Words Are My Matter
Authors: Ursula K. Le Guin, Ursula K. Le Guin
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Overview
Words Are My Matter is a collection of my non-fiction work from 2000-2016. It includes essays, talks, speeches, forewords, introductions, and book reviews. Because I don’t comprehend thought as readily as narrative, the pieces focus largely on narratives–biography, history, travel and science writing–and on the quality of the writing itself. I believe that a good style signals a clarity and completeness of thought, and try to hold myself to that standard in my own work. Most of these pieces were written for specific occasions, and the subjects range from the importance of imagination in society to the nature of fantasy literature, the relationship between humans and animals, and the social construction of gender. As I’ve grown older, I’ve travelled less and written fewer essays, but have reviewed more books. I enjoy writing book reviews because they require a direct engagement with the author’s conscience, allow a lot of leeway for judgment, and can address wider social and literary subjects. Many of these reviews are of science fiction, a genre I know and love, but I’ve included others I’ve enjoyed writing, such as an exploration of the house designed by Bernard Maybeck that I lived in for many years, a defense of virtual literature, and a personal reflection on the nature of sleep. Taken as a whole, the book offers insights into my writing process, my critical perspective, and my views on literature and society. I hope my readers find it both enjoyable and thought-provoking.
Book Outline
1. Living in a Work of Art
This section is a reflection upon the interaction of a house and its occupants. The builder of the house has a relationship with the people who will live in it, and that relationship creates responsibility on the part of the architect. The house should not only be suited to the environment and social setting, but to the people who will live there. A house can have a moral aspect, as expressed in the honesty of its design and materials.
Key concept: “The house after all is only the shell and the real interest must come from those who are to live in it. If this is done carefully and with earnestness it will give the inmates a sense of satisfaction and rest and will have the same power over the mind as music or poetry or any healthy activity in any kind of human experience.”
2. Genre: A Word Only a Frenchman Could Love
Genre is a useful tool for sorting and describing fiction, but has been misused to create a hierarchy of fiction that promotes ignorance and arrogance. Genre is a valid descriptive category, especially useful for understanding 20th-century works. Since the postmodern era, genres have begun to melt and flow together. Genre labeling is used by publishers and booksellers to signal a safe but limited audience.
Key concept: “A genre is a genre by virtue of having a field and focus of its own, its appropriate and particular tools and rules and techniques for handling the material, its traditions, and its experienced, appreciative readers.”
3. The Operating Instructions
This section explores the imagination as a tool for humanity and argues for its importance in society. Children need practice imagining, just as they need practice with all the other basic skills. Imagination is developed by hearing and reading literature, especially poetry and stories.
Key concept: “The Operating Instructions”
4. Foreword
This section explores the process of writing non-fiction and its challenges. It is often hard work for me, and the product can be judged by people who know more about the subject than I do. I prefer to write fiction, which involves using prose as a tool for discovering something I didn’t know before I wrote it, rather than delivering a message.
Key concept: “So what’s the matter? I can understand that stone is heavy in the hand. Ideas flit like flies above the swill. I crowd with other pigs to get my fill. The mind is still.”
5. “Things Not Actually Present”: On Fantasy, with a Tribute to Jorge Luis Borges
Fantasy is often dismissed as a genre because it is not true. But the materials of fantasy–psychic stuff, human constants, images we recognize–are more permanent than the social customs with which realism deals. Until the late 20th century, the societies described in realistic fiction were limited and homogeneous. To describe a globalized and interlinked society, we need the language of fantasy.
Key concept: “Fantasy is, after all, the oldest kind of narrative fiction, and the most universal.”
6. The Beast in the Book
Animal stories are mostly considered to be for children in modern times, even though many adults respond to them. This is because we think of children as inferior, mentally primitive, and see animal stories as natural steps on their path to adulthood. Children may perceive something in animals that their culture denies. The three books discussed here – Doctor Doolittle, the Jungle Book, and The Sword in the Stone – are all about the relationships between humans and animals. Each approaches the subject from a different angle.
