I recently read and really enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. When I saw that he was answering questions on tumblr, I enthusiastically clicked the link. But after reading just a few of the posts I remembered my thing about authors and had to stop. Here’s the thing about authors: they will disappoint you. (Although, this usually doesn’t apply to classics or to authors that have been dead for a while). If you love literature, and especially if you love a specific book, do not look too far into the authors. They will not live up to the pedestal you place them on because they are real people with real flaws and sometimes (a lot of the time) the complicated symbolism or deep message you find in their books were something that happened by accident or because of weed or something. Or they are so sick of hearing about their book that they don’t even like what they wrote anymore. Or you find out they’re pretentious or just generally assholes. Whatever it is, it doesn’t belong in your concept of the book so don’t let it in. In a way, once an author creates that world- the characters, the emotions, the words- it becomes separate from that author. Of course, they absolutely must be credited for their creation, but, like a child, that creation becomes its own person. And that individual doesn’t necessarily need its creator anymore.

I’m not sure why I’m so cynical about this, considering I haven’t actually been all that disappointed by any authors (thankyouthankyou JK Rowling and Douglas Adams), but I think being cautious is a good idea. And I thought, considering what triggered this rant, it would be interesting to mention (hi, internet) because John Green seems to be aware of this as well. If you read TFIOS, you can clearly see the suggestion of exactly this in the character of Peter Van Houten. So, hopefully, if John Green were ever to see this, he wouldn’t be insulted that I don’t really want to know anything about him.

Whenever this happens people will invariably ask me, giggling and smirking like it’s something shameful, “Did you just snort?” But I know there is nothing to be ashamed about. Because, really, they should take that snort as flattery. That snort is pure. See, whenever it happens, at least to me, it’s usually caused by gasping air in too fast and without discretion between which airways. Meaning- that laugh was unexpected, which is flattering to the person being funny. Also meaning- there was no forethought given to the laugh, making it the most genuine and pure kind.

Also, hi. I might start a blog. Not really sure yet.