The Truth is Stranger than Fiction (and More Amusing)

I've never been mountain climbing, or hike- hiking (as in more than just my jaunts around Raccoon Creek State Park), nor camping. While road tripping across America is like a siren song to me, I've never done that either. However, there's something immensely appealing to me about the idea. As such, Bill Bryson's account of his trip following the Appalachian Trail in A Walk in the Woods had me hooked just by reading the blurb on the back of the book.I happened to open up to a funny bit about bears in the middle of it that had me laughing aloud in Barnes & Noble, so I bought it.

Don't judge this book by its cover!

Bryson's book had me in hysterics throughout most of the reading. From his wife's reception of his decision to follow the trail to his trip to the camping store, his inviting his childhood friend Katz and the ups and downs of their journey, Bryson recounts everything as if he's telling it over a cup of coffee in his living room. His intense fear of bears is sprinkled throughout the book providing me with laugh-myself-to-tears moments and the need to run out and share the jokes with my family.

In the midst of Bryson's tale, he writes with a motive beyond sharing his hilarious hike with the world: he is speaking out on behalf of nature in America. He writes for the wildlife, the trees, the national parks, the trails. They're on the way to extinction, and it's the fault of humanity. Bryson, seeing everything first-hand, pleads with his readers to become aware of what's going on so that the problem can be stopped. 

Most of my adventures in non-fiction have been either speeches or essays required for class. I was introduced to David Sedaris through Me Talk Pretty One Day and realized non-fiction could be amusing and entertaining too. People sharing their stories in a creative way cast the non-fiction genre in a whole new light. I encountered more non-fiction in my literary journalism class textbook, The Art of Fact, which consists of magazine-length interviews written almost as if they're short stories.

I think it's important to share with students the joy that can ensue from reading non-fiction. Biographies and essays are fine for those who are into that sort of thing-- but in high school, not many are. Students can study and work to attain their own writing styles to record their personal histories in new ways, whether in a journal or in the style of Bryson and Sedaris. Studying these techniques shows them how to be creative with facts, to spin a web and entertain readers with the seemingly mundane experiences of everyday life.