Why do I want to achieve The Great American Novel?
For this blogpost I would like to share my reasoning and intention for invoking The Great American Novel into both the rhetoric of this imprint and my work. I tried my best to consider the clearest way to explain myself, and decided on sharing two primary reasons I have for achieving The Great American Novel.
It took me some time to process and find the right words for the first reason why I care about The Great American Novel. I came to realize that oddly enough, a primary motivation behind all this is you, or rather I should say, us. What does that even mean? I’ll explain, but let me begin with my simplest response.
I believe that the idea of The Great American Novel is inherently great because of us. It’s not something you or I as individuals can achieve alone. You, me, our culture, we are what birthed the idea, we are the ones to either validate or deny its existence simply with the meaning and context we add to it. Of course you’re a significant reason why I’m willing to do all of this, because the way I see it, I won’t be able to do it without you.
That was the simplest reason, but I also want to share a more in-depth breakdown with you. All of my rhetoric invoking the idea of The Great American Novel whether it’s through the imprint or me alone directly to you is intentional. There’s a reason behind that intent. I believe that any mention of a self reflexive idea like The Great American Novel automatically carries with it meaning and implications. Since the idea has a direct correlation to our society and culture, any direct or indirect mention of The Great American Novel implicates you and I.
That implication is absolutely necessary to me because while I understand the idea as a cultural myth from our past, I don’t believe its past influence on our national identity was all that it could be. That implication is why I challenge all of your definitions of The Great American Novel. I challenge every single one of you for the title, because I believe together we can do something unbelievable. This isn’t me saying that The Great American Novel is some perfect solution to cultural division, but I have no doubt that it can help. I believe that for a country as large and diverse as America, with a history like ours, there is bound to be social division. But, I also believe that’s why our society needs more signifying symbols that act as cultural unifiers. I believe that by resurrecting the cultural myth, we can shape it in a way so that it also functions as a symbol for cultural unification!
That may not sound like enough to warrant all of this, and let me be the first to admit I’m not your exemplary flag waving patriot. But, if you’re right and that answer doesn’t satisfy you, let me ask this, aren’t we supposed to strive for a more perfect union?
My second reason is much easier for me to share because it really just comes down to me personally. Really doesn’t everything we do just boil down to our beliefs and the actions we rationalize from those beliefs? So why? Why do I care about The Great American Novel? Well, personally I believe there are ideas worth pursuing.
It’s been four years since this idea first latched itself on my mind and for four years, the idea hasn’t just stayed with me. No, if anything, with each passing day, it only burrows itself deeper into the gray matter of my brain. That may sound like exaggeration, and, honestly, I wish it was.
Have you ever had an idea that burned itself into your corneas so that it’s in one of the last things in your vision as I close your eyes and drift to sleep? Have you ever had an idea buzz in your ears so much it steals your focus through the days, and makes you restless through the nights? Have you ever had an idea that nags at you right as you get up in the morning?
If you have, I know you understand, and if you haven’t, I hope you can. Because at this point, I don’t care how long it will take me, or about how slow moving it all feels sometimes. I don’t care about the results, good or bad. Whatever the successes that may come, or the failures I must face, none that matters. The only thing that matters is the peace of mind knowing that this idea came to me and I did the best I could to see it through.
So, as ridiculous as it sounds, I have an idea-that’s it. I have this idea about The Great American Novel I know is worth pursuing-that’s all this is.