Watch Marilynne Robinson talk about American life and contentment at the Big Think:
6 hours ago
Showing posts with label marilynne robinson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marilynne robinson. Show all posts
24 April 2012
06 April 2012
Marilynne Robinson should not be allowed to retire just yet
Last night I went to see Marilynne Robinson at the 92nd Street Y. I have wanted to see Robinson read for a long time, ever since I serendipitously picked up her novel GILEAD at an academic library in Madrid, but she doesn't do a lot of readings -- in part, I would surmise, because she still teaches at the University of Iowa (although she says she plans to retire).
Marilynne Robinson has long gray hair and is very serene onstage. She read the titular essay from her new collection WHEN I WAS A CHILD I READ BOOKS, through which she would not be rushed. I had expected something personal and impressionistic from WHEN I WAS A CHILD I READ BOOKS, but several of the essays are more Transcendentalist in nature, addressing topics like the state of democracy, the pressure of modern-day educators to turn out "workers" rather than thinkers, and the implications that famous Christian heretics have had on the faith. Faith was a topic that came up often enough in the Q&A after her reading, but more in theory than in personal practice.
Robinson said she writes at a paragraph level, with an eye on the culminating sentence, when she's constructing her pieces. If a sentence doesn't sit right she will walk around the block until it is put right. She said she has tried to write poetry, but after deleting all the banalities "I had about 14 words left" -- an odd confession from someone whose writing is fairly poetic in the first place. I was hoping someone would ask her why so many years went by between her novels HOUSEKEEPING (1980) and GILEAD (2004), but either that question was culled from the audience stack or no one else saw the need to know.
Robinson was introduced and interviewed rather poorly by some dude whose name I know, to be honest, but don't want to give him the indignant satisfaction of reading on the Internet that he tanked. Some dude was a former student of Robinson's who later became a success when his debut novel won a major literary award, and his intention last night seemed to be to show that he was her best student ever. He liberally quoted Wallace Stevens and "casually" dropped the major works he was reading into his questions, which oftentimes weren't questions at all. Robinson's reaction to this could not be discerned. Some dude should have steered the conversation better, with the audience in mind, but maybe some dude just had too much of a relationship with her to keep out of that old (presumably) dynamic. There may be some dude at every reading, but normally not in a position to drive the evening.
Marilynne Robinson has long gray hair and is very serene onstage. She read the titular essay from her new collection WHEN I WAS A CHILD I READ BOOKS, through which she would not be rushed. I had expected something personal and impressionistic from WHEN I WAS A CHILD I READ BOOKS, but several of the essays are more Transcendentalist in nature, addressing topics like the state of democracy, the pressure of modern-day educators to turn out "workers" rather than thinkers, and the implications that famous Christian heretics have had on the faith. Faith was a topic that came up often enough in the Q&A after her reading, but more in theory than in personal practice.
Robinson said she writes at a paragraph level, with an eye on the culminating sentence, when she's constructing her pieces. If a sentence doesn't sit right she will walk around the block until it is put right. She said she has tried to write poetry, but after deleting all the banalities "I had about 14 words left" -- an odd confession from someone whose writing is fairly poetic in the first place. I was hoping someone would ask her why so many years went by between her novels HOUSEKEEPING (1980) and GILEAD (2004), but either that question was culled from the audience stack or no one else saw the need to know.
Robinson was introduced and interviewed rather poorly by some dude whose name I know, to be honest, but don't want to give him the indignant satisfaction of reading on the Internet that he tanked. Some dude was a former student of Robinson's who later became a success when his debut novel won a major literary award, and his intention last night seemed to be to show that he was her best student ever. He liberally quoted Wallace Stevens and "casually" dropped the major works he was reading into his questions, which oftentimes weren't questions at all. Robinson's reaction to this could not be discerned. Some dude should have steered the conversation better, with the audience in mind, but maybe some dude just had too much of a relationship with her to keep out of that old (presumably) dynamic. There may be some dude at every reading, but normally not in a position to drive the evening.
08 July 2010
You're all fired
The news is not that author Marilynne Robinson is going to be on "The Daily Show" tonight, although that is certainly new to me. The news is that Marilynne Robinson has a new book out and this is the first I'm hearing of it!...?!?!???
It's a short work of nonfiction called ABSENCE OF MIND and the Washington Post really liked it.
It's a short work of nonfiction called ABSENCE OF MIND and the Washington Post really liked it.
24 August 2009
Post-Its, home of the Inglourious Bookwerms
Times Book Review: "David lies, manipulates his friends and even resorts to vicious blogging — an Iago for the digital age." That's blogger Mark Sarvas on Nick Laird's novel GLOVER'S MISTAKE, which piqued my interest even before that.
Associated Press: Last week marked the 35th anniversary of the Kanawha County textbook riots, in which a dispute about new books for public schools turned into burned down elementary schools, a mining strike and a near-martyred UPS employee. Seriously, this really happened. It's a good thing we've all learned how to have civil debate since then, right?
GalleyCat: EAT, PRAY, LOVE begins with the dissolution of Elizabeth Gilbert's marriage. Now her ex-husband Michael Cooper is publishing a book called DISPLACED about his side of the divorce, coming out next year when Gilbert's memoir about her second marriage hits shelves. Make it stop! Besides, the parody has beaten you both.
LitKicks: Normally the concept of a William S. Burroughs-themed party would make my blood run cold, but this one's for a good cause: Chicagoans can celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of NAKED LUNCH on Friday and help raise money for a forthcoming Burroughs documentary at the same time.
Skankblogging Update! Last week Google was forced to turn over the identity of an anonymous blogger who called a Manhattan woman a "skank." Well, that woman is now suing Google for giving her up. She tells the Daily News, "Before her suit, there were probably two hits on my Web site: One from me looking at it, and one from her looking at it," which may be true but is still the Internet equivalent of "Well, you were the one playing the cymbals!"
Thanks tothe Pseudonymous Blog Personality Formerly Known As Camus for this week's title.
Associated Press: Last week marked the 35th anniversary of the Kanawha County textbook riots, in which a dispute about new books for public schools turned into burned down elementary schools, a mining strike and a near-martyred UPS employee. Seriously, this really happened. It's a good thing we've all learned how to have civil debate since then, right?
GalleyCat: EAT, PRAY, LOVE begins with the dissolution of Elizabeth Gilbert's marriage. Now her ex-husband Michael Cooper is publishing a book called DISPLACED about his side of the divorce, coming out next year when Gilbert's memoir about her second marriage hits shelves. Make it stop! Besides, the parody has beaten you both.
LitKicks: Normally the concept of a William S. Burroughs-themed party would make my blood run cold, but this one's for a good cause: Chicagoans can celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of NAKED LUNCH on Friday and help raise money for a forthcoming Burroughs documentary at the same time.
Skankblogging Update! Last week Google was forced to turn over the identity of an anonymous blogger who called a Manhattan woman a "skank." Well, that woman is now suing Google for giving her up. She tells the Daily News, "Before her suit, there were probably two hits on my Web site: One from me looking at it, and one from her looking at it," which may be true but is still the Internet equivalent of "Well, you were the one playing the cymbals!"
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