Yesterday I finished reading an essay collection titled Money Changes Everything edited by Jenny Offill and Elissa Schappell both instructors in the MFA program I attended, but neither were instructors I worked with as they were in the prose program (I was, of course, in poetry). The subtitle for the book is: Twenty-two writers break the final taboo–How money transforms families, tests marriages, destroys friendships and sometimes manages to make people happy. That is on the front of the book and is quite a mouthful!
I gave this collection a 4 out of 5 on Goodreads because over all it is a nice read. Each essay is pretty easy to read in one short setting. You hear from those who grew up poor and those who grew up rich although there is a definite bent towards urban living on all fronts (hey, if you live in New York, you know New Yorkers. If I put together a collection it’d probably be very, very Southern).
I bring this book up, not just because I read it and found it pretty enjoyable, but because I think it is an excellent topic for anyone to start writing on: money. Or, if not money what other things do you think are too taboo to talk about? There is a great reader guide at the end with questions like: have you ever lied about your money situation? Why? In what setting? Etc.
I’ll keep this pretty broad, but hope perhaps it strikes you to write. Not to post here today, but to write.
And to finish here are some of my favorite quotes from the collection:
- from “Stash” by Claire Dederer: I’m his daughter; he’s my father. We gave each other what we could afford.
- from “Preexisting Condition” by Jonathan Dee: But that’s the thing about being poor; after a while, all of your choices are short term ones.
Hope everyone is continuing to have a great week! See you for Poem Share tomorrow. I am regularly blogging next week but I’ll be in the summer institute next week so my blogging may disapp…
I began Pearl Pirie’s ‘been shed bore’, and ‘Flash Fiction’ which both are very intriguging. The FF book reminds me that we are never too old to visit side of the road carnivals, or to eat wildly colored cotton candy at the rivers edge
I wrote two poems between yesterday and today. I am happy with both, but will revisit them later. One is over at my site, and Jim K. inspired one from a photo he has up on his blog.
On the way to the pool to lay and let words float in my head.
Jessie, we like what we can get from you
I’m enjoying hearing about your summer adventures! I’ve finally started writing too, including an essay that is sort of about money …
Yay Jessie about more writing coming out of you! And thank you for talking about Money Changes Everything.
Are essay collections rare? I loved the quotes you included. Thinking about you asking if we could write about money or anything else too taboo to talk about. hmmm. What this has me thinking is being more intentional about what I write, more focused, instead of just whatever comes my way kind of things. More disciplined. (I always need more discipline. ha!)Thinking about it . . .not saying that I can do it!
Essay collections are more rare than say, a short story collection, but there are many of them around. I think it is hard to find them sometimes. I really like the Best American Essays collection that comes out every year.
I still like to let inspiration pull me into particular topics, but sometimes when I feel “blocked” I just have to write SOMETHING!
Jessie,
That looks like a really interesting book.
I wish I had your discipline. Even though I only write to have something to publish on my blog and the stakes therefore are very low, I somehow feel blocked all the time. I don’t know if I’m excessively critical of myself or if I’m simply trying to write in a more essay-like way when a more to-the-point blog post style would do, but anyway there are so many pieces sitting in my drafts folder, and so many topics I would have liked to write about that I never get around to. I’ll try to improve, since it’s summer and I’ve got more time on my hands.
I note that my blogs were much longer and more revised when I first started writing them. I think I try to stay a bit more laid back about it. The undergrad me writer wanted evey line to be perfect and had a terrible time revising. It all just takes time doesnt it
I’m struggling with fiction in particular right now as I have two pending projects that I want to finish, but part of me is tired of working on them!