Key concept: “People and animals are supposed to be together. We spent quite a long time evolving together, and we used to be partners,”
7. What It Was Like
This section is a personal account of what it was like to be a pregnant college girl in 1950, a time before Roe v. Wade, when there was no legal or safe option for ending an unwanted pregnancy.
Key concept: “I can hardly imagine what it’s like to live as a woman under Fundamentalist Islamic law. I can hardly remember now, fifty-four years later, what it was like to live under Fundamentalist Christian law. Thanks to Roe vs. Wade, none of us in America has lived in that place for half a lifetime.”
8. A Response, by Ansible, from Tau Ceti
This section is a response to a collection of essays about The Dispossessed. The essays approach the novel not as an idea, but as a novel, a response that the author appreciates. The essays reveal the connections, echoes and leaps that make the narrative structure work, a revelation that was helpful and gratifying for the author.
Key concept: “If fiction is how it says what it says, then useful criticism is what shows you how fiction says what it says.”
9. Teasing Myself Out of Thought
This section contrasts the different roles of writing as a means to an end, and writing as an end in itself. Most writing serves a utilitarian purpose, delivering a message, but for the author, writing fiction is not about delivering a message. It is a process of discovery that reveals truths beyond any message.
Key concept: “Art reveals something beyond the message. A story or poem may reveal truths to me as I write it. I don’t put them there. I find them in the story as I work.”
10. Inventing Languages
This section examines the invention of languages and names, which begins with a setting, characters, creatures, and places. Invented names reveal how much interest the author has in language and in the creatures and places being named. Invented names and languages can be mythopoeic, and should always be self-consistent.
Key concept: “To make up a name of a person or a place is to open the way to the world of the language the name belongs to. It’s a gate to Elsewhere.”
Essential Questions
1. What is the role of imagination in literature and in life?
Throughout the collection, Le Guin emphasizes the power of imagination as a tool for understanding the world, ourselves, and each other. She argues that stories, especially those of fantasy and science fiction, can help us imagine alternative ways of being, challenge our assumptions, and expand our empathy. She emphasizes the need for imagination in education, in society, and in our personal lives. Le Guin sees imagination as a necessary counterbalance to the rational, materialistic, and often destructive forces that dominate our world.
2. How should we understand the concept of genre, and what is its relationship to the definition of literature?
Le Guin explores the nature of genre and its relationship to “literary” fiction. She challenges the traditional hierarchy that places realistic fiction at the top and dismisses other genres as inferior. She argues that genre is a valid descriptive category that helps us understand different types of fiction and their specific conventions and strengths. Le Guin believes that all genres, including realism, science fiction, fantasy, and others, can produce great literature. She encourages readers to be open to all genres and to avoid making judgments based on preconceived notions.
3. What can we learn from animal stories, and what is the relationship between humans and animals?
Le Guin explores the complex and often troubled relationship between humans and animals. She argues that our dominant religions and ethical systems view animals as objects for human use, while children often have a deeper understanding of their kinship with other creatures. Through her analyses of classic animal stories, Le Guin explores the themes of animal helpers, mutual aid across species, the pain of exile, and the yearning for a lost wilderness. She emphasizes the importance of animal stories in teaching children about their place in the world and about the interconnectedness of all living things.
4. What are the challenges and rewards of writing fiction and non-fiction, and how does the author’s writing process differ between the two modes?
Le Guin reflects on the process of writing fiction and non-fiction, offering insights into her own creative process and the challenges of writing in different modes. She discusses the importance of honesty and accuracy in non-fiction, and the need to avoid letting words lead her away from fact. In fiction, she prefers to use prose as a tool for discovery, exploring themes and ideas through invented narratives rather than delivering explicit messages.
5. What challenges do women writers face, and how has their work been marginalized or misrepresented in the literary world?
This question reflects a recurring theme throughout the collection: the tendency for women’s writing to be marginalized, dismissed, or appropriated by men. Le Guin discusses the various techniques used to exclude women from the literary canon, such as denigration, omission, exception, and disappearance. She argues for the need to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women writers and to challenge the patriarchal norms that have historically limited their recognition and influence.
