"Why is literature still important? Because it increases your experience of life. Every book you read vicariously gives you some of the life experience of the writer who wrote it. After you've read a book, you know more. If you know more, you can think better. If you can think better, you're smarter. If you're smarter, you're wiser. And if you're wiser, you're a better person.
How is literature relevant to current young people? It's relevant to young people because stories will always be relevant to people, no matter their age. We are the stories that we have to tell. A person who has no stories to tell has lived an empty life. It's in stories that we best find out who we are and why we are.
What are the benefits, both tangible and not? I answered that already in part, but I forgot one important thing: it's fun. Best, Yann"
How is it that fiction can become so believable? "Fictional stories are so believable because in a very real sense they are true; that is, they speak of the human condition, of what it means to be human. Fiction is true. It's reality, often times, being so superficially analyzed, that is false."
Did you always love writing and want to be a writer or did you have different aspirations as a kid? ANSWER: As a kid I dreamed of politics. But it was the theatre of politics that attracted me, I realize now. I started writing at the age of 19, with a very bad play, followed by bad short stories and a bad first novel. I got better slowly.
Was there an actual person that inspired the character pi? Or is pi a symbol for all of humanity or religions? ANSWER: For each reader to decide. I'm the author, not every reader. But I'll say this: fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human.
From what I understand, there is going to be a movie made about your novel "Life of Pi". I was wondering if you plan on helping with the production of this movie or if you plan on seeing it at all? Do you think it will portray your novel "correctly"? ANSWER: I'll have no formal involvement, but the studio, Fox 2000, has kept me in the loop. I love movies, so I'm not too worried about what the result will be. And whatever happens I win: if it's a great movie, it was based on my book. If it's a terrible movie, it's the director's fault.
I think the most interesting part I have found thus far is your naming of the main character "Pi". To me it seems like throughout the book he comes full circle in his relationship with religion, animals, and life in general. So did you intend for Pi to be a sort of metaphor for him coming around full circle in the novel by using Pi as a sort of mathematical reference or metaphor to a circle, did you choose it for another reason or was it just simply a name you chose? ANSWER: That's a good reading of Pi's name.
I would like to ask if Pi and Yann are one in the same through the religious part of this book. Does Yann practice all three of these religions. I think if you grew up in so many different parts of the world that practiced such different religions, each religion would rub off on you a little bit. ANSWER: No, I don't practice three religions. I'm broadly comfortable with Jesus and Christianity. But I also feel no fear or threat from other religions. I think they're all trying to do the same thing: understand something that necessarily goes beyond our understanding.
Why give the tiger a "formal name" like Richard Parker, complete with a story of the name's origin? ANSWER: Because animals are owed dignity. Because every name has an origin. Because it had a nice ring to it.
after watching a few of the interviews with Yann it seems like he really didnt do that much ... as far as going out of his way to answer the questions ... some of the questions had the same exact answer... almost the exact same wording as in the interviews.. we should have asked more of him... or maybe im just expecting too much from this man.
after watching a few of the interviews with Yann it seems like he really didnt do that much ... as far as going out of his way to answer the questions ... some of the questions had the same exact answer... almost the exact same wording as in the interviews.. we should have asked more of him... or maybe im just expecting too much from this man.
You say that this book in not impossible but not plausible but do you feel you could have three different religions at one time that totally contradict each other? If so How?
I'm anxious to get the four questions, one from each class period, this year. We'll send four questions to him to see to which he writes the most words. I hope every class period ties by getting him to respond with 314 words exactly. We'll see, though, won't we? Tomorrow, Wednesday, we vote as classes on which question to send to him.
I agree with Andy Carlson, his answers were pretty bland and gave no real answer at least not the answers i would have expected from the questions being asked.
Sure, his answers were vague at points, but I think he got his point(s) across. He's most likely a very busy man and doesn't have 4 hours a day to answer questions from a bunch of kids he'll never meet. It would be nice if he would write us a 4 page report on all of our questions, but I expect nothing more from him than what we've got. Props to Yann for taking any time at all.
I also agree with Adam, they are bland but he may not have time to write, so i do not believe we will get much answers out of him, so whomever can get a pretty long reply will have to make it a really good question.
I like that Yann gave the tiger a formal name. It makes you feel more attached to the animal and care about it more. I also wonder why Yann chose three religions for Pi to worship? Most people are only one religion and I find it hard to believe in different Gods at the same time. But maybe because Pi was on that lifeboat for so long he needed all the help he could get.
Yes my point was kind more along the lines of his blandness raises questions, if he were to answer the questions then the questions would be answered and nothing more would be expected from him but beings as he really didn't i think it maybe even raises more questions. It provokes more of a responce the way he does it.
