On a new novel and an original poem
From Tana French’s The Searcher, a novel about a U.S. police officer who retires to rural Ireland and who gets involved in a missing persons case that local police don’t care much about. A lot of Americans are sentimental about Ireland, and I suppose that may be part of the impetus for my dissertation and first published book.
Here are the first two paragraphs:
“When Cal comes out of the house, the rooks have got hold of something. Six of them are clustered on the back lawn, amid the long wet grass and the yellow-flowered weeds, jabbing and hopping. Whatever the thing is, it’s on the small side and still moving.
Cal sets down his garbage bag of wallpaper. He considers getting his hunting knife and putting the creature out of its suffering, but the rooks have been here a lot longer than he has. It would be pretty impertinent of him to waltz in and start interfering with their ways. Instead he eases himself down to sit on the mossy step next to the trash bag.”
Thoughts
Fictional starts are important. I don’t know this author, but she is a very accomplished thriller writer. And this opening conveys the sense of being a newcomer in an area that has some violent elements (I suppose all areas do). It may be foreshadowing of the human drama to come.
And it conveys some of the sense of being an interloper in a new area and being reluctant to intervene in local events. I have felt that often in life. “First do no harm.”
“Birth” by yours truly
Giving birth to art or idea?
Quite a hurdle, like a turtle.
The animal can be beautiful
But very slow.