Stream of consciousness

Recently, I moderated a panel discussion of Ray Bradbury’s classic Fahrenheit 451 at Manship Theatre and was fortunate enough to catch the Louisiana International Film Festival’s advance screening of the film adaptation of Markus Zusak’s powerful novel The Book Thief.

The former is set in a Dystopian future, and the latter calls back to the fascist past of Hitler’s Germany. On the surface, both examine the fearmongering intent and disastrous ramifications of mass censorship—and each includes volatile book burnings—but at heart these are stories about finding one’s own voice and defining the self separate from, and perhaps willfully and dangerously against, the status quo, be it one of frighteningly rigid order, the unspeakable chaos of war, or some seemingly benign point in between.

This quest for truthful personal expression is all the more important today as broadcasting has turned to narrowcasting, niche has become the norm, and the huddled masses who clung to the words of Walter Cronkite now more closely resemble a diaspora of disbelievers. It’s not that we’ve been forced to act as our own curators of information. It’s just that social media makes it so easy to do so as we cultivate the stream of news and commentary and culture flowing at us with a simple series of Likes and Follows.

And yet with the freedom of a curator comes great personal responsibility—a challenge to not be contented with the contemporary equivalent of Bradbury’s magnetic, omnipresent screens blasting wall-sized frivolities at flatlining minds, but instead to inform ourselves aggressively, to strive for enlightenment and growth at every turn.

But please take all of this severity in moderation. I follow both Modern Seinfeld and Darth Vader on Twitter, okay? A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.

Joseph Addison said that. More importantly, so did Willy Wonka.

As we begin a new year, I urge you to investigate our People to Watch. Some are the shining headliners, the unmistakably noteworthy newsmakers, while others have more of an edge to them, a spark of promising talent and a risk.

I like it that way.

But one of the greatest attributes our modern, participatory culture affords is that you don’t have to. You can transform 225‘s very public proclamation into a project on a personal level. Take the time to curate your own list of rising personalities. Fill it with dynamic Baton Rougeans of your choosing, people who are invested in the betterment of our community, locals who are uncommonly good at what they do and those standing on the verge of something new.

A few might inspire you from afar. Others may be able to encourage you in person. Perhaps you want to collaborate with one of them or find in someone a valued mentor. Suddenly you have a new year’s resolution. Maybe you simply want to meet a like-minded friend for some good conversation, and you know what? That’s a worthy goal, too.

Let our cover subjects inspire you, then share your list with by emailing [email protected].

Curate your own “people to watch,” your own stream of consciousness. It’s the 2014 thing to do.