This Is The Story Of A Happy Marriage

As part of my Ann Patchett obsession lately, I also read This Is The Story Of A Happy Marriage by guess who?  Ann Patchett. This is more of a collection of essays, articles and one speech than a novel.  After reading this collection I am more in love with the author than before.  Her writing is spare.  Every word is necessary.  She works hard at being an author.  One essay is on how to write. Practice, she says, practice writing two hours a day.  Practice sitting at a desk with your writing tools and even if you don't write, sit there for two hours daily and eventually the writing will come.  She writes about relationships and she doesn't pretend to be better at it than others.  I really enjoyed her speech to a college writing class.  The speech was about censorship and prior to giving the speech some influential people wanted her banned from the campus because of a novel she wrote about her friendship with another woman entitled Truth and Beauty.  Now I want to read Truth and Beauty.  What does it say about me than I am drawn to read books that other people want banned?  I guess I have a defiant streak.  Sounds funny to think of reading a book as being defiant.  Other people march in the streets or break laws. Whereas I'm so bada$$ I'll go the library and read a book!  Take That!