After graduating high school in Guatemala, I attended Hebrew University in Jerusalem, on a scholarship. My parents, like so many other Jewish parents, wished college would be my passport to a solid profession and a meaningful and comfortable life. With their approval, I chose Psychology as my major.
I spent the first year studying Hebrew and my second year attending Psychology lectures, which were entirely in that language. Hebrew U had a dual major system. I chose English Literature as my second major, partly because of the ease of studying in a language in which I was truly proficient.
As it turned out, the experience of Literature studies completely altered my sense of self and my understanding of the essence of the human condition. Particularly, the intimacy of small seminars, where six or seven adults would sit together and pore over a text for hours on end.
By the time I graduated, I knew that I wanted to work in the arts, as a photographer. All of my parents’ carefully laid plans and all of their expectations for me were upended.
It took them many years to accept my decision.
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Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit with two supremely talented writers, Nare Lim and Hwon Lee, to help me prepare an essay for publication. I felt honored and deeply humbled. I was also tremendously inspired and encouraged by our conversation. I left with a greater sense of clarity and direction for how to refine my first draft.
The experience also brought back a flood of memories of my younger days in Jerusalem, losing myself to the intoxication of literature.