Books Expand Your Perspective
I have just read the 24th book of my 52-Book Reading Challenge: Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor. It follows an unlikely protagonist: a disabled Nigerian immigrant who is the family oddball. I’ve already written a post about that book, but I wanted to talk a little bit more about the value books like this bring.
Books are like portals into someone else’s mind, even if that person is fictional. So often, we are expected to understand and relate to others’ experiences blindly. But recognizing others as people is one thing; understanding their lived experience and perspective is another.
Do I know what it is like to be a disabled Nigerian writer? No, I don’t. I can imagine what it is like. I can recall when I had a disability. I can remember times when I didn’t fit into a culture different than my own, or when I was the family oddball. But this imagination is still in my voice. A book like this helps me get closer to the imagery and reality of her experience, despite it being a fiction book.
Front Seat vs. Back Seat Imagination
This to me is the difference between “front seat” and “back seat” imagination. (These aren’t formal terms- I just made them up, but hear me out.)
Front seat imagination is when you are in the driver’s seat. Imagine you are sitting with a blank piece of paper. You decide what comes next based on your own imagination.
Back seat imagination is like a guided meditation. Your imagination is given some external prompt. When you read, your imagination is very active. But this is a different state than when you are creating your own words with a blank page.
Back seat imagination is more passive, which is nice sometimes. Sometimes I want complete control of the imaginative process, other times I want other people to guide me; especially if they know more about a subject than I do, or if they have lived different experiences.
I will never know what it is like to be a disabled, black Nigerian woman. But books get me a little closer to understanding. Not just in a theoretical way, but rather in a way that feels tangible, despite the fact that it is fiction. There is often still some truth in fiction books. Books and relationships make this connection more visceral. I am not sure if it will ever be complete though. But it is one step closer.
Messy Bun Book Lover
(Originally posted on July 7, 2025)
Read Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor → https://amzn.to/4nlyydW
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