The questions will be great and he will do what he can for us. He's been generous with thousands of requests. Some authors go into hiding after they write major books that affect people's views and mindsets. J.D. Salinger, author The Catcher in the Rye comes to mind. Martel doesn't have to answer a single one, but I'm thrilled to get what he sends me.
pd. 3 I agree with Mr. C. We are criticizing the way Yann answers our questions, but think of how many questions and emails he has to answer. We are lucky that he is taking time to write back. For some questions he barely had an answer. This is going to make it hard to think of a question to ask him for our class so we can win!!
I like how Yann states: "For each reader to decide. I'm the author, not every reader. But I'll say this: fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human." That is a true author. He may have had intentions of who and what with the book, but the reader is going to think what they want when reading it. So really, no true intentions were made.
3 If Yann answered all the questions we asked directly, word for word, we would have no thinking left. We'd have all the answers told to us so all our reason of thinking would be gone. No room left for wondering or trying to figure out a meaning of a symbol. I don't think Yann gives us each answer because he wants his readers to think for themselves, and not base all their thinking on his answeres(even though he is the author).
I think that the reason that Yann doesn't write a ton of response to us is because he is a very busy person. I can completely understand why he gives only a few words with every email. I wonder just how many other people are contacting him asking for his input. probably alot.
Yann doesnt need to say a lot to make it mean a lot. His responses were very intelligent and insightful. I would like him to have said more but Im sure everybody going to want more no matter how much he says. A great example of this is Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It's considered one of the greatest speeches of all time and lasted only a couple minutes. Quality over Quantity and Yann gave some quality answers.
pd.5 I agree with Alex about it hard to believe in three religions. It does kind of seem impossible. But I think it will mean more later in the story when all hell have left is hope.
"fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human" i really like this quote. The more you know about human nature the better you write. Fiction tells a story about what would happen and can be a very accurate source when it comes to predicting how humans will respond..
First, I looked at the length of Mr. Martel's responses. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. However, after that, I actually read the questions and his responses. In my opinion, they were poetic. His understanding of life seems so in-tune with everything. He leaves enough room in between each question for the reader's own interpretation. At the same time, I don't think the time crunch with him being so famous helps in the length of responses. He did what he could, and I think he got the questions answered entirely.
32 comments:
"Why is literature still important? Because it increases your experience of life. Every book you read vicariously gives you some of the life experience of the writer who wrote it. After you've read a book, you know more. If you know more, you can think better. If you can think better, you're smarter. If you're smarter, you're wiser. And if you're wiser, you're a better person.
How is literature relevant to current young people? It's relevant to young people because stories will always be relevant to people, no matter their age. We are the stories that we have to tell. A person who has no stories to tell has lived an empty life. It's in stories that we best find out who we are and why we are.
What are the benefits, both tangible and not? I answered that already in part, but I forgot one important thing: it's fun. Best, Yann"
How is it that fiction can become so believable? "Fictional stories are so believable because in a very real sense they are true; that is, they speak of the human condition, of what it means to be human. Fiction is true. It's reality, often times, being so superficially analyzed, that is false."
Did you always love writing and want to be a writer or did you have
different aspirations as a kid?
ANSWER: As a kid I dreamed of politics. But it was the theatre of politics that attracted me, I realize now. I started writing at the age of 19, with a very bad play, followed by bad short stories and a bad first novel. I got better slowly.
Was there an actual person that inspired the character pi? Or is pi a symbol for all of humanity or religions?
ANSWER: For each reader to decide. I'm the author, not every reader. But I'll say this: fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human.
From what I understand, there is going to be a movie made about your
novel "Life of Pi". I was wondering if you plan on helping with the production of this movie or if you plan on seeing it at all? Do you think it will portray your novel "correctly"?
ANSWER: I'll have no formal involvement, but the studio, Fox 2000, has kept me in the loop. I love movies, so I'm not too worried about what the result will be. And whatever happens I win: if it's a great movie, it was based on my book. If it's a terrible movie, it's the director's fault.
I think the most interesting part I have found thus far is your naming of the main character "Pi". To me it seems like throughout the book he comes full circle in his relationship with religion, animals, and life in general. So did you intend for Pi to be a sort of metaphor for him coming around full circle in the novel by using Pi as a sort of mathematical reference or metaphor to a circle, did you choose it for another reason or was it just simply a name you chose?
ANSWER: That's a good reading of Pi's name.
I would like to ask if Pi and Yann are one in the same through the
religious part of this book. Does Yann practice all three of these
religions. I think if you grew up in so many different parts of the
world that practiced such different religions, each religion would rub off on you a little bit.
ANSWER: No, I don't practice three religions. I'm broadly comfortable with Jesus and Christianity. But I also feel no fear or threat from other religions. I think they're all trying to do the same thing: understand something that necessarily goes beyond our understanding.
Good luck with the rest of the book.
