Summer Reading 2 & 3
A while ago, I mentioned that I have been reading stories to the core students at the craft school every other Sunday night. So far, it’s usually just me and T, but I still want to report on what I read and provide more info on the authors for those of you who are interested.
A few weeks back, I read from Claire Davis’ latest collection of short stories titled Labors of the Heart. The story I chose to read is called “Grounded” and it tells the quiet story of a teenage boy whose mother grounds him “forever.” He decides to run away during the middle of the day, in plain sight of his mother. They live in the Montana countryside. The boy sets out on foot and the mother follows him, and the story unfolds beautifully from there. Davis’ prose is un-paralleled, her panoramic view of the landscape (both physical and psychological) is wise and telling. Little wonder she’s one of my favorite writers. The book is out in paperback now, so it’s affordable and you can probably find it used online. Learn more here or Learn more in this interview.
A few nights ago, I read form Ursula Hegi’s collection, House of Saints. I read the story “Moonwalkers,” not my favorite, but one of the longer ones and still, very poetic. Hegi is a master with the nuances of child-parent relationships and love (even when the children have grown into adults and the parents are on their deathbeds). She writes especially well about mothers and daughters in her book titled Floating in My Mother’s Palms. Originally from Germany, Hegi settled in the Pacific Northwest many years ago and has longsince gained recognition in the literary world. I read her stories over and over again for inspiration. Learn more here.