President Obama on What Books Mean to Him

 

President Obama on What Books Mean to Him

1/16/2017, NYT

"Some of the craft of writing a good speech is identical to any othergood writing: Is that word necessary? Is it the right word?Is there a rhythm to it that feels good?How does it sound aloud?"
"... not just the poetry of fiction, but also the depth of fiction."
"Fiction was useful as a reminder of the truths under the surface ofwhat we argue about every day and was a way of seeingand hearing the voices, the multitudes of this country."
"Sometimes you read fiction just because you want to be someplace else."
"And I took this wonderful Shakespeare class in collegewhere I just started to read the tragedies and dig into them.And that, I think, is foundational for me in understandinghow certain patterns repeat themselves and playthemselves out between human beings."
"And perspective is exactly what is wanted.At a time when events move so quickly and so much informationis transmitted, the ability to slow down and get perspective,along with the ability to get in somebody else’s shoes —those two things have been invaluable to me."
"I’ve been busier than I expected. So one of the things I’m reallylooking forward to is to dig into a whole bunch of literature."