In a class some years ago I, along with all the other students, had been asked to present on a particular piece of assigned writing. As luck would have it I was given an essay by Bruce Chatwin called “The Bey.”

Lucky, why? First, I like Chatwin’s writing. I like what he writes about and how he goes about presenting his words. Second, I knew what Bey meant and therefore had a much easier time of it than my fellow students.

Having been a student on and off for many years, I suspected that most, if not all, would read the essay but wouldn’t do the necessary investigative work to understand the world upon which Chatwin was commenting within the body of his essay. Based on this belief, I organized my presentation around the necessary details to understanding the piece. It turned out to be a correct assumption; after a successful presentation, I closed with a question to start the discussion. The question was “what is a reader’s responsibility when coming to a piece?” I was speaking to a room full of writers.

“The Bey” begins…
Read the rest of this entry »