On the First Anniversary of "Perspectives"

One of the qualities—and it happens to be rare—that mark Leigh Hunt's miscellaneous writing is his sense of fun [....] He enjoys larking about with a suject. There is a twinkle in the very first sentence [....] [His] fun is [...] gently domesticated, like the playfulness of an old friend at a family party [....] I first made the acquaintance of [his] more playful essays when I was a boy; they captured my imagination then, no doubt because they were so rich in concrete illustrations, exact humorous imagery; and when I turn to them now, they never fail to renew their charm.

 

There can be no doubt that Leigh Hunt wrote far too many short miscellaneous things. For some time, he actually attempted to write a daily paper by himself. Even some of his reprinted articles suggest a man who has nothing much to say but is only too well aware of the fact that he must say something. 

     So writes J. B. Priestley in his introduction to the Everyman's Library edition of Leigh Hunt's Selected Essays.  I chanced to read Priestley's words yesterday, the one year anniversary of this blog. Though he clearly points out Hunt's inferiority as an essayist to his more gifted colleagues, Lamb and Hazlitt, Priestley concludes that Hunt's writings have ther own particular merit.
     I began this blog on 30 August, 2011 with the intention of honoring the art of the essay: once a week, I wanted to feature a piece from a master essayist, such as Hazlitt, Lamb, or Johnson, as well as pieces from "lesser" essayists such as Hunt, Morley, and "Alpha of the Plough." I wanted to use work from as many writers as I could; I would also, once a week, write a piece of my own, whenever possible using the same subject matter as the featured essay. Thus the title of my blog, A Spectrum of Perspectives.

     However, almost immediately after I started this blog, a few of my friends requested that I relate the story of my monastic vocation. I complied, but it took many more posts than I had anticipated to tell the whole story and explain it clearly to those who knew little or nothing of monastic life. When I finally exhausted my vocation story, another friend requested that I write about my musical beginnings and subsequent career. That took many posts, as well.

     In the midst of all that autobiographical writing, the original concept of this blog got lost. I suppose I could still feature a "guest" essayist once a week, but I don't seem to do very well with series—witness my "Musical Monday" and "Saturday at the Opera," both of which have been less than regular. But in the past year I've discovered that what's most important to me is that I write, and as often as I can. Like Leigh Hunt, I may have nothing much to say, but I must say something. Ever since I learned to put pencil to paper, I wanted to say something. Spoken conversation is not my strong point, but people who are quietest are usually those who find that the written word is a more congenial way to express themselves. It's certainly more lasting.

     The title A Spectrum of Perspectives has therefore changed in its essential meaning. All the perspectives written here are mine, but having lived so many lives in this one life (you'll forgive me quoting one of my own poems), I have acquired many lenses through which to view the world and the people in it. My perspectives may not be earth-shattering; they may sometimes be, like Hunt's, more on the "playful" and "domesticated" side; nevertheless, I feel and have always felt the need to share them. I thank my readers for permitting me to do so.