Saturday, June 13, 2015

"Writers and Age", by Esther Harriott -- a wonderful introduction to five great writers (Pritchett, Kunitz, Lessing, Gallant, and Davis)

"Writers and Age: Essays on and Interviews with Five Authors" by Esther Harriott (McFarland, 2015) -- the five authors: V. S. Pritchett, Stanley Kunitz, Doris Lessing, Mavis Gallant, and Russell Baker.

I know the author, Esther Harriott, and like her work. I loved the close readings that Esther gives each of the five authors she writes about in her book, "Writers and Age".  She takes us on tours of specific stories or poems, focusing on her main subject -- how advancing age is depicted and confronted by these writers. At first I wondered how that was going to work, if it would be boring (all those quotes and excerpts). But no. These were vivid little trips; I felt as if I had read the story in many cases, and got caught up in the drama.

The interviews Esther conducted with the writers are wonderful discussions about the effects of age on their work lives (they each cope in their own way), and on the works they create. Thanks to her rapport with these writers, their characters really came through.

Aside from its obvious subject -- age -- the book serves as a great introduction to these writers. Many young readers and literature students won't know these writers. I'm embarrassed that Russell Baker was the only one of the five that I'd read extensively, and I'm glad to have learned so much about the others. The book inspired me to read more of Pritchett's stories, and I'm now reading a book of Mavis Gallant's stories, "Home Truths".

Finally, I just found a hopeful sensibility in the book. To read how these five continue to work productively gave me a sense of hope. I want to emulate them.