Morris publishes first book: ‘Points of Tangency’
Have you ever thought about who owned the used coat or shirt you’re wearing or seen someone in passing who you thought you’d be friends with?
That’s the idea behind the title of Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing Scott Russell Morris’ first book, “Points of Tangency.”
“I hope this book invites readers to embrace the weird things that they are really interested in and to think deeply about them–to have a sense of curiosity and wonder about the everyday things around them.”
Morris says “Points of Tangency” is about relating to other people, especially strangers, and exploring the way people or things come together, even if just for a moment.
“I have one essay in the book where I imagine the lives of other people on the bus with me and an essay where I imagine the life of somebody from thousands of years ago after seeing a pot in a museum. I really explore this idea of imagining other people’s lives.”
The book, which took about 10 years to write, includes two main characters–Morris and his wife. Early essays include themes of their relationship when they were newly dating and the book ends with the birth of their first child. The essay, “Triptych: A Study in Comfort,” is the essay he’s most proud of and one he wanted to write for a long time. It became a letter to his wife and is about the moment he fell in love with her when they were still dating.
“She was talking about her beliefs about queer identity and transgender people, and we both were raised very conservative. I was not comfortable talking about it, even though I knew I was queer. I didn’t talk with her about it then, but I realized as I had been trying to write this essay, which was first called, ‘All the Times I Never Told You.’ So in some ways, writing this book gave me the courage to finally come out and to have honest conversations with people.”
Morris says the essays also delve into topics he’s enthusiastic about like squirrels.
“I’m a very enthusiastic person and tend to latch onto hobbies and get really into them in a blaze of passion before I move on to the next one,” he said. “I really like squirrels and my enthusiasm for squirrels is discussed a lot. I’m aware it’s a little silly, but it’s usually written with some very serious questions.”
Morris says the essays in the book are creative nonfiction, and he points out that they’re not the five-paragraph essay many think of when they hear the term “essay.” Instead, in literature, it’s frequently called the formless form. Essays are all about asking lots of questions and not necessarily about coming up with the answers. He’s excited for his students to learn more about the essay through his book.
“The essay is whatever you make of it. There’s a lot of fun in questioning your own beliefs, questioning how you believe in things and why, and finding connections in the real world through telling stories that are ultimately not about you but about connecting with other people and finding ways that readers can see themselves even as you tell stories about your own life.”
