Even the title has a certain timeless feel to it.
I first read about the book World Enough & Time, by Christian McEwan, on Susan J. Tweit’s blog, and I ordered it
at once. The subtitle, “On creativity and slowing down,” coupled with Tweit’s review
of the book proved irresistible.
Amazon.com’s description says, “According to McEwen, the
nonstop emphasis on productivity that is so prevalent in our society is
counterproductive for anyone wanting to be creative”—something I wholeheartedly
agree with. My default speed is slow. I spent a lot of time alone as a child,
and though I was occasionally lonely, I mostly enjoyed the solitude and freedom
to do and think as I chose. Spending afternoons in my room, listening to music,
daydreaming, writing in my journal or reading formed my personality. As I have
grown up and gone from child to parent, from student to worker, I’ve lost
nearly all of that unscheduled, dreamy time and I want it back. I hate the
speed of 21st century life, and the common assumption that busy is
better and packed schedules equal fulfilling lives. McEwen encourages us to
allow ourselves to slow down and pay attention.
This really excellent book deserves a slow and thoughtful
read. McEwan has pondered long on her subject matter, and draws on a wide range
of sources to flesh out her points, quoting writers, philosophers, artists,
musicians, psychologists and others. Some reasons I liked World Enough & Time:
It reinforces something I believe in: slowing down is good
for us, not just as a tool for creativity but also a way to heal troubled minds
and hearts.
The way the book is written encourages you to slow down—not
that it’s difficult to read, but that each page holds so much to digest. Before
each new chapter is a title page with a single quote so that there is a sort of
pause before you go on to new material. Each chapter ends with a couple of
simple suggested activities and more quotes to ponder.
The writing is beautiful, with evocative chapter titles like
“The Art of Looking,” “A Feast of Words,” “The Space Between” and “A Day So
Happy.”
Here is one of my favorite passages from the book:
“Computer ‘memory’ is literal and predictable; it does not
alter over time. Human memory is considerably more fluid. We need time to muse
and dream, to mull, to ruminate, to sort through our own insights and
associations. In the words of the philosopher William James, ‘The connecting is the thinking.’ Without space for that
free-floating receptivity, short-term (or primary) memory is not transformed
into the long-term (or secondary) kind. Our memories are not consolidated. We
mislay the tiny details of our lived experience, the originality and
satisfaction of our own opinions.” In other words, without time to process our
lives, we forget them. I’ve often felt like an oddball because of my need for
quiet time every day just to sit and think or daydream, letting my mind roam
where it wants to go. I feel better about that need, now that I know it’s essential
for realizing a fully-lived life.
World Enough & Time
is not just a book for “creatives”—artists, writers, musicians, etc. It’s a
book for anyone interested in stepping out of the mad rush of the world to live
at his or her own pace. I plan to keep
it out where I can reread it more slowly (yes, I quickly read a book on slowing
down!) and internalize its ideas.
How do you slow down the pace of life?
