Monday, 11 August 2008
Elder Time
“She had learned, in her life, that time lives inside you. You are time, you breathe time. When she’d been young, she’d had an insatiable hunger for more of it, though she hadn’t understood why. Now she held inside her a cacophony of times and lately it drowned out the world. The apple tree was still nice to lie near. The peony, for its scent, also fine. When she walked through the woods (infrequently now) she picked her way along the path, making way for the boy inside to run along before her. It could be hard to choose the time outside over the time within.”
- - David Wroblewski, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
[At The Elder Storytelling Place today, Nancy Leitz brings us another tale of Mom Mom titled, Menu Please!]
Posted by Ronni Bennett at 02:43 AM | Permalink | Email this post
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A friend with whom I exchange books regularly said this book is the best one she has ever read.I am looking forward to it!
Posted by: kenju | Monday, 11 August 2008 at 05:22 AM
When our oldest child was on the brink of 30, she was having trouble with "growing older". After much talk, I told her that she is all the ages she has ever been. It's all inside and all "current". She was at peace.
Posted by: notdotdot | Monday, 11 August 2008 at 09:03 AM
What a beautiful passage! And how descriptive: "the cacophany of times" visits us all in reflection and recollection, for good or ill.
I just reserved the book at the library based on this one quotation. Alas, I'm 12th in line!
Posted by: Mike Nichols | Monday, 11 August 2008 at 10:42 AM
I think this is the perfect description what it's all about. Some days I feel every second of my 61 years. Other days I'm 16 again. And other days I'm a whiny 4-year-old. We are all the years and experience we've accumulated.
I have to read this book!
Posted by: Kay Dennison | Monday, 11 August 2008 at 10:46 AM
As the Boomer Generation ages, we'll see more and more elegiac novels about time and memory. Premium T. and I read a terrific one this summer -- The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry. Barry is an Irish novelist whose work is starting to be published in States. He writes like a dream.
Posted by: Citizen K. | Monday, 11 August 2008 at 06:17 PM
Thank you for posting that excerpt. I am definitely going to read that novel as well as the one Citizen K mentioned. Beautiful writing!
Posted by: Joy Durham | Monday, 11 August 2008 at 10:59 PM