1. What is the role of imagination in literature and in life?
Throughout the collection, Le Guin emphasizes the power of imagination as a tool for understanding the world, ourselves, and each other. She argues that stories, especially those of fantasy and science fiction, can help us imagine alternative ways of being, challenge our assumptions, and expand our empathy. She emphasizes the need for imagination in education, in society, and in our personal lives. Le Guin sees imagination as a necessary counterbalance to the rational, materialistic, and often destructive forces that dominate our world.
2. How should we understand the concept of genre, and what is its relationship to the definition of literature?
Le Guin explores the nature of genre and its relationship to “literary” fiction. She challenges the traditional hierarchy that places realistic fiction at the top and dismisses other genres as inferior. She argues that genre is a valid descriptive category that helps us understand different types of fiction and their specific conventions and strengths. Le Guin believes that all genres, including realism, science fiction, fantasy, and others, can produce great literature. She encourages readers to be open to all genres and to avoid making judgments based on preconceived notions.
3. What can we learn from animal stories, and what is the relationship between humans and animals?
Le Guin explores the complex and often troubled relationship between humans and animals. She argues that our dominant religions and ethical systems view animals as objects for human use, while children often have a deeper understanding of their kinship with other creatures. Through her analyses of classic animal stories, Le Guin explores the themes of animal helpers, mutual aid across species, the pain of exile, and the yearning for a lost wilderness. She emphasizes the importance of animal stories in teaching children about their place in the world and about the interconnectedness of all living things.
4. What are the challenges and rewards of writing fiction and non-fiction, and how does the author’s writing process differ between the two modes?
Le Guin reflects on the process of writing fiction and non-fiction, offering insights into her own creative process and the challenges of writing in different modes. She discusses the importance of honesty and accuracy in non-fiction, and the need to avoid letting words lead her away from fact. In fiction, she prefers to use prose as a tool for discovery, exploring themes and ideas through invented narratives rather than delivering explicit messages.
5. What challenges do women writers face, and how has their work been marginalized or misrepresented in the literary world?
This question reflects a recurring theme throughout the collection: the tendency for women’s writing to be marginalized, dismissed, or appropriated by men. Le Guin discusses the various techniques used to exclude women from the literary canon, such as denigration, omission, exception, and disappearance. She argues for the need to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women writers and to challenge the patriarchal norms that have historically limited their recognition and influence.
Key Takeaways
1. Style is not superficial; it reflects the quality of thought
Le Guin argues that the quality of writing is as important as the content, if not more so. A dull, inept style indicates a poverty or incompleteness of thought. She draws a parallel with Darwin’s writing, saying that his clarity, strength, and vitality of language directly express the accuracy, scope, and quality of his thinking. This suggests that AI engineers should be as concerned with the style and artistry of their language models as with their accuracy.
Practical Application:
An AI engineer working on a language model could use this to understand the importance of not only semantic accuracy but also stylistic nuance and the ability to evoke a particular feeling or mood through the choice of words and their arrangement. This could lead to the development of AI that can generate not only factually correct but also emotionally resonant and aesthetically pleasing text.
2. Judge literature by the quality of the work, not by its genre
Le Guin criticizes the tendency to judge literature by genre, arguing that it leads to lazy thinking and missed opportunities for appreciating different kinds of fiction. Instead, she suggests that we should approach all fictional genres as literature, recognizing that each has its own strengths and forms of excellence. This suggests that AI systems designed for literary analysis and recommendation should not rely on genre classification alone but should be able to analyze and evaluate individual works on their own merits.
Practical Application:
An AI engineer developing a system for content recommendation could use this understanding to avoid reducing works to their genres and instead, analyze the specific content, themes, and style of individual works to create more accurate and satisfying recommendations for users.
