Andrea Hernandez Holm

 From the time we were small children, my mom took my siblings and me to the public library at least once a week . I will openly admit that I was in love with that library. It was full of  every adventure a girl could imagine, and, oh, did I imagine them. Growing up in a small desert community, the library served as my travel agent to worlds I may never have  visited except through the words of others. Books served to introduce to me to far off places, times long gone, and dreams to be fulfilled. I quickly learned that books could teach me, entertain me, comfort me, and fulfill me.

What is your purpose? is a question I am often asking students to consider and reconsider. I think that as writers, many of us tend to become engrossed in the stories we ourselves are telling and forget what  the purpose is of our books, or texts or art or music. Many times, I will say that a story is telling itself, failing to acknowledge my hand in the direction that the story takes, or the ulitmate impact it may have through the way it is told. Recognizing purpose and molding our narrative to it  directly impacts the effectiveness of our telling in general. But the purpose is only part of the working knowledge we need in order to write successfully. How, or if, we connect with our audience is the sole determinate to our effectiveness.

Writing is a relationship. Here, words serve to create connections between the writer and the audience. It is the way that language is used by a writer that allows (or disallows) a reader to identify with the story being told, understand the information being shared, or consider the claims being argued. I will tell students, this is your power. As writers, we use language to weave bonds between two people who may never meet face to face. This is what we should aspire for our writing to do:  capture the reader and, with our well-crafted language,  illicit an emotional response that introduces possibilities and wonders that they may never have experienced otherwise.

Scott Momaday said there is power in language. I believe this, know this. I hold a book in my hand and marvel at the world that is contained between its covers. Recently, I took my children to the library. They are old enough now that they don't need me constantly by their side so after I found my own treasures, I sat and watched them search for theirs. They made their way between stacks, scanning titles, flipping pages, and even talking with the librarians and I was struck by a feeling of giddiness. Reminded of my own childhood experiences in the library, and further fed by my belief in the power of words, I was excited for them, hopeful that each writer they encounter will build a relationship with them that allows them to experience new worlds, expand their knowledge, and dream new dreams.