I read Jayber Crow, Wendell Berry’s iconic fictional memoir of a barber in the made-up town of Port William, Kentucky, when my middle daughter gave it to me as a birthday present in about 2001.
It's funny; it would seem that authentic writing would be easy. But it can be very hard to silence all the outside influences and rule-makers and just write from that pure, honest and vulnerable place. But I agree that it is what we writers should aspire to.
Kim, Jayber Crow is a good example. What makes it so good is the feeling that Jayber is a real person spilling his guts for the world to see. Wendell Berry becomes Jayber Crow. That's the beauty of it and the lesson for us all.
I’ve read Berry’s poetry, his deep examination of racial prejudice in THE HIDDEN WOUND, and experienced the soaring, magisterial eloquence of the essays contained in STANDING BY WORDS, but strangely I haven’t read any of his fiction. I look forward to our book club’s response to this great author’s novel.
Thanks for this, Stephen. Your description and the excerpt put me in mind of my two fave authors' style -- Richard Russo (esp. his early work) and Jon Hassler. I like the 'authentic' moniker, it seems right. I once described Russo's and Hassler's work as making me feel like I was sitting at a table listening to someone tell me stories about their home towns.
Mike, Berry's style is a lot like that. I don't think I have read your faves but I will check them out. Finding universal truths in the ordinary things of life is what Berry is all about. Thanks for the comment. SW
It's funny; it would seem that authentic writing would be easy. But it can be very hard to silence all the outside influences and rule-makers and just write from that pure, honest and vulnerable place. But I agree that it is what we writers should aspire to.
Kim, Jayber Crow is a good example. What makes it so good is the feeling that Jayber is a real person spilling his guts for the world to see. Wendell Berry becomes Jayber Crow. That's the beauty of it and the lesson for us all.
I’ve read Berry’s poetry, his deep examination of racial prejudice in THE HIDDEN WOUND, and experienced the soaring, magisterial eloquence of the essays contained in STANDING BY WORDS, but strangely I haven’t read any of his fiction. I look forward to our book club’s response to this great author’s novel.
Thanks for this, Stephen. Your description and the excerpt put me in mind of my two fave authors' style -- Richard Russo (esp. his early work) and Jon Hassler. I like the 'authentic' moniker, it seems right. I once described Russo's and Hassler's work as making me feel like I was sitting at a table listening to someone tell me stories about their home towns.
Mike, Berry's style is a lot like that. I don't think I have read your faves but I will check them out. Finding universal truths in the ordinary things of life is what Berry is all about. Thanks for the comment. SW