As a writer I draw inspiration from many other
writers. I could probably write an entire book on historical people who have
inspired me in one way or another. As a writer, they fall into such categories
as writing styles I have learned from and may even emulate; the ideas
themselves that I think are useful, such as in politics, religion or systems of
belief; there are strategy writings, either with applying useful ideas of
politics, religion, or how to write well; and of course combinations of one
degree or another of those mentioned.
One writer I’ve often enjoyed reading is Thomas
Jefferson. His best writings were from his letters where he could write
honestly about the people he had to deal with in the mid 1700s, both before and
after his presidency. There are many Marxists who hate the idea of “liking”
Jefferson for any reason, because he was a racist, and some people still take
his capitalist ideas seriously today. I like the fact that he was not
religious; he had an almost Epicurean view; was well educated compared to some
of our other yahoo forefathers, such as Alexander Hamilton and fully understood
the Republican movement of that time period and its significance.
I’ll never forget what he wrote comparing Hamilton
to John Adams in his letters:
“Another
incident took place on the same occasion, which will further delineate Mr.
Hamilton’s political principles. The room being hung around with a collection
of the portraits of remarkable men, among them where those of (Francis) Bacon, (Isaac) Newton and (john) Locke, Hamilton
asked me who they were. I told him they were my trinity of the three greatest
men the world had ever produced, naming them. He paused for some time: “the
greatest man,” said he, “that ever lived, was Julius Caesar.” Mr. Adams was
honest as a politician, as well as a man; Hamilton honest a man, but, as a
politician, believing in the necessity of either force or corruption to govern
men.”[i]
I would have drawn about the same conclusion about
Hamilton, accept I may have been harsher on him. He seemed a bit of a dolt, to
believe the Caesar was the greatest man who ever lived. Caesar was a tyrant and
an imperialist. He had some good qualities, but comparing Jefferson’s favorites
to Hamilton’s was like comparing a Harley Davidson Sportster
to a tricycle. Hamilton was clueless as a revolutionary. I don’t share
Jefferson’s enthusiasm for all of those theoreticians, but at least they are
people with theoretical modern ideas and scientific views as opposed to a
political brute.
Jefferson’s choices
aren’t that bad considering what he had to choose from at that time period. But
who would I pick? To pick three of the most important people in history is
difficult, because there are many who wrote very little but did a lot. Both
Jiang Qing/江青 and Salvador
Allende both faced death for ideals they believed in. Allende didn’t write a
lot and was not all that theoretical, but he was a hero in my opinion. I could
say similar things about Jiang.
But suppose I had to
choose three books, out of the many that I have been inspired by!? Who would
they be? If I had to narrow my choices to three, they would be writers of
course, so I have narrowed them down to my three main ones.
First there is the
politically obvious Mao Zedong/毛泽东. He is clearly my favorite
political writer of all times. I also learned some things about style and
composing written pieces from his work. Then there is Hunter S. Thompson. He was
like my mentor when it came to learning about writing and style. He was the
grand master of writing in my opinion. The third was the trickiest. Epicurus’/Ἐπίκουρος, theories have
had a profound effect on me. But one of his followers, Titus Lucretius Carus was by
far a better writer. So did I go with the original ideas, or with the person
who could better write them in an interesting and entertaining way? I finally
chose Epicurus. The ideas are important. Outside of my politics, he is my
favorite philosopher. So there is my own trinity. By no means is it complete.
By no means is it so set in stone that I can’t occasionally put Lucretius over
Epicurus because I like biting satire. I’m a writer and a political activist
and those two things are sometimes separate.
And I can still admire
Allende even if he wasn’t the best writer.
So who would you choose
for your “trinity of writers?” Or maybe your heroes are men or women of action?
Or maybe they are musicians instead? They’re your three heroes. Leave a message
if you please.
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