we really want to say. xo
Beth - It is my experience and belief that impossible things happen. I want to be captivated by writing. xo
ahh,
yes..
then I began reading the famished road. And could not finish it. So surreal and multi dimensional it lacked narrative of any kind.
I found it so difficult, I wish I could say it was great, but it just did my head in..
I've often said that since I couldn't make sense of my life, I would make art.
The journey that takes me somewhere that Okri talks about is what I desire. The transcendence, the movement out of the humdrum, into the light. We need more of these "intervals."
Denise - Well, I will dig in and see how I do...perhaps we can discuss, or not, once the book arrives. xo
Kass - We need, we require the intervals and, at the risk of being thought, um, unsound, I believe they are there, marking time until we turn our attention toward them. There is so much more to life than meets the eye. xo
Thank you, as always Marylinn
Isabel x
Isabel - Thank you for stopping by. xo
His pauses between his words say almost as much as his words.
What a wonderful way to spend 3 minutes -- thank you for posting this, Marilynn.
T. - That's how I felt...I was beguiled, not a word or a state that comes along often. xo
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