It may be fortuitous, but nonetheless today is Memorial Day, which is also the birthday of the late precisionist writer, Raymond Carver (1938-1988).
The effects of his writing have been monumental in my life as a writer, and to sum him up would be degrading his memory as an indelible writer - who cannot be "summed up."
Understanding Carver is an experience, so I suggest starting by reading "Cathedral" and then go to "Boxes," "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love," "Errand," "Neighbors" and then "Fat."
After the first two stories you will be hooked and after the last four you will be fiendish for more Carver.
Although Carver can't be summed up, but he can have the last words, both of which are poems that appear on his headstone. First, "Gravy" is a poem that Carver wrote as an epitaph and second, the the last fragment he wrote: "And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth."
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With your help I've learned two things today (well, lots really) - firstly what Memorial Day is (not being from the US I'd not heard of it before), and secondly that Raymond Carver is not the same person as Raymond Chandler just with a different spelling. I am ashamed to admit the depths of my ignorance on this point, but having googled a quick biog I was interested to see how much he owed to Chekov. I will now definitely keep an eye open for books by or about him - thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome. It is difficult to know every great author because there truly are so many out there. Here is a link to start you out, the short story "Cathedral": http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/cinichol/GovSchool/Cathedral2.htm
ReplyDeleteCarver and Chekhov's lives were quite similar, it was eerie. Both writer's are completely brilliant, and every writer needs to understand the Chekvoian Gun Theory (If a gun appears in the first act, it better go off by the last).