3. Cultivate imagination as a tool for understanding and growth
Le Guin emphasizes the crucial role imagination plays in literature and life. She suggests that imagination is not merely escapism, but a vital tool for understanding ourselves and the world, for envisioning possibilities, and for fostering empathy. She argues that it should be nurtured and developed, particularly in children.
Practical Application:
In designing AI systems that interact with humans, this insight is valuable. Rather than focusing solely on delivering information or achieving a particular goal, consider the importance of creating space for imagination and allowing for open-ended exploration. AI could be designed to facilitate creative play, storytelling, and the development of new ideas, rather than just providing predetermined solutions.
1. Style is not superficial; it reflects the quality of thought
Le Guin argues that the quality of writing is as important as the content, if not more so. A dull, inept style indicates a poverty or incompleteness of thought. She draws a parallel with Darwin’s writing, saying that his clarity, strength, and vitality of language directly express the accuracy, scope, and quality of his thinking. This suggests that AI engineers should be as concerned with the style and artistry of their language models as with their accuracy.
Practical Application:
An AI engineer working on a language model could use this to understand the importance of not only semantic accuracy but also stylistic nuance and the ability to evoke a particular feeling or mood through the choice of words and their arrangement. This could lead to the development of AI that can generate not only factually correct but also emotionally resonant and aesthetically pleasing text.
2. Judge literature by the quality of the work, not by its genre
Le Guin criticizes the tendency to judge literature by genre, arguing that it leads to lazy thinking and missed opportunities for appreciating different kinds of fiction. Instead, she suggests that we should approach all fictional genres as literature, recognizing that each has its own strengths and forms of excellence. This suggests that AI systems designed for literary analysis and recommendation should not rely on genre classification alone but should be able to analyze and evaluate individual works on their own merits.
Practical Application:
An AI engineer developing a system for content recommendation could use this understanding to avoid reducing works to their genres and instead, analyze the specific content, themes, and style of individual works to create more accurate and satisfying recommendations for users.
3. Cultivate imagination as a tool for understanding and growth
Le Guin emphasizes the crucial role imagination plays in literature and life. She suggests that imagination is not merely escapism, but a vital tool for understanding ourselves and the world, for envisioning possibilities, and for fostering empathy. She argues that it should be nurtured and developed, particularly in children.
Practical Application:
In designing AI systems that interact with humans, this insight is valuable. Rather than focusing solely on delivering information or achieving a particular goal, consider the importance of creating space for imagination and allowing for open-ended exploration. AI could be designed to facilitate creative play, storytelling, and the development of new ideas, rather than just providing predetermined solutions.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: A Response, by Ansible, from Tau Ceti
This chapter delves into Le Guin’s own writing process, offering valuable insight for AI engineers working on language models and creative writing tools. It explores the tension between intentionality and the unconscious mind in writing, highlighting the role of intuition and the limitations of purely rational approaches to creative work. It also touches upon the challenges of separating the author’s voice from the voices of their characters, a crucial consideration for developing AI systems that can generate diverse and believable characters.
Memorable Quotes
Foreword. 7
“Rightly or not, I believe a dull, inept style signals poverty or incompleteness of thought. I see the accuracy, scope, and quality of Darwin’s intellect directly expressed in the clarity, strength, and vitality of his writing—the beauty of it.”
The Operating Instructions. 13
“Through story, every culture defines itself and teaches its children how to be people and members of their people—Hmong, !Kung, Hopi, Quechua, French, Californian. . . . ”
Genre: A Word Only a Frenchman Could Love. 20
“When The Hobbit and its sequels were published, ignorance as a critical qualification was celebrated every time a literary pundit exhibited his sophistication by performing the time-hallowed Ceremony of the Ritual Sneers at Tolkien. Happily, that custom is fast dying out.”
“Things Not Actually Present”: On Fantasy, with a Tribute to Jorge Luis Borges. 27
“Fantasy is, after all, the oldest kind of narrative fiction, and the most universal.”
