December 10, 2007

Dear Mr. Martin,

You and Manuela Soares wrote a gift in One Hand Clapping, a gift that introduced me to a new way of thinking. I first read One Hand Clapping when I was about eight and I have been re-reading the stories it contains every so often since then.

Although we go to school and learn many things, school knowledge seems to be based on logic and rules. Just think about it – grammar, algebra, chemistry! One Hand Clapping, however, is full of stories that view the world differently. They have no right answer; they are not based on logic or rules. They are refreshing and challenging.

I wasn’t exactly sure why the stories in One Hand Clapping are so different. I knew that stories can be powerful tools. Whether they are sounds in the air or writings on a page, they introduce us to our inner selves. But the stories in One Hand Clapping are different. What makes them different?

I did some research. They are based on koans. The word “koan” comes from the Japanese “ko” plus “an” which means literally “public record.” Koans are a way of passing knowledge down and are used to teach and initiate new monks.

Koans usually have three parts: an unexpected response which is often a joke or some inconsistency, an opportunity to take stock of the affect of the joke or inconsistency, and the endlessness cycle of questions and answers that flow from the story. Each of your stories does exactly that and that is why I can read them over and over again. One Hand Clapping is not a “once read book.” No amount of reading or thought exhausts what the stories offer. They are dynamic and always moving, even with repeated readings.

Just think of the notion of one hand clapping. How can it be? It is an inconsistent notion, not logically possible. But what does it mean? Reason can’t provide the answer. Ultimately, the more you think about it, if you think really hard, it causes a paradigm shift. And that’s what each of the stories in your book do. They are great!

One Hand Clapping enabled me to recognize and focus on intuition. I play music and rely on a musical sense to sometimes finish a song. Intuition is a bit like that. It is going with your gut and sometimes valuing it equally or even more than logic. Sometimes you even suspend logic. In an ever changing world not always governed by logic, intuition is valuable.

By learning something as important from your collection of koans as the role of intuition, I came to appreciate the importance of myths and stories of other cultures. Stories from other cultures challenge us to look at the world from different vantage points. As the world becomes more globally connected, appreciating other perspectives will be essential.

Alaska Native culture contains many myths and stories as well as some good music. They too provide a unique perspective of the world. I know that you have traveled a lot and have been to Alaska. Please consider writing a book based on Alaska Native myths and stories. They provide a window through which to view the world, a window that makes us think differently about the natural world and may even provide a koan or two.

Sincerely,

Eiden Pospisil

8th Grade
Romig Middle School, Anchorage, Alaska
Teacher:  Jennifer Keil