Thursday 16 April 2009
Laurie Lee
Last night I met Laurie Lee's widow. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't even know that he had a widow. But I was weak at the knees meeting her. For me, that's something I'll be telling my grandchildren. I felt some how that I was within touching distance of genius. Because Laurie Lee was really one of the great writers of the last century. Also one just knows from his poems that he was also a wonderfully kind and gentle man. Having met his widow, I'm now going to start reading some of his books again. I know I'll be inspired. I need that at that moment.
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2 comments:
I was thinking of you this morning and remembered you had mentioned you had a blog which I am ashamed to say then slipped my mind before checking it out. So here I am. And a little concerned that it has been so long since you posted.
But how strange you should have met LL's widow. Norman, from A PLACE IN MY COUNTRY, knew LL, indeed rented some land off him which he eventually gave to a local cricket club. I'd love to hear more about her and of course the progress of your novel and to tell you a little about mine.
It's my first run at a fiction novel, my agent has some opening chapters but needs, evidently, the entire completed manuscript. What ever happened to editors who worked with writers?
It's also everything it probably shouldn't be to get published: dark, intimate, very long and a long title. However it is advancing well. I completed a first draft in two big chunks of writing time this year (after junking the first half of a run at the same book last year - wrong location and time line and a better main character emerged, similar but better).
Now with winter closing in fast (snow tyres on today) I am settling in to working on subsequent drafts, ever fine tuning. I have a wonderful new (antique) wood burner and chimney in my office, it's a joy.
I do agree with you on process. Mine is time consuming, intellectually sloppy when it comes to the quality of early draft writing, even if the themes and point of the book are clear to me.
It would be lovely to speak. Hope you pick this up soon as I don't have your email on my new Mac. Will get it from my PC when I have a moment.
Take care.
Ian
www.ianwalthew.com
Ian, how wonderful to hear from you. I only just found this comment. I think you posted it months ago. Am going to find your blog now! Alice
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