Monday Morning Required Reading. A little translated tale for you today. This story is a testament to the power of art and creativity, I think.  The way our art can sometimes unwittingly reveal truths we have yet to admit and explore. I often feel that if I haven't spoken about something, it isn't real yet. This story makes me wonder if creative processes have the same effect. Does writing about something you haven't articulated yet make it more real? Do other forms of creativity function in the same way? After you've read this story, let me know what you think. Here's Etgar Keret's "Creative Writing":

The first story Maya wrote was about a world in which people split themselves in two instead of reproducing. In that world, every person could, at any given moment, turn into two beings, each one half his/her age. Some chose to do this when they were young; for instance, an eighteen-year-old might split into two nine-year-olds. Others would wait until they'd established themselves professionally and financially and go for it only in middle age. The heroine of Maya's story was splitless. She had reached the age of eighty and, despite constant social pressure, insisted on not splitting. At the end of the story, she died...[KEEP READING]

[Giving credit: I mentioned this on my first Monday Reading, but I feel like I should mention it again. I am indebted to Elizabeth of Ring Them Bells for this wonderful idea. She posts links to stories on Sundays, and it has become a delightful practice of mine to spend a portion of my afternoon reading whatever she has recommended. If you feel like your week could use a little more literature in it, I would encourage you to start following her.]