Lofty Thoughts: After Seeing Cheri Johnson and Bonnie Rough
I don’t get out as much as I’d like. We have a persuasive couch. But I just got back from seeing my friend Cheri Johnson read with Bonnie Rough at the Loft. Cheri writes wonderful fiction filled with the subtle sabotage of our minds and the vivid textures of the world. Bonnie Rough was a pleasant surprise: she uses research with a great generosity and deftness, so it’s a kind of extension of the imagination. There is also the wonderful uni-tasking of a reading: there is only you, listening to what is being read; the air, like the air in a good library, seems calmer and richer than normal air. All of this—plus running into other MFA buddies–made me want to write.
lovely! Laura Flynn was just reading down here, nothing like friends for inspiration! Wish I could have seen Cheri too.
Posted by: Shana | April 10, 2008 at 07:54 AM
Oh, that sounds wonderful and lovely. I could probably use some subtle sabotage of the mind.
Posted by: Carolyn | April 10, 2008 at 08:33 PM
Oh, I wish I could have seen Cheri! And yes, annoyingly, it does feel good to get out and do things. It's like how exercise makes you less tired. So annoying that it's true.
Posted by: amy | April 12, 2008 at 07:51 AM
I wanted so badly to be there. Eh, I was holding a crying baby, trying to convince her sister it was time to go to bed. Who had more fun that night?
Posted by: kate | April 22, 2008 at 07:50 AM