suitcases... a domestic dispute
+ part 2 of our deep dive into scene writing, + a wonderful classic I’ve never read, and jam!
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Hi Hi!
Holy smokes! I’ve never had the privilege of packing for 7 months away! I say privilege, but also I mean stress. What the hell do you bring to bridge late summer, all of fall, and winter? To France no less, where according to
the French dress up to take out their trash. Also, the French word for trash can is la poubelle! Elegant, no? (Check his terrific book, THE SWEET LIFE IN PARIS.)Portland is decidedly more casual than France, and I fear a foulard will not tip the scales on my wardrobe…
I am no Merchant Ivory heroine with a steamer trunk. Plus, my husband and I have been having spats discussions because he thinks he can make due with a carry-on jammed with a few stained t-shirts, a sweater or two, jeans, his charming smile, and mastery of the word “Bonjour!” The rest of his suitcase is stuffed to the gills with his cycling costumes. Nevertheless he persists!
Bon Voyage to us! Stay tuned for a bit of adventure.
read:
I am finally reading THE HOUSE OF MIRTH, by Edith Wharton! I’m not far in, but the sentences, the characters, the time! I’m pretty excited. In the edition I’m reading there’s a wonderful introduction by Jennifer Egan, which reads in part:
Because my attachment to The House of Mirth is so personal, I tend to reread it (most recently this past spring, when I taught it in an undergraduate literature class) with slight trepidation that the magic may have fled.
After all, the world and I have both changed quite a bit since I was a teenager. But each time, I find the novel's tragic power intact, even as the nature of the tragedy seems to shift-from the perils of living by one's looks (teenage reading) to the cruelty of the world toward women (early-adult reading) to the struggle for personal freedom in a money-obsessed culture (adult reading) to my most recent (middle-aged, I'll reluctantly call it) appreciation of the novel as an artifact of the Gilded Age that lays bare that era's pathologies. All of which moves me to assert that Edith Wharton's second novel is a master-piece, a pinnacle of American letters that remains electrifying and relevant in our twenty-first century.
I am so inspired by this “sedimentary reading.” You know what I mean? There are so many layers revealed in Egan’s description—the book appealing in all phases of her life. I am all in. We will be discussing this book as our October read in the r.w.e. bookgroup. Maybe you’d like to hop on?
And, additionally, for a little fun and frippery, I’m finally watching THE GILDED AGE, on HBO. It feels a little bit like empty calories compared to Wharton, but I think it will make for a terrific conversation. And who doesn’t love Carrie Coon?
…
If you’d like to spend a minute with me talking about reading with a writer’s eye, you’re in luck! I have paired up with the terrific people over at The HerStories Project/
to bring you an hour long conversation!In Reading with a Writer's Eye, we will take apart the clock, jumping into texts with an eye toward how the writer did it! We will deconstruct how the characters come alive, how setting enhances tone and story, how vivid scenes snag us and keep us reading, how dialogue rings true. During the workshop we will discuss terrific writing samples and leave our time together with specific craft skills to apply to our work and our reading life. Whether you're an experienced writer, a newbie, or just love a good book, come ready to read, chat, laugh, and make new friends.
I’d love to see you!
We have zoom r.w.e. book group! Next we will be discussing TRAIN DREAMS, by Dennis Johnson, and Wally Lamb’s, THE RIVER IS WAITING. We meet on 21 September @ 9:00a PDT.
The book group is a perk for paid subscribers and let me tell you we are a lively bunch!
Go ahead, upgrade to paid and claim your spot among friends. I hope to get to know you better!
I've made a read.write.eat. Bookshop where you will find many of the books I've recommended. Buying books from my shop is another way you can support my newsletter.
write:
*Quick note up top! I have just one more spot in my editing calendar for fall. If you have project and you need a hand, consider working with me. Here’s what clients have to say:
Put Me There!
Part 2 of our scene writing dive!
Recently I was reading a piece by
in which she talked about writing from outside of a moment. What does that mean? It means taking a moment from your life, or a fiction that you wish to include in your work, and turning it in your hand, seeing it from all sides, free of emotional baggage, with clarity and curiosity. She suggested that we should keep our writing free of abstractions. Particularly keep the writing clear of abstract nouns which describe emotions—love, anger, sadness, or happiness, all feelings we experience that cannot be seen or touched. And thus, they don’t come alive on the page.“I started to think about how, becoming a writer in this mode, I had turned myself into a different sort of person than I would have been otherwise, I believe. I think anyone who writes with the object of creating a world that readers can enter, changes the way they look at their own life and at life over all.” -Laurie Stone
Stone says writing in this way changed the way she sees the world. I would agree. Writing free of abstraction keeps us curious and deliberate. We are showing, not telling. When people talk about “writing as therapy” I admit that I bristle. Therapy is therapy because one is encouraged to look at events in your life from different angles, more clear eyed, with distance, and open to new insights about our own ass-holiness! That doesn’t always happen in our writing. Sometimes with our language we simply calcify our beliefs. And, with calcified beliefs, with abstract nouns and labels, we don’t let the reader enter the world.
I believe this clear writing happens most in a scene. When we take the time to report what is happening, moment-by-moment, with vivid details, without editorializing, we let the reader in.
Scenes are the bricks of narrative prose, the moments we come closest to the lives of the characters.
Handouts and deeper discussions are below in the after-party🎉 for paid subscribers.
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Are you in need of a writing shake up? In need of a boost just now? I feel you! I’m offering a free writing happy hour on Thursday. Join me for No Time to Waste!—a gathering of creative energy and output. Come prepared to have fun, let loose, and see where your words take you.
No Time to Waste!—I’ll bring inspiring writing samples, new prompts, + energy. Whether you’re looking to break through writer’s block or just want to celebrate the joy of writing with others, this is your chance. Let's get words on the page together!
Paid subscribers to read.write.eat. join the class gratis as a gift from me! If you too would like to join, upgrade to an annual subscription here.
eat:
My son and his partner brought me a HUGE bag of figs! Here’s what I did…
Fig Jam
1¼ pounds ripe figs, cut in small dice
2c sugar
2½T fresh lemon juice
3t balsamic vinegar
Toss chopped figs and sugar into a stainless or enameled saucepan. Turn heat to medium, bring to a boil, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula. Lower heat and allow the fruit to simmer about 45 minutes. Add the lemon juice and the balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook until mixture thickens to jam. Off heat. When cool enough to taste, see if it has enough of the vinegar tang. If not, splash in a bit more.
Transfer fig jam to a bowl or a sterilized jar. Cover and let cool, then refrigerate.
Serve on toast with butter. Serve with a sharp cheddar, or with goat cheese. It’s a delight!
after-party🎉:
If you’re already a paid subscriber, Giant THANKS! And please, skip ahead.
Below the paywall you’ll find:
Week 2 dive into scene writing
Stanley!
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