Tanya Sousa's Blog - Posts Tagged "empathy"
"The Starling God" -- Through Their Eyes
I am fascinated and alarmed by the way my species attempts to control the world. When I was a child, I would catch frogs or snakes or other small living things and release them again after I, a scientist as I fancied myself, had watched them awhile. What I noticed about them most was the look in their eyes – the fear when I caught them, and the relief when I let them go. There was mutual curiosity sometimes. This made it clear to me then that we are somehow all the same. I decided later that I needed to make others understand that too.
To do this, I realized I had much work ahead of me. I’ve written essays and article and short stories, but I felt my next project couldn’t be a quick essay that people read and forget in an instant like a lighter flashing on and off. It had to be long and meaningful enough to ignite people’s brains and to send ideas in many different ways until permanent neurological paths are formed. I felt my words couldn’t be a straight lecture or many people will tune it out and never give the words the oxygen of their interest. It had to be a story because everyone of every age loves stories, and it will hopefully guide them in with less judgment. It can’t be from the human point of view because, as our existing frame of reference, it may not show people that other living things have eyes too; it must be from the point of view of creatures we control. It must be about a species that we generally admire, as well, because sadly, we do count some creatures more lovable than others, and lovable means somehow worth more. To get people to listen, they’ll have to first take the baby step of admiring my characters.
As a literary scientist, I realized I had to take the leap from fact to fiction, and from fiction to fantasy to create such a project. Some scientists might scoff at my imaging how other creatures feel, but Einstein would not have. “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” He said. He knew that excavations of the imagination are often how facts are uncovered. It can be a flame that shines on what we were not able to see before in the dark.
Therefore, my next project is a novel, “The Starling God, fact blended with fantasy. It will be literally from a bird’s eye view. The story, I hope, will lead readers’ minds to fresh air and open doors and realizations, to empathy and understanding. Being the informal and literary scientist I am, I hope my findings and the retelling of them laced with imagination will alter readers forever as the story will surely continue to alter me in ways I’m not expecting.
To do this, I realized I had much work ahead of me. I’ve written essays and article and short stories, but I felt my next project couldn’t be a quick essay that people read and forget in an instant like a lighter flashing on and off. It had to be long and meaningful enough to ignite people’s brains and to send ideas in many different ways until permanent neurological paths are formed. I felt my words couldn’t be a straight lecture or many people will tune it out and never give the words the oxygen of their interest. It had to be a story because everyone of every age loves stories, and it will hopefully guide them in with less judgment. It can’t be from the human point of view because, as our existing frame of reference, it may not show people that other living things have eyes too; it must be from the point of view of creatures we control. It must be about a species that we generally admire, as well, because sadly, we do count some creatures more lovable than others, and lovable means somehow worth more. To get people to listen, they’ll have to first take the baby step of admiring my characters.
As a literary scientist, I realized I had to take the leap from fact to fiction, and from fiction to fantasy to create such a project. Some scientists might scoff at my imaging how other creatures feel, but Einstein would not have. “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” He said. He knew that excavations of the imagination are often how facts are uncovered. It can be a flame that shines on what we were not able to see before in the dark.
Therefore, my next project is a novel, “The Starling God, fact blended with fantasy. It will be literally from a bird’s eye view. The story, I hope, will lead readers’ minds to fresh air and open doors and realizations, to empathy and understanding. Being the informal and literary scientist I am, I hope my findings and the retelling of them laced with imagination will alter readers forever as the story will surely continue to alter me in ways I’m not expecting.
The Starling God Ready for Preorder!!!
Hello all!
My environmental novel, "The Starling God", is available now for preorder through Forestry Press. The book will be in print by late January.
Why preorder when you can wait for the book to be in print?
Publishers love preorders because they help assuage the hefty cost of production. Forestry Press is a brand new company with a noble purpose. Preorders will help them get off the ground.
Here's the link: Feel free to share!!!
http://www.forestrypressproducts.com/environmental-fiction-books/
My environmental novel, "The Starling God", is available now for preorder through Forestry Press. The book will be in print by late January.
Why preorder when you can wait for the book to be in print?
Publishers love preorders because they help assuage the hefty cost of production. Forestry Press is a brand new company with a noble purpose. Preorders will help them get off the ground.
Here's the link: Feel free to share!!!
http://www.forestrypressproducts.com/environmental-fiction-books/
