Friday, September 16, 2016

Thank-You Notes, Part 1

Dear Turner Fine Furniture,
Thanks for robo-calling me at 8:00 to inform me that your service representative will be at my address between 4:00 and 6:00 pm today to either repair or pick up for repair the furniture which we have requested to be repaired. I pressed one to agree, as instructed. Since you have my address listed as my PO box, I feel there may be another call before the day is out.
Hopefully.

Yours truly...Mrs. Moon

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Dear Maurice,
Thank you for coming in when you heard the phone and injecting me with allergens which I am sure will help my immune system combat whatever problems I may have with cat allergies. My wrist where you grabbed me with your saber-like claws and then bit me, not quite breaking the skin but almost! is still itchy and red. I am sure my body is working like crazy to defend itself which will end up being to my benefit the next time you do this. I hope you had a lovely night of full-moon hunting and I'll let you sleep as long as you like today on the bed where you bit me, because I love you and respect your role in my life as nurse-cat and defender against any and all threatening wildlife, up to and including Jr. High school age squirrels.

Always...Mommy

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Dear Lauren Groff,
Thanks for writing the novel "Arcadia." I have spent the last few nights staying up way too late, reading it in my bed and your way with words is absolutely splendid and often mind-blowing.
I have a question for you though- why did you choose to set your novel in a commune which is so completely and obviously ripped off from Stephen Gaskin's Farm? Why did you use so much actual information, physical descriptions of people both living and dead, and even names of events and places? I understand that the concept for this book and it is powerful and unique and I do like the novel very much but it disturbs me that you would rub up so close to the veil of illusion that at times you broke through it. What's the deal with all of this?  
Real? Not real?
I mean, I'm totally okay with you revealing(?) the Gaskin character to be a serial adulterer and drug user and even if in real life, he was, I can live with that. I don't "do" hero worship, per se, when it comes to thinking that certain people are holier than thou, thee or me. I like my spiritual totems to have feet as clay-caked as my own and never did really buy into the whole guru thing although I think that Stephen had some pretty fine insights. And I never would have hooked my wagon to that star and moved up to The Farm to live on soybeans and attend his church services so...okay, whatever. However, if he wasn't a serial groupie-fucker and drug user, you have probably convinced many people that he was. Sure, yeah, your character's name was Handy and not Stephen, but he sure did look and sound like Stepehen.
BUT. Ina May IS a sort of hero to me and did you really have to bring attention to her teeth? That woman did in fact change my life and the lives of my children with her powerful example and writings on women reclaiming their own births. I'd even say that she's changed the world for the better with her belief in, education, and promoting of midwives. Am I being touchy?
And what's the legality of all of that?
I have just googled this situation and see that you do, in fact, cite The Farm as the inspiration for your Arcadia commune. Here's an interesting interview.
I am still a little confused, even though in the interview you say that you love The Farm and after having visited it, would live there if you could.
Overall though, I commend you for this book and I am excited to finish the journey you have set me on with your words.

Thanks for making me think...Mary Moon

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Dear y'all,
Happy Friday.
Love...Ms. