Just came across this John Updike poem. Who will do it again, indeed.
Perfection Wasted
And another regrettable thing about death
is the ceasing of your own brand of magic,
which took a whole life to develop and market -
the quips, the witticisms, the slant
adjusted to a few, those loved ones nearest
the lip of the stage, their soft faces blanched
in the footlight glow, their laughter close to tears,
their warm pooled breath in and out with your heartbeat,
their response and your performance twinned.
The jokes over the phone. The memories packed
in the rapid-access file. The whole act.
Who will do it again? That’s it; no one;
imitators and descendants aren’t the same.
Love the poem.
There are so many books that have moved me but off the top of my head;
Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand
and anything, anything by the poet Hugh Prather.
I finally finished the Sawtelle book. I was ok with the ending. I loved the author’s writing style. Can’t say much more – other people will want to read it. I’m about to start another – “Water for Elephants” a novel by Sara Gruen. Don’t know if anyone has read it.
Kim Teri- I read Anthem as assigned reading in high school, devoured her other books including Atlas shrugged. Which I still will read on occasion to remind myself that I am not insane LOL
Kim, I read Water for Elephants for a book group this past summer & really enjoyed it.
Thank you for commenting Sara and I’m glad you enjoyed it – I look forward to reading it.
Thank you for the poem. Recently lost a very special person in my life and the last two lines truly touched my heart…….
Who will do it again? That’s it; no one;
imitators and descendants aren’t the same.
……how true, how very true that is.
Christine
FYI – Just got back from seeing “The Wrestler”. Loved it. Mickey Rourke was phenomenal.
If I’m not mistaken, Charlie Rose is recapping some of Updike’s appearances on Mon. Loved listening to Updike on Terri Gross last week. Especially loved the part where he spoke of being able to take a page from any novel and read it like a poem.
Sometime would love to see your list of books for toddler types, Ann. Your list for big girls has already made it onto my must-check-out list.
Sarah, my kids VERY favorite nightly read was “Where the Wild Things Are.” I know this book by heart. It has great illustrations of monsters, but I think my kids found it very comforting to see a boy acting out in a very naughty way, have his mother punish him and then, after he launches himself into a fantasy of outrageously naughty behavior with other “wild things,” he wakes to find that his mother has prepared him a warm supper. There’s something psychologically wonderful about the message of unconditional love in that book. Kids love to know they’re not the only ones with wild fantasies of naughty behavior and that the mother is in charge, no matter what they do, and will still love them.
All the Dr Suess books really help kids prepare to read. Fox in Sox, The Alphabet book, etc. For some reason toddlers love Goodnight Moon. It’s because they find it easy to memorize and my kids would love it if I “accidentally” skipped a part so they could correct me. I’m sure there are more current toddler books that are great
My son loved Runaway Bunny. It was always read together with Goodnight Moon. Toddlers do love them both.
OH,I just remembered Babar the elephant, was a series, ? I think. My mom died when I just turned 7, but I remember her giving me Babar and Madeline books, and Dr. Suess “The Cat in the Hat”. I have few memories of her, but books and music were her favorite things to do with us. She loved to bring us to the Library. I love books because of her. thx mom.
Oh Meg, what a beautiful way to remember your mother. I forgot about Babar and Madeleine. Thanks for the reminder. I always wanted to live in the dormitory with Madeline and the other girls. Everything so tidy and orderly. The nuns so crisp and kind. And, of course, Madeleine’s great adventures.
The Updike poem was outrageous and I’m copying it to share with my friends. He will be missed and there will never be anyone just like him. PS. My son has a Where the Wild Things are tatoo on his ankle. He lived for that book. My daughter loved a small book I’d picked up at the Goodwill. It was hand size, easy to hold and had pictures and descriptions of the Seven Wonders of the World.