Louise DeSalvo’s fine book has the subtitle: A Writer’s Meditation on New Houses, Old Haunts, and Finding Home Again. DeSalvo meditates on her own moves and the moves of Virginia Woolf, Henry Miller, D. H. Lawrence, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Elizabeth Bishop, and a dozen other writers. Virginia Woolf’s work changes depending on the house she’s living in. When discussing Percy Bysshe Shelley’s doomed move to Viareggio, Italy DeSalvo says, “I knew that Shelley had drowned in a boating accident while trying to sail home during an unanticipated violent storm. I’d read how a friend snatched Shelley’s heart from the pyre and gave it to his wife, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, and how she had kept it with her until her own death.” There are nuggets of information like this on every page. The only flaw of On Moving is the lack of an index. GRADE: A-
George, if by some chance, I come along as you’re being burned on a pyre, I’ll snatch your heart up and give to your wife.
Come to think of it though, not all wives might appreciate such a gesture.
It’s the thought that counts, Drongo!
I think many people would choose being burned on a pyre over moving.
You could count me as one of those people who hate moving, Jeff. All that searching for “the right house,” the packing, the moving, the unpacking, the settling. What a bunch of wasted effort when I could have been reading!
Moving…but heaven and hell. It’s great to be making a new beginning, in a new home, or new city or whatever, but the leaving the old, the packing, selling the old place if you own it, all are horrible. For me, it takes a lot to overcome the urge to hunker down and stay put.
I moved every semester when I was in College. But, I didn’t have a lot of stuff to move…mostly books. Now, I have a ton of stuff to move…and a ton of books. The effort required to move it all is more than the pleasure of a new place to live.
I will never move again now that our house has lost 40% of its value. Damn shame because I could probably have more TVs in a new house. Seriously, this looks like great fun.
I was surprised that DeSalvo’s subjects–Virginia Woolf, Lawrence, Shelley, etc.–seemed compelled to move, Patti. You would really like ON MOVING.
George, it sounds like your books may own you as much as you own them.
My collection is, I’m sure, modest compared to yours, but I do get great pleasure out of it. Yet sometimes I have to conquer the urge to throw out every book I own, even the ones dearest to me.
I won’t toss them, but it almost seems like the books wouldn’t let me.
I’ve donated 30,000 books to SUNY at Buffalo, Drongo. Yet, I still seem to have thousands left. And, of course, I keep buying books, CDs, and DVDs. You’re right about our “stuff” owning us, too.
Drongo – I have that same urge sometimes, but never follow trough, books are too dear. I DO manage to take some to the library, post some on PaperBack Book Swap, give a few away and even (shudder) toss one out now and then.
BTW, since I see you here fairly often and on other blogs occasionally, I just started one myself. Feel free to visit.
I’ve donated thousands of books, CDs, and DVDs to various libraries over the years, Rick. I’d love to bring Art Scott here for a couple weeks to weed my collect. Art would do a masterful job. I’m almost hopeless at weeding: every book starts to look good to me.
Rick, I will definitely give your blog a look, just as soon as I’m done here.
Incidentally, this is the only blog where I use the “Drongo” name. I find this hard to believe, but there may be multiple Drongos out there, mucking about in cyberspace.
Since George is such a monstrously distinguished blogger, I’ve always reserved “Drongo” just for him.
I’m completely flattered by your exclusive use of “Drongo” on this blog! I will always endeavor to uphold the mantel of “a monstrously distinguished blogger.”