If you build it they will come” is one of the best movie quotes. You might even be getting the chills reading this, hearing the spectral voice in the darkness of that Iowa cornfield. For the record, in “Field of Dreams,” Kevin Costner is told that “he” will come, i.e. Shoeless Joe Jackson.
It’s become a business adage, that success is guaranteed if you build what people want. Problem is, it isn’t necessarily true. Bringing people in, no matter your vision and hard work, is never a sure thing. You may misinterpret people’s wants; or an external obstacle, like a global pandemic, may put paid to all of your research.
Nevertheless, a lot about this adage rings true, from “listening” to the universe to the satisfaction that comes from building something.
Another false truism — and I candidly admit my misuse — is “The exception proves the rule.” It is often interpreted to mean that every rule has an exception, but that’s not what it means. In logic, the adage refers to an exception testing (proving) a rule. The best illustration I’ve heard of its true meaning is parking. If a sign states “no parking between 8 a.m.-12 p.m.,” it “proves” the general rule — that parking is permitted outside of those hours.
So next time someone cites an “exception” in their defense of breaking a rule, don’t let them get away with it!
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British Library — that’s the nickname I gave one of my carry-on bags when I returned last month from the UK. My favorite fiction genre, domestic suspense, is far more popular over the pond, and many British (and Australian) authors are not published in the US. So anytime I passed a bookshop I took out my list and perused the shelves to see if my desired authors’ books were stocked.
As you can tell from the name of my baggage, I was pretty successful. I even came upon a book and author I’d never heard of, Unorthodox Love by, Heidi Shertok. It’s a fun romantic comedy about an Orthodox Jewish girl struggling to meet her bashert.
The deeper I got into the book, the more the dynamic between Penina and Sam reminded me of a different Minnesota-based novel, Carney’s House Party, part of the Betsy-Tacy series. Since Shertok is from Minnesota, I presumed it was an Easter egg for us Betsy-Tacy fans. But when I contacted Shertok, she had no idea what I was talking about! She’d never heard Betsy, Tacy, Carney or Sam Hutchinson!
Certainly there are a limited number of plots in the world, but it’s amazing how readers and consumers gain insights from books and art that the writer or artist never intended.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at shana@ijn.com
