Tiffany Painter

I’m reading a book. That in itself is not newsworthy. I read a lot of books. But this book is different. This book came out last November and I had planned on reading it right away but life got in the way. Ann Patchett, one of my favorites, went back to a book she had published in 2001, Bel Canto, and annotated it. Her handwritten notes are in the margins and words are crossed out or underlined throughout. It’s like being in a critique group with Ann Patchett herself. She points out times when she overwrote and less would have been better, when she used the same word too many times in a short period, when sentences should have been reworked, and when she made mistakes with the topic. I especially love the added personal notes when she loved something or used her own life to add elements to the storytelling. I have already learned from her mistakes in my own writing and find myself cutting out words when fewer will suffice. But writing aside, what I love most about reading this is the idea of looking back on our lives and being able to critique ourselves. How often would less words have served a situation better? When did we repeat ourselves, in action or words, and not for the better? How did we feel when we misunderstood something and only learned the truth later? Everyone is guilty of indiscretions like these, but Patchett also reminds us to take notice of the things we not only got right, but did so amazingly well. Really look at the times when we added something positive to a situation. The missteps are easy to see, but take the time to accept the victories. They are there, too.

7/10

under speckled sky
stuffing shaken from dog toy
splendid summer day

7/12

hidden behind clouds
concealed sunlight staying strong
still seeks to shine down

7/15

little thin on top
even the trees have to ask
time for leaf implants?

7/17

sunshine from above
is all it takes to flourish
no matter the base

7/19

lounging together
in the coolness of the shade
best buds united