They provide sustenance for the soul
A quiet space of reflection away from the maddening din of life.
They review lives and define our current times
So many people write books, millions out there although the process is such a painstaking and difficult thing to complete. An achievement. A marathon.
Writing a book comes from deep inside, the extraneous moments eradicated by the moment of action
Writing a book is the pleasurable moment, like making music it transports you
There is a cleanliness where your mind and body have been stripped bare, laid out on parchment
I love the smell of new books, that deep fresh aroma, possibilities ahead but new books are clogging up the earth. There are so many already out there that surely we can find what we are looking for in the already created. The Booker Prize longlists from years gone past. I get defeated by fiction. So many authors that dazzle in front of my eyes but so few who really resonate. The Love Songs of WEB Du Bois the most affecting from the last few years, a deep dive into Black American histories through a structure that follows lineage, connects ancestors with the current day. A book you can live within, become immersed in unfamiliar and known worlds. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver I found less engaging, some memorable sections but overall it seemed to drag along. Exploring addiction from a voice that seems slightly detached and unknowing, an academic and detached version of events.
The same as The Bee Sting, another lauded book for its clever time travelling experience but surely it could be told more effectively. I am trudging through the Irish forests waiting for it all to come together. Increasingly I find it more difficult to engage, to find the works that resonate so it’s probably time to visit the classics. Homers Odyssey, 1984, DeLillo etc…For some reason I love Rachel Cusk. I suppose she is talking directly to me. I understand her worlds. Her books aren’t too long, they take you on a dreamy trip through the world of literature, the writer uncovered. So really I want to read books about worlds I would like to inhabit, the literary festivals, country houses by the sea, a life of creation and discussion.
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