Words Create Worlds

And a little Radical Amazement, looking for miracles in the mundane.

“Words create worlds,” wrote Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in God In Search of Man. I learned this recently, when at my synagogue on the first night of Shavuot, a holiday that comes exactly seven weeks after Passover, commemorating the receiving of the Torah and the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai.

It is tradition at synagogues around the world to stay up all night learning Torah. I didn’t stay up all night, but I was there for a few hours, with about 60 or so people from my congregation, and we were reading and discussing a gorgeous graphic novel called Malkah’s Notebook.

“Each letter is a vessel of meaning, a conduit between the human and the divine,” he continues. “In the act of speech, we participate in creation. The sanctity of language is not in its form but in its function—to reveal the hidden, to make present the absent.”

One last thought from the great rabbi, who left this world the year after I was born.

“The Hebrew word for word is davar, which also means thing. This linguistic identity signifies that in Hebrew, words are things; they have substance and reality. Therefore, to misuse language is to misuse reality.”

I’d go a step further and say it’s not only true in Hebrew. But do we usually hold such reverence for words?

I do. At least I try to. At least I do hold the words on the page as important and revelatory. I’m not so sure I keep the holiness of words in mind, though, when I engage in casual conversation. Or post on social media.

And I should. We all should. My father used to say, “Out of your mouth, printed,” by which he meant that once you said something, you couldn’t unsay it. You couldn’t erase it.

That’s even more true today. How many times have you wanted to take back a text sent quickly in heated emotion? Or an email? Or taken down a social media post that people had already seen?

We authors of books, hopefully, are more careful about what we put out in the world. I know I am. With several of my books, I’ve asked “sensitivity readers” with a particular expertise or knowledge to read an early version of the manuscript to make sure I wasn’t getting things wrong or worse, being offensive.

I tell my writing students all the time that it’s one thing to write for your own pleasure, and never for another pair of eyes to see what you’ve committed to the page. Once you send your words out into the world, it is an opportunity for connection. A chance to impact others—for better AND worse.

Sharing a written story with a wide and open audience is a conversation. A chance for growth on both ends. A way to deepen our sense of what it means to be alive in this world at this time.

Recently, a listener of the audiobook for my second novel, Cave of Secrets, posted a review, saying she thought the story was “predictable” (OUCH!) but she gave it more stars because she learned more about me and my values and platform, and she admired how I wove that into my writing. I kind of liked that even though I disagree that the romance was predictable. But hey, I have a thick skin, I can take it. You sort of have to in this business.

Charlie Tanner Is In the World!

My third novel, I Love You, Charlie Tanner, made its debut in paperback, e-book and audiobook on Thursday!! Have you ordered your copy yet? If not, I’d so appreciate it if you would.

I launched this book with a virtual event and an in-person party. Enjoy some pics from launch events and generous shares by happy readers.

At the launch party, my friend Faye Wolf, who is the volunteer chair of the Green Team at Congregation Beth Ahm, spoke about Radical Amazement. This concept came from the rabbi mentioned above, Abraham Joshua Heschel, who marched alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This concept of Radical Amazement encourages us to take nothing for granted and be amazed every day. As Faye said at the launch, “Everything is incredible and deserves to be celebrated, and we need to wonder about everything.”

She learned this concept from Adamah, also in partnership with me at the launch. I invited them to celebrate this event with me because of the themes in my book and also because I believe strongly that we should celebrate ourselves alongside others worthy of celebration.

We’re talking about finding the miracle in the mundane. I think the simple act of writing and daring to share that writing with others is amazing, too. I did something hard, and kept at it, and believed in myself and my words enough, but also trusted others to want to read those words, to be changed by those words, to be inspired.

Creating a book for others to read is an act of courage and also of generosity. It’s sharing my heart and soul with the slim hope of letting someone else share theirs back.

Some photos from the launch, courtesy of photographer Ira Goldberg

At the launch, people shared personal stories with me that I am so honored to receive. There were human connections—soul connections—that came about simply because each of us dared to come out and come together and connect, believing that in doing so, we are making the world brighter, better, safer.

There’s a lot to worry about in the world these days, and a lot to anger us, too. We can’t ignore it. But if that’s all we see, what’s the point of anything?

Choosing to look for the beauty, for the miracle, for the common ground, that’s what makes life worth living. I could’ve written a book and released it and said, “Go to it!”

Instead, I chose to bring people together, to talk and to listen, to hug and to smile and to squeeze a hand and pat a back and make sure we all know that no one is alone in any of this.

Love to you all, Lynne

Thanks for reading Lynne Golodner’s Substack. This newsletter is published free to all readers on the 1st and 15th of each month. If you’d like to support a working writer, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. And if you like what you read, share with others and leave a comment. You can learn more about Lynne Golodner here.