My Thesis Statement through the Lens of Neil Gaiman

"Someone asked me recently how to do something she thought was going to be difficult, in this case recording an audio book, and I suggested she pretend that she was someone who could do it. Not pretend to do it, but pretend she was someone who could. She put up a notice to this effect on the studio wall, and she said it helped.

So be wise, because the world needs more wisdom, and if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise, and then just behave like they would."

- Neil Gaiman 

Dear Readers,

I am currently dramaturging (basically research librarianing) for Rorschach Theatre in DC. They are doing a production of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and had asked me to write a blog post regarding why I love Neil Gaiman and his work.

I wrote one, and realized after reading it that it was a thesis statement about why I want to be a librarian and what I love about stories in general.

1) I believe in the ability for people to change for the better. To improve. To rise above what is expected of them. This is why I want to give a book to someone that helps them realize something new about who they are, that inspires them to rise above others expectations and do something extraordinary.

2) I believe that the past, present, future and the world of imagination all exist right now, they reverberate back and forth and effect our choices and who we are. This is why I write Palimpsest. The books I write about are all mash-ups, alternate histories, historical re-imaginings, metaliterature, fantasy, scifi and adaptations.

Here is the blog post I wrote, and I hope you watch Neil's commencement address at the end. It is 20 minutes of pure inspiration.