Tag: loneliness

“I want to be alone, but not too alone.”

I disagree with the description on the back of this book, which says that one of Jonathan Franzen’s “essential themes” is “the hidden persistence of loneliness in postmodern, imperial America.” Rather, it seems to me that in every one of these essays, the narrator discovers that he’s not alone … Read More

“Lonely was the first flavor I had tasted in my life, and it was always there, hidden inside the crevices of my mouth, reminding me.”

Strout2 Lucy BartonIn an interview, novelist Elizabeth Strout said that she sees writing as a way “to help people,” that her job was to try “to open somebody’s eyes just a little bit for one minute.” Is there a greater challenge that writers can give themselves? And how can fiction writers … Read More

“Her father always said, ‘That loneliness of his,’ and when she saw it in him now, she felt lonely, even abandoned for the moment it lasted . .”

Robinson2Writing about loneliness is surely one of those tricks that should come with the warning “Do not attempt this at home.” Often, descriptions of loneliness trigger disengagement. It takes a master, such as Marilynne Robinson, to write a novel about loneliness that’s a page-turner. In an interview, when asked … Read More