Getting 2 Know Rona Altrows

I’m reading two excellent books right now and would not be able to choose between them, so with the indulgence of your readers, I’ll talk a bit about both. The Brain That Changes Itself, by Dr. Norman Doidge, confirms my long-held suspicion that there are no limits to the adaptability of the human brain. I admire the brave people profiled in the book and appreciate the accessible explanations of the science behind brain plasticity. And I love Dr. Doidge’s enthusiasm for his subject. 

To me, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery is a glorious celebration of the power of voice in fiction. The alternating narrators are real and alive to me. I find it exciting to listen to their respective versions of the same events. As both a reader and a writer, and in my everyday comings and goings, I am fascinated by the convergences, intersections and conflicts  between inner life and behaviour. In Hedgehog, Barbery explores that territory with skill, compassion and humor.

Why do you think what you do matters?

I think what everyone does matters. Beyond attending to the necessities, nobody has to do anything. So I think it does matter when people decide to take actions that are not essential to continued existence, but are potentially beneficial. 

I want to do social good but don’t have the temperament to be a transformative politician, an international development agency worker or a community health doctor. Yet I have something to give: short stories, essays, plays, mentoring, editing that respects my fellow writer’s style and voice. When I write a book, if I do my best and then someone reads the book and gets something out of it, I feel that that matters, even though I will likely never hear directly about that reader’s response.