Best,
Yann Martel
Why give the tiger a "formal name" like Richard Parker, complete with a story of the name's origin?
ANSWER: Because animals are owed dignity. Because every name has an origin. Because it had a nice ring to it.
after watching a few of the interviews with Yann it seems like he really didnt do that much ... as far as going out of his way to answer the questions ... some of the questions had the same exact answer... almost the exact same wording as in the interviews.. we should have asked more of him... or maybe im just expecting too much from this man.
after watching a few of the interviews with Yann it seems like he really didnt do that much ... as far as going out of his way to answer the questions ... some of the questions had the same exact answer... almost the exact same wording as in the interviews.. we should have asked more of him... or maybe im just expecting too much from this man.
You say that this book in not impossible but not plausible but do you feel you could have three different religions at one time that totally contradict each other? If so How?
Where did you get the inspiration for Life of Pi?
I'm anxious to get the four questions, one from each class period, this year. We'll send four questions to him to see to which he writes the most words. I hope every class period ties by getting him to respond with 314 words exactly. We'll see, though, won't we? Tomorrow, Wednesday, we vote as classes on which question to send to him.
1st period
I agree with Andy Carlson, his answers were pretty bland and gave no real answer at least not the answers i would have expected from the questions being asked.
Sure, his answers were vague at points, but I think he got his point(s) across. He's most likely a very busy man and doesn't have 4 hours a day to answer questions from a bunch of kids he'll never meet.
It would be nice if he would write us a 4 page report on all of our questions, but I expect nothing more from him than what we've got. Props to Yann for taking any time at all.
I also agree with Adam, they are bland but he may not have time to write, so i do not believe we will get much answers out of him, so whomever can get a pretty long reply will have to make it a really good question.
pd. 1st
I like that Yann gave the tiger a formal name. It makes you feel more attached to the animal and care about it more. I also wonder why Yann chose three religions for Pi to worship? Most people are only one religion and I find it hard to believe in different Gods at the same time. But maybe because Pi was on that lifeboat for so long he needed all the help he could get.
Yes my point was kind more along the lines of his blandness raises questions, if he were to answer the questions then the questions would be answered and nothing more would be expected from him but beings as he really didn't i think it maybe even raises more questions. It provokes more of a responce the way he does it.
Alex--are you at the part where Richard Parker's name origin is explained? Amusing part, for sure.
The questions will be great and he will do what he can for us. He's been generous with thousands of requests. Some authors go into hiding after they write major books that affect people's views and mindsets. J.D. Salinger, author The Catcher in the Rye comes to mind. Martel doesn't have to answer a single one, but I'm thrilled to get what he sends me.
true.
pd. 3
I agree with Mr. C. We are criticizing the way Yann answers our questions, but think of how many questions and emails he has to answer. We are lucky that he is taking time to write back. For some questions he barely had an answer. This is going to make it hard to think of a question to ask him for our class so we can win!!
I like how Yann states: "For each reader to decide. I'm the author, not every reader. But I'll say this: fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human." That is a true author. He may have had intentions of who and what with the book, but the reader is going to think what they want when reading it. So really, no true intentions were made.
3
If Yann answered all the questions we asked directly, word for word, we would have no thinking left. We'd have all the answers told to us so all our reason of thinking would be gone. No room left for wondering or trying to figure out a meaning of a symbol. I don't think Yann gives us each answer because he wants his readers to think for themselves, and not base all their thinking on his answeres(even though he is the author).
Brittany F. says that Martel's responses should be short, leaving decisions up to us.
I think that the reason that Yann doesn't write a ton of response to us is because he is a very busy person. I can completely understand why he gives only a few words with every email. I wonder just how many other people are contacting him asking for his input. probably alot.
Yann doesnt need to say a lot to make it mean a lot. His responses were very intelligent and insightful. I would like him to have said more but Im sure everybody going to want more no matter how much he says. A great example of this is Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It's considered one of the greatest speeches of all time and lasted only a couple minutes. Quality over Quantity and Yann gave some quality answers.
pd.5
I agree with Alex about it hard to believe in three religions. It does kind of seem impossible. But I think it will mean more later in the story when all hell have left is hope.
"fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human" i really like this quote. The more you know about human nature the better you write. Fiction tells a story about what would happen and can be a very accurate source when it comes to predicting how humans will respond..
Period 7
First, I looked at the length of Mr. Martel's responses. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. However, after that, I actually read the questions and his responses. In my opinion, they were poetic. His understanding of life seems so in-tune with everything. He leaves enough room in between each question for the reader's own interpretation. At the same time, I don't think the time crunch with him being so famous helps in the length of responses. He did what he could, and I think he got the questions answered entirely.
Leah's right to agree. Some of us--most of us--all of us--have no idea what it means to be "human." I don't, but I'll try and seek.
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