...occasionally, while enjoying a timeless classic, written by a storyteller capable of breathing life into a plot deemed hopeless by others, I stumble across a phrase that promotes a snicker in between paragraphs. A line or two meant purely for us, his or her peers, the writing populace, roaming about, heads down, carrying on our days on the wings of hope.
While finishing up "Boy's Life," by Robert McCammon, I read the following on page 527...
...the Lady regarded me with her shining emerald eyes. "You still gonna be a writer?" she asked me.
"I don't know," I said.
"Seems to me a writer gets to hold a lot of keys," she said. "Gets to visit a lot of worlds and live in a lot of skins. Seems to me a writer has a chance to live forever, if he's good and if he's lucky. Would you like that, Cory? Would you like to live forever?"
I thought about it. Forever, like Heaven, was an awfully long time. "No ma'am," I decided. "I think I might get tired."
"Well," she said, and she placed a hand on my shoulder, "it seems to me a writer's voice is a forever thing. Even if a boy and a man are not..."
Subliminal messages. Sent by those who can. Understood by those of us who continue to listen, and continue onward...
So tell me, who's holding the keys this evening? Who's got a story to share?
Thanks for reading ;)
EL
22 comments:
Yes, that was inspirational.
I hope my writings entertain/inform future generations, but to physically live forever - yeah, I'd get tired too :)
I can see Charmed becoming a classic though :)
........dhole
I love that passage. It's so eloquent and honest. I'd like to think that through my writing, a little piece of me lives on, but like the author and Donna, I don't think I want to hang around that long. What's there to do when you've done everything, you know?
Hey Donna, "Charm" becoming a classic...I like your thinking ;)
It's doing well locally, still trying to break out of its shell at the moment.
Hey Marlena, living forever is a mighty long time, agreed. But those words we write, the stories we tell...well, that's powerful stuff, and will surely outlive any of us. Thanks for reading ;)
EL
McCammon starts "Boy's Life" with an insightful poem that's worth the price of the whole book.
that was quite magical, El!
You notice everything!
I like that. It is comforting in a way to think that though we won't survive, our writing will. Our writing is a much better representation of us anyway. I wouldn't want my spoken mumblings to be captured forever.
Awesome! Inspirational!
Thanks, Elliot! You make my day!
Hey Geno, agreed! It was his first truly "coming of age" novel.
Hey Dez, thanks for stopping by and your support! Glad you like it.
Hey Anita, I think perhaps I got lucky on this one. Just liked that particular conversation and gave it some thought ;)
Hey Amy, ya never know, those spoken mumblings of yours may be considered priceless someday. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Thanks all for your comments!
EL
Great passage!
I don't think I would want to live forever, either . . . since things like hope and dreams are propelled by the knowledge we'll die someday. But writing? It would be amazing if the words remained. :)
This excerpt is so cool! Thanks for sharing it with us. And thanks for visiting my site and signing up. I see your previous post is about Anita's new book. Sounds like an awesome story to me!
I think CHARM has all the makings of a classic in the making, Elliot. Let's cross our fingers, shall we?
I just downloaded the last Spenser murder mystery ever written by the already missed Robert B. Parker, who was the heir to Raymond Chandler -- and proved heroes could love only one woman through an entire series of good books.
I am sad and happy I have one more adventure to share with my literary friends, Roland
Thanks for sharing that~ powerful stuff :)
Lovely stuff. Thanks for posting it.
you'll be joining the "immortal club" soon
That was a message if ever I read one. Thanks for sharing that today.
Hey Eagle, I agree. Goes to show the power of the written word ;)
Hey LynNerd, thanks for stopping over, and yes, Anita's release is a must buy!
Hey Roland, fingers are crossed, my friend. Robert B. Parker...now there's a name I haven't heard in quite some time. Looking forward to your upcoming post, as always ;)
Hey Jess, thanks for stopping by, and glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Movies, the pleasure was all mine! Thanks for reading.
Hey Braine, thanks for the lofty compliment!
Hey Wendy, thanks so much for paying a visit. Hoping your sales are currently soaring!
I don't know about forever. I think I'd be content with just entertaining/captivating for the moment. :) But, hey, I've been told I'm easy to please. Either way, this was a very inspiring blog post. Thank you for sharing! *hammers that follow button*
I agree forever's a little daunting, but I love the idea of all those keys! I'm gonna go find me some more doors to open...ooh, perhaps even a treasure chest. ;)
The keys to another world, another place, another... whatever the writer wants.
Great message. Give me something to think about. =) Thanks Elliot.
Hey Adriana, inspiring is what I was aiming for, whether it carries with it the power of lifetimes...or simply three seconds of fame, I'll take it ;) Thanks!
Hey Nicki, very much hoping you're jingling those keys for years to come!
Hey Kim, agreed! Thanks for stopping by ;)
Hey Carolyn, something to think about is no doubt exactly what McCammon was hoping for. And we took the bait, hook-line-and-sinker. Thanks for reading, V!
First day of school...yikes!
EL
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