mef
- Saturday, March 10 2007
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About the only Welty I've ever read is "Why I Live at the PO", which I think is wonderful; she's been on my To Be Read list for aeons, and I've even got a big ol' biography of her here that somebody gave me. But this is all still to be read, so I'm not the best person to reply; but I may be the only other person here...
And the other author you posted? Never heard of him. Maybe you'd be willing to tell me more?
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Nanci6
- Saturday, March 10 2007
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Welty is truly a muse - writing words to take to heart and live by.
Breece D'J Pancake only had this one book of twelve stories - at least that I know about. He was mostly published in The Atlantic during his lifetime - he died at twenty six. I think all these stories are set in West Virginia - his home state. It isn't the Deep Faulkner South - and I figured I was pushing the boundaries to include him - but that is alright. I also want more people to read the book so he doesn't just slip in obscurity.
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mef
- Thursday, May 24 2007
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Sorry it's taken me so long to reply -- I'll put your Mr Pancake on my list of To Be Reads, at least. WONDERFUL name -- was he born to it or did he name himself?
I definitely include West Virginia in the South -- no problem.
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Jessica
- Wednesday, October 31 2007
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I thought the Truman Capote book looked very good. I read Breakfast at Tiffany's and loved it! I couldn't put it down, I haven't read anything else of his though. Have you read it?
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mef
- Friday, November 2 2007
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I've read Breakfast at Tiffany's, and it was okay, but nothing beats his southern stuff -- I prefer it to his NY work. Have you read "Other Voices, Other Rooms"?
I wish I could find a review I read a year or two ago when a new collection of all Capote's short fiction came out (well reviewed) and a collection of his letters (badly reviewed -- apparently he kept his real writing for his books and didn't waste it on his correspondence), and the reviewer said something about how other people think Southern Gothic is a style, but read enough Capote and you realize it isn't a style; it's just how people live. Makes for great fiction. In Capote's hands, anyway.
Do we need a Capote discussion thread?
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No, I haven't read any other books that he has written. I will see if my library co-op has that one and check it out. I really liked what the reviewer said about him. I'm all for a Capote discussion thread.
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Nanci6
- Friday, November 2 2007
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I think this is a Capote thread! Other Voices, Other Rooms is terrific and so is The Complete Stories of Truman Capote which includes my all time favorite A Christmas Memory. I first read it - I guess it must have been when I was in seventh grade - and it stayed with me for years and it wasn't until I was an adult and 'discovered' Truman Capote that I realized he had written one of the most poignant stories I have ever read.
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mef
- Sunday, November 4 2007
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"A Christmas Memory" is probably my favorite book of all time.
I first encountered it when a ran into a group of people I knew slightly, when I was a student, and they were on their way to hear "A Christmas Memory" read aloud, just before Christmas, and I decided to tag along. It was a magical way to encounter a magical piece of prose.
I don't think the movie they made of it captures the aura at all, though. More's the pity. It's a tall order...
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The only Capote work I've read is In Cold Blood. A masterful first work in a new genre that has taken off quite big. But none so well written as this first.
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I am glad you considered West Virginia part of Southern Lit. We consider ourselves a southern state anyway, LOL. I have a book on my wishlist "Strange As This Weather Has Been" by Ann Pancake. I was wondering if anyone knew of a relationship between her and Breece Pancake. Her homepage doesn't say anything.
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If you're interested in reading more Capote, I strongly recommend "Music for Chameleons", a collection of vignettes of his encounters with friends and acquaintances, including the mysterious Mr. Jones, the touching description of Marilyn Monroe (Time called it the best sketch ever written about her) and my all-time favorite, positively hilarious episode with Pearl Bailey.
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I've also loved "The Grass Harp" by Capote-- it's strange and sweet and (to me, at least) completely unexpected given his most famous works-- "Breakfast at Tiffany's" or "In Cold Blood." Highly recommended!
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Thanks for the discussions of Capote's books. I had only known "In Cold Blood." Now I am going to look for some of the others.
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