A Transition of Sorts

As an English major, the question I am always asked when first meeting someone is, "What is your favorite book?" Sometimes it is asked out of curiosity, as with roommates or friends; sometimes out of a sense of necessity, like with classmates or family members; and sometimes, the question is proposed like some sort of challenge — as though there's a right answer. (Fellow English majors, I'm looking at you.)

However, much to the disgruntlement of those who are wondering, no matter what the intention of the question, I always answer it with, "I don't have one."

Because I do not have one favorite. I have many, and to marry myself to one would be doing a great disservice to the rest of the contenders. One summer day, when time is moving slow as molasses and the air is so thick that it permeates all it surrounds, I will sit down with Faulkner's Light in August. The next day, my thumb will be dog-earing a page of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez, and the following day I will leaf through some Whitman. As a lover of books, I find it difficult to read the entirety of one novel without reading other books on the side. I am constantly catching snippets from one work of fiction while simultaneously thumbing through another.

It is in this way that reading is like rhetoric. I find that you must consistently involve yourself in all aspects in order to be most successful.

It would not be conducive to focus entirely on the ethos of a situation, nor to wholeheartedly devote oneself to the logos, or pathos, or any other rhetorical concept. To be most efficient and persuasive, all modes of rhetoric must come into play — just as it is with myself and reading, I must always be involved with many books in order to grasp the extent of meaning in each one individually.

Throughout my time at Penn State University, I have learned how to effectively articulate my thoughts into expressive speech and composition, and wish to share examples of this with you, in the forms of essays, blog posts, and creative writing pieces. My portfolio of work is here for your browsing, and I welcome you to contact me with any questions, comments, or feedback.



Visit my portfolio here.