Inventing Languages. 43
“The instinct for ‘linguistic invention’—the fitting of notion to oral symbol, and pleasure in contemplating the new relation established, is rational, and not perverted. . . . . Certainly it is the contemplation of the relation between sound and notion which is the main source of pleasure.”
Foreword. 7
“Rightly or not, I believe a dull, inept style signals poverty or incompleteness of thought. I see the accuracy, scope, and quality of Darwin’s intellect directly expressed in the clarity, strength, and vitality of his writing—the beauty of it.”
The Operating Instructions. 13
“Through story, every culture defines itself and teaches its children how to be people and members of their people—Hmong, !Kung, Hopi, Quechua, French, Californian. . . . ”
Genre: A Word Only a Frenchman Could Love. 20
“When The Hobbit and its sequels were published, ignorance as a critical qualification was celebrated every time a literary pundit exhibited his sophistication by performing the time-hallowed Ceremony of the Ritual Sneers at Tolkien. Happily, that custom is fast dying out.”
“Things Not Actually Present”: On Fantasy, with a Tribute to Jorge Luis Borges. 27
“Fantasy is, after all, the oldest kind of narrative fiction, and the most universal.”
Inventing Languages. 43
“The instinct for ‘linguistic invention’—the fitting of notion to oral symbol, and pleasure in contemplating the new relation established, is rational, and not perverted. . . . . Certainly it is the contemplation of the relation between sound and notion which is the main source of pleasure.”
Comparative Analysis
Words Are My Matter, while covering a wide array of topics from literary criticism to personal experience, echoes themes found in other prominent writers. Le Guin’s defense of genre fiction, particularly science fiction and fantasy, aligns with the arguments of writers like Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro, who have challenged the traditional boundaries between literary and genre fiction. Her emphasis on the importance of imagination and storytelling connects with the work of authors such as Neil Gaiman and Ursula K. Le Guin herself, who have explored the power of narrative to create meaning and understanding. Her critique of consumerism and the commodification of art finds resonance in the work of writers like J.G. Ballard and David Foster Wallace, who have explored the alienating effects of modern consumer culture. However, Le Guin’s perspective on the relationship between language and thought, as exemplified in her analysis of Jack Vance’s The Languages of Pao, offers a more optimistic view than George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, which depicts language as a tool of totalitarian control. Le Guin sees language as a means of shaping our understanding of the world, but also as a tool for subversion and resistance. Similarly, her discussion of gender and the role of women in society, as seen in her analysis of Tove Jansson’s The True Deceiver, aligns with the work of feminist writers like Virginia Woolf and Adrienne Rich, who have challenged patriarchal norms and explored the unique experiences of women. Le Guin’s personal reflections on living in a work of art and the experience of sleep offer a more intimate and introspective perspective than is typically found in literary criticism, but they resonate with the work of writers like Gaston Bachelard and Joan Didion, who have explored the psychological and emotional significance of our surroundings and our experiences.
Reflection
Words Are My Matter offers a compelling glimpse into Le Guin’s mind, showcasing her eloquent prose, sharp wit, and insightful observations on a range of topics. Her defense of imagination, her nuanced understanding of genre, and her call for greater recognition of women’s writing are particularly resonant in today’s literary and cultural landscape. Her exploration of the power dynamics inherent in the relationship between humans and animals, as well as her reflection on the deep meaning embedded in seemingly mundane aspects of life, like living in a specific house or the act of sleeping, reveal her keen observational skills and philosophical depth. However, it is important to acknowledge potential biases in her perspective. Her strong critique of consumerism and the commodification of art, while understandable, might be seen as overly idealistic in the context of a market-driven society. Similarly, her dismissal of certain writing styles as “lazy” or lacking depth could be perceived as subjective and potentially dismissive of diverse aesthetic preferences. Despite these potential limitations, Words Are My Matter remains a valuable contribution to literary discourse. Le Guin’s clear-eyed analysis of the publishing industry, her incisive critiques of societal norms, and her passionate defense of the power of words make this collection a thought-provoking and ultimately hopeful testament to the enduring value of literature.
