Writing group highlights

Dear family and friends,

Merwin opened the wonderful cornucopia of gifts from Betty; wow, what a wonderful, thoughtful, useful present. She has been somewhat physically disabled because of her condition, and she sent me tools to cope with the sorts of problems she has had, which I have had also. For example, there is a gadget that helps a person pull up his socks. That's something I can't do now on my own. There are grabbers to pick up things out of reach, and all sorts of other tools for all sorts of purposes. I will be playing with these every day. I am constantly dropping things on the floor, and I can't bend over easily to get them. It's the bone, but it's also the spleen that gets in my way. It is humongous.

I didn't have time to examine each and every item because I was expecting 7 members of the writing group to be here in the afternoon. Merwin helped enormously of course, and we tried to make things easy for him by using plastic, even for the wine, which we drank abundantly through the afternoon and evening. We started reading our writing aloud after we had all gathered. Before then, those who came earlier got a tour of the backyard from Merwin and we just had fun catching up. I had spent the hours before the group gathered beginning to write a part of the introduction to Measure for Measure for the Focus edition. I got about a page done. And of course it has to be revised, but getting a start always feels good.

Joe read first: he is working on a long work that we have been following for months, and he has found a way to express the multitude of voices in his cast of characters. Truly impressive and exciting. Anna read her review of Beverly Jensen's posthumous novel Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay, due to be published this month. [See http://www.beverlyjensen.net/]. Jay (to whom Beverly was married) was not with us yesterday, but I think he will be very pleased with Anna’s review. She did a great job of teasing the interest of the readers of the East End Long Island magazine for which she writes.

Kathryn read freewriting she wrote for her class, which was studying The Glass Menagerie. Each freewrite focused on one of the three characters and his or her relation to herself. Of course, since we are all, or all were, teachers, we appreciated the way the freewrite topic would engage the students' interest. Kathryn is such a good writer that she hesitates to read her own writing to the class, though she writes while they are writing. We urged her to let them hear how she does it; they cannot help but learn from her example. Joe feels this Ponsot method of writing and reading the writing in class, teachers and students alike, is key to his success in the classroom. Kathryn is such a fine writer; she may feel her writing would intimidate her students. Since reading aloud eliminates all perception of graphic errors, it can be empowering for students.

Next I read my short intro to Measure and though several do not know the play or know it well, they were interested. Kathryn made a face when she said the word "Duke." Several people thought we should gather together some evening to read the play aloud with each taking on a role or two. We can do that, perhaps, after the edition comes out, which should be in the fall, perhaps. Joe mentioned seeing Meryl Streep as Isabella in the Park. How wonderful she was in those early days. How great still. But in those days, we saw her at the Public Theater and sat perhaps 20 feet from where she was being superb on stage. Wonderful memories.

Meta then read also in a way about teaching, about the adolescent as a newish category of young adult, or what would have been an young adult in time past, and the effect of this empty stage of life on the classroom. Toby, who has just become a grandparent of Bryan, newly adopted by her son Eric and his spouse Derek (they live in Massachusetts and are married), showed us photos of the newborn, each daddy feeding newborn Bryan in turn. What a procedure, though, to adopt from a state that does not recognize Gay marriage, in this case Utah, and arranged by an agency in Texas.

Hedda read a draft of a talk she will give on multiculturalism in the college. It was a powerful declaration of the magnificent things she does with and for her students' intellectual development in the classroom and the enormous deficits in her students' knowledge and training that she and tehy have to deal with. Pow! Go Hedda. Then Barbara, who had asked to be last, read. It was about a particular student but meshed perfectly with Hedda's piece. I was in tears by the end.

Merwin had popped his head in now and then to see what was happening. Somewhere near the end of the session also our granddaughter Michelle called, and I turned the phone over to him. We'll both talk to her in more detail this evening. Though we had been snacking throughout the readings (wonderful cheeses, guacamole of sorts, fresh fruit, wine) we turned eagerly enough to the table for the pot luck supper: salmon, stuffed shells, salads, vegetables, bread, more wine, and we ended with coffee and an array of delicious desserts. A fine time was had by all: we do love and admire each other. Everyone (except me) pitched in to present the food and then to clear the table.

And so to bed, still in my recliner. The scale showed a 2.5 lb. gain this morning. Every day it goes up. I am going to have to start to be careful—someday soon.

Love to all,
Bernice