I’ve never been to Prague. But, over the years, I’ve read, seen and heard so many things about its history, architecture and culture that I’m completely smitten by the city. But I’ve never been there. If I daydream about a holiday in Europe, I always imagine myself walking down one of Prague’s narrow cobbled market lanes and examining the dark, gothic architecture that distinguishes Prague from the rest of the European cities. I see the many monstrous, evil, distorted faces decorating the buildings staring coldly down at me, silently justifying the city’s title as The Dark Heart of Europe.
I believe these feelings of doom quickly disappear once you enter the Old Town square. The famous astronomical clock assures a huge flock of tourists through the day. Add to that the many eateries, pubs and shops means the square is filled with the correct mix of tourists and locals to make it near perfect for someone like me. And just 5 minutes away by foot is the Jewish Square. No surprises to find the really rich high-end brands and hotels on this stretch of the city. But shopping is really not for me.
I’m more interested in Prague’s unmistakable association with music and performing arts. If I took a walk along the river in the afternoon, I would catch strains of music rehearsals floating from the music schools hidden within the quiet lanes not far from the majestic National Opera. In the evening I could join the many distinguished guests that make their way to the Opera running packed shows every evening. And that’s not the only place; Prague boasts of majestic Concert Halls both old and new like the Municipal Hall, Hybernia Theatre, and St. George’s Basilica.
But now I’m running ahead of myself.
To come back to the question - to ask whether someone can write, really write about a place without actually being there…lets think about this one. If we are simply talking about a travel log, describing facts, must-see places, best shops, and restaurants, a good amount of research can make that very easily possible. If we are talking about a more personal, vivid description of the place then there is an answer to that question as well.
Every day of our lives we celebrate movies, books and music for the kind of rich and diverse experiences that they provide us with. They take us into different places, spaces and times that are perhaps otherwise unreachable to us. Not all that is written or filmed has been lived, experienced or seen by the author, film maker or lyricist. It is the skill of the artist that he/she brings to life a city, a place, a time, an era in a way that is meaningful to us. I believe that with the right amount of research and imagination, it is possible to faithfully capture the essence or experience of a place without physically being there. Any writer worth his salt should be able to write beautifully about a place without having been there.
Prague is a city that has come alive to me in my imagination and I’m convinced that with the right amount of research, I could undoubtedly write a piece as if I’ve walked down the very lanes I mentioned above and nobody would be wiser of it.
I guess the next question would probably be towards the authenticity of a write up that is written by someone who hasn’t been there. You might ask, Can an American writer who has never been to India really write about our country authentically? Or will it be a typical, cliché-ridden article that propagates every stereotype that exists in the ordinary American mind?
This is a difficult one. Yes, the chances of stereotypes filtering through are high. But for the most part, experience has shown us that even the material that has been written after months of travel in India very often contains many of the same clichés that would be found in his /her American ( never-left-his-desk) counterpart’s work. Again I must be careful not to generalize too much. After all, writing like any other art is a subjective point of view. Therefore the content and the depth/ authenticity of the material will depend on the writer in hand.
For our sake, let’s assume that the writer is very well researched and rich in imagination. Will he be able to describe a typical day in the streets of Delhi? Yes, I believe so. A very well researched writer will be able to write a beautiful piece about the maze-like roundabouts and the resplendent row of trees that shade the wide, clean streets of the Central Delhi area. Just the way Western writers have written about Gandhi and Jinnah… or we still write about the struggle for independence that our forefathers lived and we can only imagine. And research.
The beauty of any written piece comes from its ability to take us beyond just what can be seen by the naked eye… and give us a sneak peek into the mind’s eye and what is happening there with all the stimuli that has been provided to it. After saying all this, I think I will definitely write a piece about Prague. And I’ll definitely visit it too.
Editor's note: Most articles submitted to Chillibreeze go through a selection process. Only 30 percent of submitted articles are accepted for publication on the Chillibreeze.com featured article list. All accepted articles are edited and proofread for glaring errors of punctuation and grammar. Sentence structure is changed in certain cases and sometimes, entire sections are rewritten. If you notice any errors that have slipped through the cracks, do let us know! (Email us at info at chillibreeze dot com).
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in March, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
