Why should we visit and take care of literary landmarks?
The words of great writers outlive them. Their thoughts and expressions are rooted in the people of their hometowns, the experiences of their youth, and the vistas of their life lessons. Visiting their personal spaces, real or symbolic, gifts a rich trove of stories and meaningful ideas.
Whether it is the dress-up box of the Alcott girls or the desk of Frederick Douglass or simply a portrait of a favorite writer hanging on a museum wall, the tangible imagery of inspiring people is worth the quest.
After experiencing an author site, be sure to jot your reflections down. Consider keeping a journal that you update with each site visit. Ask yourself and family or friends with you what surprised them, whether they have changed the way they think about something the author wrote about, and what questions they would have liked to ask the author directly.
Books, whether time-tested literature or our own collection of memories, influence us in powerful ways. As summers blur into fall, which then meld into years and years of beginnings and endings, the experiences that stay with us the longest are those we create outside our usual routine. This is why the art of writing has endured and will remain the beautiful representation of our future.
Patricia Smart
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