very cold day, jan. 24

Wow, it was cold coming in today.  And someone left the little heater on high in the studio, with the door closed. So it was a morning of cold and hot.  By the end of the reading, all my warm layers of closer were becoming a bit oppressive.

It was fun and challenging to read Jessica Keener's work, Night Swim.  It is very well written and the language easily flows as one reads it aloud.  Yet speaking from a non Jewish background and a man reading the journey of a young Jewish girl is a good exercise.  I think it is something worth doing more often. Reading  from very different perspectives can help us understand others better.  When I read this to myself, I imagine the voice of a young girl. But putting my own to it somehow engages me more in the character.

The story's characters and family dynamics are just that, chararcters and very dynamic. Thanks Jessica, for such a good story.

Next week, I am looking forward to reading short stories by John O'Hara. He is a wonderful and amazing short story writer. Short stories are a wonderful gift to literature. It is hard to distill a story to its essence in a short time, maintain engaging characters, full plots and keep it short.