Art is Communication

In How to Read Literature like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster writes, "writing and telling belong to one big story." Foster is referring to the story of humanity and the idea that people have a natural affinity for communication and expression. It is part of our biological make-up as human beings. Humans are pack creatures. They crave socialization and interaction. One way to achieve a harmonious interaction is for humans to connect to one another. This connection is established by finding a common ground. Humans want to feel that they are not alone, so they look for people who have shared an experience, emotion, or happening. Art is a medium for communication and a medium for reaching out. This applies to the richness of the reading experience. Our society values literature and the discussion of it because it is a shared appreciation of artistic expression and what it represents. The artistry of literature is that more than one person can connect, relate, and be stirred by the writing. This is the "one big story." It is the shared human experience, and the articulation of it through words is art. 

The exciting and beautiful part of art and expression is that they can be interpreted through so many mediums and disciplines. Even in AP Language, which focused on writing and verbal composition, the class studied works like paintings and photographs. Many of the messages are the same, and that relates back to the idea of the human experience and the "one big story," but it is a testament to human ingenuity and creativity that there are so many ways to express oneself.