Were you one of the lucky ones who came to hear Jeannette Walls speak last night? If you’re like me, maybe you’re still in the wow-phase.
What a classy, genuine woman.
Here are a couple of things that stood out in my mind:
In response to those who say memoirists are exhibitionists Jeannette said that her readers can read about her life and maybe learn something without actually having to go through it. And isn’t that why we all read? A good book is a good book–whether it is fiction or nonfiction.
She reminded us of the age-old tradition of story telling and urged us to tell our own stories, the stories of our grandparents and great grandparents as these earlier generations were true pioneers where hardship was the norm.
Writer Susan Cushman wrote in her blog this morning:
“Don’t you love it when you get more than you expected? That’s what happened on Wednesday, when I drove down to Jackson . . . First of all, I loved Walls’ first book, The Glass Castle, but I hadn’t gotten around to reading her second one, Half Broke Horses yet, although I purchased it when it came out in 2009. But the fact that she was still touring and reading (to packed houses, like she did at Lemuria last night) fifteen months after the book’s debut is a tribute to its staying power—and hers.”
“What I also didn’t expect was the powerful, inspirational talk she gave after her book signing. She didn’t read from either of her books, but talked about both of them and answered questions. Her enthusiasm reminded me of my friend, River Jordan, especially when she talked about “the power of storytelling.”I didn’t expect her to look up from the books she was signing for me and listen—as though there was no one else in line—to my brief personal story of trying to write a memoir and now a novel. She encouraged me on several personal and professional levels, like a life coach and mentor might do.”
I imagine many of you who were there are still running over fragments of the evening in your mind, feeling inspired, too.
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