Congratulations, indeed! I love what you say about marriage and relationships, especially this: "...transcendence in love comes hand-in-hand with the transformation of one’s self — not the other, not the beloved."
As my mother used to say, "From your mouth to G-d's ears!" --a phrase that I interpret, not literally, but rather this way: May the goodness of friends and those who are witnesses to our lives and our creative efforts give us hope. Thank you so, Del.
So much of value here, about saving things -- absolutely. Never know. Also, funny, the few Evans I've known have all been male, yet I never reacted to Evan being female in the novel. Seemed perfectly natural.
But this:
"Revisiting memory is the way we search for meaning in our lives, for the narrative of who we are and who we might become. In some sense, we’re inventing. But in fact we’re searching for emotional truth."
And when that emotional truth rings like a bell, we, perhaps, recall those ringing bells in Saul Bellow's "A Silver Dish" --and how Bellow used that word "honest" and built on that abstract word with this line "bearing beams are honest" that made that word concrete and ring like a bell. I aspire to that clarity --and shoot for the moon, as we say in the card game "Hearts". 💗
Congratulations, indeed! I love what you say about marriage and relationships, especially this: "...transcendence in love comes hand-in-hand with the transformation of one’s self — not the other, not the beloved."
So key to the book -- and to all of us.
May the reading world beat a path to your door!
As my mother used to say, "From your mouth to G-d's ears!" --a phrase that I interpret, not literally, but rather this way: May the goodness of friends and those who are witnesses to our lives and our creative efforts give us hope. Thank you so, Del.
Congratulations, Mary! And wonderful interview.
I’m delighted and intrigued to hear about the origin of the babies bones in a suitcase story and how it wound up in Who By Fire.
Save everything. Excellent advice.
Oh, Holly, you are such a wonderful reader and friend. Grateful for you, dearest!
So much of value here, about saving things -- absolutely. Never know. Also, funny, the few Evans I've known have all been male, yet I never reacted to Evan being female in the novel. Seemed perfectly natural.
But this:
"Revisiting memory is the way we search for meaning in our lives, for the narrative of who we are and who we might become. In some sense, we’re inventing. But in fact we’re searching for emotional truth."
And when that emotional truth rings like a bell, we, perhaps, recall those ringing bells in Saul Bellow's "A Silver Dish" --and how Bellow used that word "honest" and built on that abstract word with this line "bearing beams are honest" that made that word concrete and ring like a bell. I aspire to that clarity --and shoot for the moon, as we say in the card game "Hearts". 💗
"bearing beams are honest": perfect.
I greatly enjoyed this interview with Mary. Who by Fire is nestled on my Kindle waiting for me.
So glad. xx
Wonderful interview, Mary, the questions and your answers insightful.
Lovely, Maureen. My thanks: heart to heart.
Congratulations, Mary!
Thank you, Julie!