quote:

---

I met the man who has had the greatest influence on my continuing growth from immaturity to adulthood in person for the first time less than a week ago. His name is Orson Scott Card; he is an author of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and numerous other genres. His command of the English language and insight into human nature make him one of the most profound authors I have read. His writing, his ideas, and he personally have affected my life on multiple levels.
Orson Scott Card’s characters struggle with religion, not always understanding it. One character’s struggle, that of Nafai, particularly helped me to understand my own fears and admiration for my religion. Nafai is a young boy forced to decide between following his religion despite not fully understanding it, or fighting against it. His struggle means that I no longer feel alone in believing something I do not fully understand, instead I feel that my confusion is validated, and does not stem from a lack of faith. While I still do not fully understand I can accept my confusion, and learn from it, rather than be caged by it.
Another constant theme in Orson Scott Card’s writing is the idea that understanding someone brings about love for them. It is most fully expressed by this quote from his novel Ender’s Game: “I think it is impossible to truly understand somebody, what they want, what they believe and not love them as they love themselves.” This concept awoke me to the motivations of other people. I have found it is easy to understand people, if I only take the time to try.
More than anything else, the online community Orson Scott Card sponsors at hatrack.com has helped me mature. Upon entering it I found myself immersed in a community of adults who were both smarter and wiser than me. I began to learn to communicate in an adult style that had never before been open to me. Discussions there were serious, and it was expected that opinions would be backed with documented factual evidence. It was a new and challenging experience for me, one that I was not at all sure I liked. Luckily I swallowed my initial anger and hurt pride, and chose to stay and learn. There have been many times I was able to understand a difficult concept in class or on the news because it had first been explained to me by people at Hatrack. Hatrack has humbled me, it has shown and helped me understand myself, complete with all my shortcomings. This has allowed me to value my abilities without demeaning the abilities of others.
Orson Scott Card has reached into every aspect of my life and forced me to change and to grow. Although he does not know I exist, his existence has changed my world. I can only thank him for the many changes he has made in my life.

---

[ December 10, 2003, 04:22 PM: Message edited by: blacwolve ]
 

---

Posted by msquared (Member # 4484) on :
 
Who is this guy? I might have to read some of his stuff.

Nice piece.

msquared
 

---

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
 
I'm consistently amazed at the abuse people endure to remain part of hatrack. then I was watching the power of myth the other day and how rites of passage are part of every culture. :whacks blacwolve with a wet noodle:
 

---

Posted by kacard (Member # 200) on :
 
Terrific essay. We loved it at our house
Kristine Card
 

---

Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
 
I agree with every word of Blacwolve's essay.

Very well written Blacwolve. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way. It's so good to know that I wasn't the only one who felt that way about Nafai in Homecoming. It's by far my favorite series, and it sounds like you enjoyed it too.
 

---

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
Very nice, blacwolve! Hope your teacher likes it too.

I still have, somewhere or other, the essay I wrote about OSC when I was in HS. *muses* I should figure out where it is . . .
 

---

Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
 
Thanks everyone!

quote:

---

I'm consistently amazed at the abuse people endure to remain part of hatrack.

---

quote:

---

Terrific essay. We loved it at our house

---

I'm torn between being worried and very happy. Either way and thank you.
 

---

Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
 
I noticed, in reading this essay, that every single thing that you cited as being from me was really something from YOU. You were the one who adapted yourself to Hatrack - you could have gone off in a huff. You were the one who found in Nafai a parallel to your dilemmas of faith - believe me, most people DON'T think of that story that way.

I'm glad that my books and this community provided you with opportunities - but you were the one who recognized them and acted upon them with wisdom and patience.
 

---

Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
 
That's it. I'm going to post any OSC-related essay I write on the 'rack.

*goes to write some OSC-related essays*

BTW, very well done, blacwolve. I missed some details on this essay. Was it an assignment?
 

---

Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
 
Man, OSC actually posted. Last time he posted was when he needed help for Crystal City. I still need to go buy that book...

Need more hours at work.

Maybe I can ask for it for Christmas!

Blacwolve, I read Ender's Game again recently, and I think what Orson Scott Card said in this quote from his introduction to the novel is very fitting:

"If the story means anything to you at all, then when you remember it afterward, think of it, not as something I created, but rather as something we created together."

[ December 11, 2003, 11:42 PM: Message edited by: Nick ]
 

---

Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
 
That's a great essay Blacwolve. You've obviously thought about the effect of the books on you and your life a lot.

quote:

---

"If the story means anything to you at all, then when you remember it afterward, think of it, not as something I created, but rather as something we created together."

---

A couple of weeks ago I posted in a thread on the other side about the relative worth of television compared to books - my view is that books are more challenging because they force the reader to construct meaning, drawing on their own reality and experiences to do so.

I think OSC's writing is a prime example of this: the stories in themselves are fantastic, but above that each reader brings (and takes) something slightly different from the text, depending on their own context and experience. You have obviously done this thoughtfully and intelligently.
 

---

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
 
((blacwolve))

Ack, I've gotten pretty swamped at work and didn't proofread that for you like you asked. You did an awesome job and didn't need me anyway!

AJ

(Will you need to change the OSC doesn't know I exist part now? )

[ December 12, 2003, 09:58 AM: Message edited by: BannaOj ]
 

---

Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
 
Thank you so much! You're right, but you were still the catalyst, which also deserves thanks. Lots and lots of thanks.
 

---