Flashcards
In “The Operating Instructions,” how does Le Guin define the imagination?
Le Guin argues that the imagination is the single most useful tool mankind possesses, beating even the opposable thumb. She defines imagination as ‘not a means of making money,’ but ‘an essential tool of the mind, a fundamental way of thinking, an indispensable means of becoming and remaining human.’
How does Le Guin suggest we reframe our understanding of “genre” in literature?
Le Guin suggests that we should understand “genre” as a valid descriptive category, recognizing that each genre has its own particular tools, conventions, and traditions that make it unique. She argues against using “genre” as a value judgment, as this promotes ignorance and arrogance.
In the “Foreword,” how does Le Guin describe dealing with writing a negative review?
She uses the example of a book she reviewed that she found to be incredibly bad, but whose author she respected. Instead of directly criticizing the book, she chose to simply recount the plot, a method that her friend, the novelist Molly Gloss, suggested.
In “Things Not Actually Present,” what is the definition of “fantasy” given by the Oxford English Dictionary?
He defines “fantasy” as “the mental apprehension of an object of perception,” which later came to be understood as an hallucination or a false perception.
What is “virtual literature” according to Le Guin, and how does it differ from Borges’s work?
She describes “virtual literature” as a fiction that seems to have detached itself from reality in order better to reveal its invisible mysteries.” She credits Jorge Luis Borges with the invention of this genre, but finds that Saramago brought to it a passionate and compassionate interest in ordinary people and everyday human life that Borges lacked.
What are the four techniques for excluding women’s writing from the literary canon, as described in “Disappearing Grandmothers”?
She identifies four techniques that exclude women’s fiction from the literary canon: denigration, omission, exception, and disappearance.
What does Tolkien identify as the ‘main source of pleasure’ in the creation of invented languages?
The instinct for ‘linguistic invention’ - the fitting of notion to oral symbol, and pleasure in contemplating the new relation established, is rational, and not perverted…Certainly it is the contemplation of the relation between sound and notion which is the main source of pleasure.
In “The Operating Instructions,” how does Le Guin define the imagination?
Le Guin argues that the imagination is the single most useful tool mankind possesses, beating even the opposable thumb. She defines imagination as ‘not a means of making money,’ but ‘an essential tool of the mind, a fundamental way of thinking, an indispensable means of becoming and remaining human.’
How does Le Guin suggest we reframe our understanding of “genre” in literature?
Le Guin suggests that we should understand “genre” as a valid descriptive category, recognizing that each genre has its own particular tools, conventions, and traditions that make it unique. She argues against using “genre” as a value judgment, as this promotes ignorance and arrogance.
In the “Foreword,” how does Le Guin describe dealing with writing a negative review?
She uses the example of a book she reviewed that she found to be incredibly bad, but whose author she respected. Instead of directly criticizing the book, she chose to simply recount the plot, a method that her friend, the novelist Molly Gloss, suggested.
In “Things Not Actually Present,” what is the definition of “fantasy” given by the Oxford English Dictionary?
He defines “fantasy” as “the mental apprehension of an object of perception,” which later came to be understood as an hallucination or a false perception.
What is “virtual literature” according to Le Guin, and how does it differ from Borges’s work?
She describes “virtual literature” as a fiction that seems to have detached itself from reality in order better to reveal its invisible mysteries.” She credits Jorge Luis Borges with the invention of this genre, but finds that Saramago brought to it a passionate and compassionate interest in ordinary people and everyday human life that Borges lacked.
What are the four techniques for excluding women’s writing from the literary canon, as described in “Disappearing Grandmothers”?
She identifies four techniques that exclude women’s fiction from the literary canon: denigration, omission, exception, and disappearance.
What does Tolkien identify as the ‘main source of pleasure’ in the creation of invented languages?
The instinct for ‘linguistic invention’ - the fitting of notion to oral symbol, and pleasure in contemplating the new relation established, is rational, and not perverted…Certainly it is the contemplation of the relation between sound and notion which is the main source of pleasure.