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Dear Reader,
"Who's your favorite author?"
Over the years people have frequently asked me that question, and up until recently, my reply has been, "I tend to fall in love with the author I'm reading at the moment." Because if I start reading a book, and it's just not resonating with me, that doesn't mean it's a boring storyline, it simply isn't a good match for me, and I move on to another title.
.
But I realized the other day if I found myself on a desert island, the books I'd like to have by my side are the stories author Kent Haruf has written: The Tie That Binds, Eventide, Our Souls at Night, Where You Once Belonged, Plainsong, and Benediction.
I've reread his titles several times. The first read through his books were a little painful at one point, because I realized if I kept reading, the story was going to end, and then what was I going to do?
But fortunately for me, it's a good thing I have this quirky trait of being able to watch reruns on TV, over and over again, because of how they make me feel. And thank heavens that quirky little trait applies to reading Haruf's books, too. Yes, it's a "rerun" every time I read one of his books again, but I'm reading for more than just the storyline. I reread his titles because the writing style makes me feel at ease, and grants me permission to remember the stories from my own life without judgement. I read when I need encouragement, and when I need to get grounded in life. The prose of his stories of everyday life, are the realities we all face: the decisions we make, the truth that life is not always fair, and there's not always a happy ending. What's the right thing to do? The characters in Haruf's books don't always make the fair choice the first time, and sometimes they get a second chance. But sometimes as happens in real life, someone deserves a second chance, but it doesn't come their way. Haruf's writing inspires me in my own work to keep telling the stories, nothing fancy needed, because on their own each story reveals another essence of life.
Reporter William Yardley wrote these words about my favorite author.
Kent Haruf pulled a wool cap over his eyes when he sat down at his manual typewriter each morning so he could "write blind," fully immersing himself in the fictitious small town in eastern Colorado where he set a series of quiet, acclaimed novels, including "Plainsong," a 1999 best seller. Mr. Haruf often wrote a chapter a day, most recently in a prefabricated shed in the backyard of his home in Salida, Colo., where he died on Sunday at 71.
-- William Yardley, New York Times, Dec. 2, 2014
I have an extra copy of The Tie That Binds in my library and I'd like to give it to a book club reader. To enter the drawing, click here.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
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