Perhaps later this summer. Living at Kendal is little like living on a Kibbutz - a lot of committee and communal work, but things ease up a bit over the summer.
Lee was teaching at CWRU in the 1970s when I was working on my doctorate there. I never took a course with him, but he clearly was a popular professor with a strong following . Your essay gives me a good sense of why that was so.
What a gorgeous portrait, Mary. I once had a few moments alone with Lee on a porch, both of us escaping the buzzy crowd inside the house. Like one of his stories, he made quite an impression in a short time. Your beautiful memoriam rings so true in filling out the brief picture I got that evening. Thank you for sharing this gift.
Isabelle, that story is the next to last in the selected short stories--and I considered quoting from it for the memoriam--I have paragraphs marked when I was writing that. This, another story that focuses on the father, that boozy character who pervades his work. I don't think it's online, but if you find it there, do tell me. When I said think Wallace Stevens, I was referring to his references to ice cream. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45234/the-emperor-of-ice-cream ... xo Mary
Thanks Mary for the link to Wallace Stevens. I can see the connection between the symbolic eating of icecream. I discovered Lee K. Abbott's story in John Updike's The Best American Short Stories 1984 edition. It was lovely reading it after reading your post and then reading Wallace after that:))) Beautiful connections of great, meaningful writing.
Thank you, Isabelle. You will be rewarded on reading that. Im off to reread that amazing story by Lee. Be sure to think of Wallace Stevens while you read it, assuming I remember correctly! In any case, amazing writer—and teacher.
Perhaps later this summer. Living at Kendal is little like living on a Kibbutz - a lot of committee and communal work, but things ease up a bit over the summer.
Okay, do stay in touch. As I keep saying, I know you'd be terrific, no matter what you decide to write about. xo ~Mary
Lee was teaching at CWRU in the 1970s when I was working on my doctorate there. I never took a course with him, but he clearly was a popular professor with a strong following . Your essay gives me a good sense of why that was so.
Mary, What a lovely additional cross-over for us! I still want a guest post from you on anything you're thinking about. ... Love, Mary
Such a stunning tribute, Mary.
Thank you, Rebecca.
What a gorgeous portrait, Mary. I once had a few moments alone with Lee on a porch, both of us escaping the buzzy crowd inside the house. Like one of his stories, he made quite an impression in a short time. Your beautiful memoriam rings so true in filling out the brief picture I got that evening. Thank you for sharing this gift.
I truly believe that if you had lived near him, you would have become close friends--sort of made for each other.
I'm off to reread, "The Final Proof of Fate and Circumstance."
What a beautiful tribute, Mary.
Isabelle, that story is the next to last in the selected short stories--and I considered quoting from it for the memoriam--I have paragraphs marked when I was writing that. This, another story that focuses on the father, that boozy character who pervades his work. I don't think it's online, but if you find it there, do tell me. When I said think Wallace Stevens, I was referring to his references to ice cream. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45234/the-emperor-of-ice-cream ... xo Mary
Thanks Mary for the link to Wallace Stevens. I can see the connection between the symbolic eating of icecream. I discovered Lee K. Abbott's story in John Updike's The Best American Short Stories 1984 edition. It was lovely reading it after reading your post and then reading Wallace after that:))) Beautiful connections of great, meaningful writing.
Thank you, Isabelle. You will be rewarded on reading that. Im off to reread that amazing story by Lee. Be sure to think of Wallace Stevens while you read it, assuming I remember correctly! In any case, amazing writer—and teacher.