I have just finished a season of reading that can only be termed lovely. I must confess to having a not-so-secret adoration for lovely things, particularly books. Eudora Welty provides an apt description of her own love of books in One Writer’s Beginnings. “I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them — with the books themselves, covers and bindings and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to myself.”
This last season of my reading has been filled with two icons of southern literature; Harper Lee and Eudora Welty. My venture first began with a rereading of Ms. Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird in preparations for the release of Go Set A Watchman. I knew I could not have completely grasped its depth when I originally read it at a much younger age, and I knew my move to the South must have also granted additional insight. I so enjoyed and appreciated Mockingbird and heartily recommend a rereading or first reading to those that may have held out all these years. It really is that good.
Mockingbird is enjoyable, insightful, and convicting. There are gems within that gave me chills the second go-round. As an adult, and therefore having lived more of life, there was a relational aspect I missed with the first reading. Post-read, I am left with such thoughts courtesy of the famous fictional character Atticus Finch, such as, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.” . . . But before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”Much ado has been made of the release of Go Set A Watchman. I don’t feel the need to expound greatly on the text except to state that I enjoyed the read. It is an an pleasurable read different from Mockingbird, as should be expected from a first draft. More than anything I enjoyed the character development of an older Jean Louise [Scout.] I was forced to set the relatively easy read aside as her character hit a little too close to home; her sometimes senseless independence, and the heartbreak and anguish felt when she began to really know her family. I encourage everyone to put aside the controversy and pict it up yourself. Harper Lee gave us a great American Classic. Should I really have to say more?
I finished up this season with Ms. Welty’s One Writer’s Beginnings. I so enjoyed the simple account of Eudora Welty’s development into the woman and writer she became. She recounts her love of books, her father’s love of knowledge, and the significance of our life events. “The time as we know it subjectively is often the chronology that stories and novels follow: it is the continuous thread of revelation.”Both she and Harper Lee have left an incredible legacy that we will hold as American gems for generations to come. I have given much thought on what a legacy is in this stage of my life; what I want mine to look like, and whether or not social media detracts and distracts from this generation’s ability for a tangible legacy. Thoughts for another blog. 🙂
My immersion in Southern literature has drawn to a close for now. There are other books and topics that must be looked into, but I will return. I have a better understanding of the sometimes intangible “southern culture” by having a better understanding of its modern history. I heartily recommend To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman, and One Writer’s Beginnings, if you are looking for lovely summer reads.
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