The Journal Keeper: A Memoir (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
What a wonderful peek into the mind of a writer who takes the time to ponder the complexities of relationships. She weaves her own wisdom, referencing writers like Emerson, Thoreau, Tolle, Vonnegut, and Pascal. She writes with a freshness that I found inspirational. The author's relationship with her mother was tender and fleshed out for the reader with moments rather than big life events. Her indecision about marriage in her mid sixties was shared with brutal honesty. It made me think about how hard it is for a divorced, self sufficient woman who loves solitude to decide to remarry. She is a writer who works hard at her craft, nurtures her friendships, and travels widely. She teaches others in her Nightwriters retreats and workshops. How I'd love to be one of her students.So, I'm pretty enamored with this book but I didn't give it a 5. There were a few parts where her realizations became a little repetitive. I want to be coaxed to think, not have ideas hammered into my skull. She is also a mistress of metaphor. Sometimes they came too quickly and I couldn't appreciate one before the next one appeared. I have never highlighted as many passages in a book. Not ever. Here are just a few:"Up at seven, make the bed, prune my life so the strength flows into fewer branches."I need to have "the ability to take a piece of chalk and draw a smaller circle around my feet when the old larger circle falls apart.""There is something mysterious but obvious about the importance of staying put. The soul cannot do its work when we are in constant motion.""Poetry excavates, blasts, cuts through the flab.""I have chosen to be a writer and must be willing to do what it takes. It is like drilling for oil, having the faith that it is down there. But beyond or beneath that faith is the commitment to dig, whether the oil is there or not.""What keeps you from being fully alive is what you are most afraid to go through."Oh I know, enough, but I highlighted so much more....... This book was a highly emotional journey into a middle-aged writer's life. I enjoyed her reflections on literature.It was also very helpful to hear about how she approaches a writing career. However, I did not appreciate her very anxious approaches towards her fears about not having enough money. I also found it ironic that she did not want to be self-centered, yet she always described her own problems in detail. In a way, she taught me to display gratitude instead of complaining.
What do You think about The Journal Keeper: A Memoir (2010)?
An interesting peek into six year's of a writer's personal and professional life.
—morningnerds
I love all the quotes.... I copied down many of them for imperation
—Molly
A quick, enjoyable, engaging read with some insightful comments.
—Aymapi
not a favorite- way too disjointed even for a journal
—patrice
