ZOOMING IN | literary sketch
Impressions from Adventures in Solitude
Recently, I read Doris Kearns Goodwin's The Bully Pulpit, a book about Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism. Beyond Goodwin's incredible writing, I was introduced to the names of Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, Ray Stannard Baker, and John S. Phillips, who all worked for McClure's Magazine. They were known as “muckrakers,” journalists who exposed the unethical practices of corporations while educating the public about the truth. Upton Sinclair is a well-known example of muckraking, with his exposure of foul practices in the meatpacking industry. These individuals revealed the corruption of Standard Oil and U.S. Steel. Their articles led to the passing of significant legislation and the creation of governmental organizations like the Federal Trade Commission, providing the public with insight into the inner workings of corporations and governments.
I was so inspired by the impact these writers had on society I sought out where I could find other writings by Tarbell, Stevens, Baker, and Phillips. The only person I could find at the local library were writings by David Grayson, the pseudonym for Ray Stannard Baker. A collection of vignettes about country life and personal moments of reflection.
I put on hold as many of Grayson’s once popular quiet country sketches as possible. Soon enough, a librarian handed me a small mahogany-colored book with a beautiful geometric patterned cover and a gold-lettered spine with the title Adventures in Solitude. I opened the book to find the pages soft, the edges brown with age, and the lovely smell of a book that had been around for some time.
Much of the book is set in a hospital where Grayson feels incredibly isolated and resolved that his life has sunk to its lowest depths. As the book continued, I could see the theme of recovery play out and felt the relevancy of an active person restrained by illness. Oh, the torture of idleness! The writing moved me with the descriptions of tyrannical nurses, the slowing down of the mind to hear the birds, and the glory of reading for the imagination. In the end, he knows he is well on his way to recovery by none other than a pumpkin pie.
From reading about the value of solitude and finding that “nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul,” I was inspired to write about a topic that I strongly resonate with. I am not suffering from fatigue, nor am I shackled to a hospitable bed. Quite the opposite. I am in constant motion and am always looking for a way to escape. I am not desirous of being alone or cut off from the rest of the world, but I do find myself chaffing under the many present limitations. This led me to take notes on escapism, zooming in on the areas where I feel the need to get away and why.
From Adventures in Solitude, I learned that I could zoom in on a part of my life without writing an autobiographical saga or even a complete memoir. I can shape a story with all the components needed for a good book, with a focused theme that is personal yet manageable in length. I would have been unaware of this type of compact sketching of one’s personal struggle without having sought the writers who so famously wrote consequential pieces at the turn of the 20th century.
Another insight I gained while reading was the importance of having a healthy diet of good writing in my life. Grayson's writing, with its philosophical notes, poetic interjections, and imaginative musings, truly captivated me. His writing is powerful, romantic, and descriptive—the kind I aspire to achieve. The story or setting doesn’t need to mirror mine, but reading a book in the style I wish to attain enhances my own work.
Next, I am going to read Adventures in Friendship and Adventures in Contentment. In this season, both topics seem relevant and worthwhile for gaining a better understanding and perspective. Even more so, I hope to be inspired as I was with Solitude, inspired to continue to better my craft and inspired by the theme of appreciating each day as if it were my last.
