It has been a year since my first book went live and was available through all principal online channels (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Chapters/Indigo, as well as my publisher iUniverse), so it is time to “take stock.” Using a cliché like “take stock” is something a writer should avoid at all costs, unless of course, he is trying to get his readers attention.

When my son-in-law, who is an assistant manager at a Walmart store takes stock, he calls it “taking inventory,” to make some decisions about what sells well and what items need to be ordered. He is applying the literal meaning of the term to his task. I use the expression “to take stock” in the idiomatic sense, not the literal sense.

According to the Cambridge Dictionaries, the expression “to take stock” is an idiom which means “to think carefully about a situation or event and form an opinion about it, so you can decide what to do.” That idiom motivated this post.

My self-published book, Through a Lens of Emptiness: Reflections on Life, Longevity and Contentment, is a work of reflection. I spent time doing research on the meaning of self, the meaning of “I”, and tried to define the autobiographical self. I reflected on that research and wrote as I reflected. I delved into a panoply of philosophies both pure and religious in nature searching for a path to contentment, and consequently reflected on those things too. I developed a rational and structured approach to memoir writing. Finally, I reflected on my lifetime in light of all I learned, and all I thought, and all I felt.

Those who have read Through a Lens of Emptiness, and who shared their thoughts and reflections on my words and ideas, provided insight into my efforts. Their comments and commentaries fell into two categories, trivialities and substance.

The word trivialities is not used as a pejorative, but means that all well edited books should meet the criteria of well written, well researched, and well organized — therefore such comments are trivial. They reflect the author’s investments in time and energy. They speak of the determination of an author to produce a technically perfect work worthy of publication. In the case of a self-published work, they also reflect the quality of editorial services, book and cover design services, indexing services, and proof reading services that were purchased by the author. All of these “trivial” commentaries are appreciated because they demonstrate how the final product reflects a high standard of preparation and presentation. Such comments are most welcome.

The substantive comments are the most important to an author, for such comments let an author know if they reached into readers hearts and minds. Did the reader learn anything from the book? Did they feel anything special as a result of reading the book? Were the ideas presented thought provoking? To date, I have had only a few opportunities to discuss my work with those who have read it. Here are some of the comments that meant something to me.

· The book was thought provoking, and caused us to re-evaluate some of our choices in life.

· Your book could serve as a reading in a philosophy course. The autobiographical vignettes provided insights into life’s experiences.

· I could see the progression of my life reflected in the progression of yours.

· I was amazed at how you were able to take such detached, objective perspectives on your life experiences and evaluate how each impacted you.

· You define enlightenment as an inward looking experience.

· Your words are much like thoughts which I have expressed in poetry. I have written a poem inspired by reflecting on your words and ideas.

· An impressive and thoughtful work.

On the critical side:

· One reader said she got lost in the complexity of ideas and explanations found in Part One of the book. (To which I answered,” Read the second and third parts. They are autobiographical, not technical in nature. You may find them more interesting and certainly easier to follow. If there is an idea that you need to clarify, then go to the index and look it up as required.”)

· If you believe in the axiom “do no harm, how do you rationalize eating meat? (To which I answered, “Part of knowing the self, is to be honest about the choices you have made, accept the realities of your existence, and admit the conflicts you experience between philosophy and action. Nothing is all or none. The aboriginal peoples have taught us to respect for all life, including the animals we consume.” The person who asked me the question was not happy with my answer, and neither was I. Such are the inconsistencies between philosophy and reality at times.)

There are many fine writers producing books in a multitude of genre, some through the mainstream press and others through one form of self-publishing or another. Most authors will likely agree that even the finished product, the published book, in spite of all the efforts of editors and proofreaders, still has a few flaws.

Each will also likely say that every draft of every paragraph and chapter was a learning experience, providing insights into the writing process and his strengths and weaknesses. Every author will say he wrote his book because he was inspired or compelled to tell a story or express an idea or philosophy. I am no different than they.

As I “take stock” of my efforts as a writer as reflected in the comments of my readers, I take some solace. I know I have produced a competent work in prose. I know I have touched a few readers and therefore have likely touched others as well. What more can one ask.

I might also have included the following general instruction to my readers.

Through a Lens of Emptiness is a work written in the context of both fact and philosophy. If you find Part One a bit heavy, read it as carefully as possible, then go on to Part Two and Part Three, which are in essence a memoir. You only need to understand the basic philosophical idea behind the structure for doing a life analysis, to appreciate how they have been applied to writing a memoir.

As the author of a niche non-fiction work, it is a given that the audience for such a book is limited. While I have written a niche book, I did not write for a niche audience, I wrote as an Everyman, for everyone. There is nothing more important than preserving the self. As Luis Buñuel so aptly wrote:

You have to begin to lose your memory, if only in bits and pieces, to realise that memory is what makes our lives. Life without memory is no life at all.”

It is the notion that memory is self and self is memory that motivated me to write Through a Lens of Emptiness. I tried to write a work that informed the reader about the nature of the autobiographical self and then provides a blueprint for realizing his memoir. I hoped to demonstrate that even the memoir of an Everyman can be interesting, and in some unexpected ways, compelling.

The greatest legacy anyone can leave is his memoir. I can think of nothing more valuable than a record of human experience shared across the generations. There is a wealth of experience to be gleaned through learning about the life history of those that came before us.

As always, your faithful blogger,

L Alan Weiss (Larry) – Author

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