A review of Anne Carson's latest collection, in which she writes "about different things, like Joseph Conrad, Guantanamo, Flaubert, snow, poverty, Roget’s Thesaurus, my dad, Saturday night."
SO. As I was reading your first few paragraphs, I was all set to mentally strangle the jumble of thoughts I always have accompanying your lovely articles (wonderful and refreshing insights as always by the way!) into a comment response that is semi-coherent and THEN… YOU INCLUDED A FOX PICTURE!!!! WITHOUT EXPLANATION! SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU COULD!!!! (As you may know by now, I like foxes…just a little). Suffice to say, all logical thoughts left my brain. Look at its eloquence! Its pose! It’s orangeness and floof!!!! What a wonderful treat during my read! Okay, okay, now that that is out of my system:
“Swimming, is that not a metaphor for writing? Doesn’t every writer feel the mental pressure to write well and to use these words correctly, knowing that you can fail with each stroke of the pen or key?” What a beautiful description of the challenges of a writer. It brings to mind the vivid image of a diver in the dark, reaching towards the barest glimmer of light far, far above him in the distance, trying to kick up through the miles of water and mental doubts and tip-of-the-tongue word choices until he can finally break the surface. Isn’t all of writing (and living, really) just a never-ending struggle to attain that which is just out of reach? We’re here for such a short moment, it seems imperative that we put value and use into every breath we take. What a sublime description….
I now absolutely have to start reading Carson - I’ve known about her for a long time and read some of her Sappho translations but never her own works. Where do you propose I start?
P.S.: If I remembered correctly, Carson is actually a native Torontonian. What a great day to be Canadian!
haha actually there is a fox on the cover of Wrong Norma! So that's why there is a fox picture!! Although when I added it in, I did think, hm, I know someone who's going to love this...
Your expansion of that metaphor is so beautiful! I love this so much: "We’re here for such a short moment, it seems imperative that we put value and use into every breath we take."
Anne Carson is a wonderful writer and you're so lucky to have her as a fellow Canadian! I think if you enjoy something with a narrative, it's good to start out with Autobiography of Red. And if you prefer nonfiction, Eros the Bittersweet has so many good insights into love and desire and the history of the concept of eros. I also love her Short Talks—they're so pithy and great for when you want to read something but don't have the attention for a longer, more sustained work.
SO. As I was reading your first few paragraphs, I was all set to mentally strangle the jumble of thoughts I always have accompanying your lovely articles (wonderful and refreshing insights as always by the way!) into a comment response that is semi-coherent and THEN… YOU INCLUDED A FOX PICTURE!!!! WITHOUT EXPLANATION! SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU COULD!!!! (As you may know by now, I like foxes…just a little). Suffice to say, all logical thoughts left my brain. Look at its eloquence! Its pose! It’s orangeness and floof!!!! What a wonderful treat during my read! Okay, okay, now that that is out of my system:
“Swimming, is that not a metaphor for writing? Doesn’t every writer feel the mental pressure to write well and to use these words correctly, knowing that you can fail with each stroke of the pen or key?” What a beautiful description of the challenges of a writer. It brings to mind the vivid image of a diver in the dark, reaching towards the barest glimmer of light far, far above him in the distance, trying to kick up through the miles of water and mental doubts and tip-of-the-tongue word choices until he can finally break the surface. Isn’t all of writing (and living, really) just a never-ending struggle to attain that which is just out of reach? We’re here for such a short moment, it seems imperative that we put value and use into every breath we take. What a sublime description….
I now absolutely have to start reading Carson - I’ve known about her for a long time and read some of her Sappho translations but never her own works. Where do you propose I start?
P.S.: If I remembered correctly, Carson is actually a native Torontonian. What a great day to be Canadian!
haha actually there is a fox on the cover of Wrong Norma! So that's why there is a fox picture!! Although when I added it in, I did think, hm, I know someone who's going to love this...
Your expansion of that metaphor is so beautiful! I love this so much: "We’re here for such a short moment, it seems imperative that we put value and use into every breath we take."
Anne Carson is a wonderful writer and you're so lucky to have her as a fellow Canadian! I think if you enjoy something with a narrative, it's good to start out with Autobiography of Red. And if you prefer nonfiction, Eros the Bittersweet has so many good insights into love and desire and the history of the concept of eros. I also love her Short Talks—they're so pithy and great for when you want to read something but don't have the attention for a longer, more sustained work.
edit: I forgot to mention my favorite of all favorites, The Glass Essay!! https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48636/the-glass-essay
Aweaome!!!