Nonfiction

When we talk about reading, it seems we almost always mean fiction. At least, I do. I talk about all the books I have or all the ones I have read – almost all fiction. This seems to be the default genre when people talk about reading, writing, or anything to do with books.

Sometimes, I think we forget that there is a whole lot more out there when it comes to the written word. I know I am totally guilty of passing over biographies, essays, journalism, and other nonfiction without a second thought. The thing is, though, when I do pick up a well-written piece of nonfiction, it acts on my soul the same way that a novel or short story does. So why don’t I see it as an equal?

Partly, I think it is training. The nonfiction I read in school was abysmal. Textbooks are not written to be enjoyed. Their writers probably don’t even enjoy them. Other than that, it was Newsweek for Kids or similar magazines. History, Math, and Science classes didn’t emphasize reading for pleasure. It was more just get the information and get on with it. Not to say my teachers didn’t want to share a killer biography about their favorite mathematician or a page-turner about some important historical event, but with so much to cram into our distracted brains, there wasn’t much time for extra reading.

That was one aspect of the Common Core Curriculum that intrigued me when I was studying for my Masters in Education. Common Core encouraged critical reading in subjects other than English. The program had a whole host of problems, to be sure, but that one stuck with me.

Now that I am an adult and get to pick what I read, I am still drawn to fiction. However, I have come to appreciate a well-written piece of nonfiction. The key word there is well-written. Just like a bad novel, a bad historical account can be downright painful to read. But a well-written piece of nonfiction – be it a cookbook, academic thesis, travel adventure, whatever – has the potential to be just as life changing as any classic literary work. These gems can be hard to find, but so is a good novel, if you think about it.

I guess what I am trying to say is that we shouldn’t think of nonfiction as a dirty word. It isn’t inherently dry or boring. It isn’t aiming to suck the fun out of reading. It’s not all written like a textbook. It just depends on the individual book. So maybe next time you visit your local library or bookstore, wander through the nonfiction section. See if anything catches your eye. You might be surprised.