What I'm Reading: Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl
I recently finished reading Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl by N. D. Wilson. My previous exposure to Mr. Wilson came through one of his children’s books, Leepike Ridge. Leepike Ridge was a good book.
Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl was a great book. In fact, Notes… was the smartest book I’ve read in a while. It was like Blue Like Jazz, but with a point. (Can I say that without disparaging Mr. Miller, whose book I enjoyed? I hope I can.) In Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl, Wilson presents an apologetic of art in motion. He walks us through the seasons of a year, showing us the art in both the good and the bad of each season. Rather than denying the difficult things that we encounter as we live in the world God has created, Wilson hits them head on, appealing to scripture and to art to help us understand the way things are. Whether dealing with the existence of God, matter, or good and evil, Wilson points back to the art underlying the world.
What is the world? What is it for? It is art. It is the best of all possible art, a finite picture of the infinite… Assess it like that. And when you’re done, find an ant and have him assess the cathedrals of Europe (Wilson, p. 82).
Start to finish, the depth of thought that Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl provoked provided me with the deepest reading experience I’ve had in a good, long while. I encourage you to pick up this book. When you do, set aside twice as much time as you normally would for a book of 204 pages. It’ll be well worth it. I came out of it with a renewed appreciation as a writer for the Creator/Artist who put this all together, whose great art we imitate as we “create” worlds for our readers.
