Reading @PandemicTimes (1 of 3): Reading books opens the door to acts of creation.

Good morning to the learning community of the Jose Rizal College. This is my first time to join you as a resource speaker. It is truly an honor to speak before you about books, reading, its joys and challenges during a most memorable moment in human history. For who would think books and reading are essential for survival a time like this? Today, I am going to present three ideas about books and reading, as well as the joys and the challenges they bring, as necessities in life in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

Books and reading are essential for survival because:

1.      Reading them opens the door to acts creation.

2.     Books provide a structure that develops disciplined thought/thinking.

3.     Books and reading builds community. 

1.      Reading books opens the door to acts of creation.

 I am going to show/mention some book covers. Let me know who among you have read them: Demian. Into The Magic Shop. The One Who Walked Away from Omelas. Human Acts. Kafka on the Shore. These books are special to me. Of the five, I have only read two namely, The One Who Walked Away From Omelas (which is actually a short story) and Kafka On the Shore. I am currently reading Into the Magic Shop. Can you guess why these books mean a lot to me?

Kim Namjoon, BTS’ leader has read all those books. (I am ARMY and he is my bias). Apart from that, being the lyricist and poet, he is on top of conceptualizing the songs and albums that they create, produce and release on a regular basis. All four books and one short story are inspirations and references of their songs and music video. Since BTS debuted in 2013, they have never stopped creating and producing singles, albums, MVs and reality shows. They have been very prolific. When COVID-19 took the world by surprise, they were the first group of artists who released a single, staged an online concert, performed remotely and continued on doing so until their live concert this month.

There are many factors that attribute to this productivity namely, a system of government that feeds and supports the creative industry of SK; a production outfit that allows them artistic freedom; and the given nature of BTS or Bangtan as brilliant, talented and authentic artists. However, Kim Namjoon’s penchant for reading books, I believe, play a big part in keeping the creative juices flowing.

Let us watch the MV of SpringDay, where The One Who Walk Away from Omelas is referenced and its themeintegrated into the concept of the MV.

Omelas is a short story by Ursula Le Guin. It tells of the story of an ideal society that depends its existence on the suffering and oppression of another, in this instance, a child. Those who cannot live with this reality leave Omelas. Taking this message of the story into the theme and concept of the song and its MV, Spring Day has become one of Bangtan’s compelling works.

 At the time of its production, Bangtan’s popularity was on the rise not only because they are made up of seven gorgeous boys but they also sing and perform songs replete with socio-cultural issues relevant to the society. One such example is Spring Day as it touches on a real-life tragedy that involved the drowning of 100 plus SK students who had a trip off to sea. It is known in SK modern history as the Sewol Tragedy. How the authorities handled and resolved this tragedy was very controversial. Bangtan chose to pick this up and merge it with the theme of Omelas which resulted to a powerful song and MV that portrays the loss, grief, guilt and uncertainties of growing up and dying young either figuratively or realistically. In the end of the video, the boys left an inn/dorm called Omelas, rode a train into an unending winter where they stopped at a leafless tree. A hopeful sign as they gather together stating their choice to leave a place of sorrow and regret.

In Spring Day, we see a combination of themes taken from a work of fiction and from events in real-life, as well as the feelings and the personal experiences of the boys/Bangtan. Imagine taking away Omelas in the equation? The lyrics, as well as the music would have played out differently. The visual images may not have the same gravity if Omelas was removed from the MV. What the story did for the the MV was to amplify its message and themes. The viewer or the audience can now access the MV from various channels, metaphors, sounds and images. Omelas, in this process of creation, is not an accessory but a vital link to the different parts of the MV in general. Books and literature for this matter become tools for creation. Literature was created as a form of art and by reading them, it moves the reader to create one too, or another art form if we take the example of BTS.

Kim Namjoon is continuously inspired by the books he is reading and we see these books and their message, themes and even technology permeate the art and music of Bangtan. It is a gateway to acts of creation as well as a component of the art that is being created. What is amazing is that, KMJ, including Suga, V and JK are known to be active readers. We see them reading in the recently concluded season of In the Soop.

READ to be better at something. READ to create. READ to live.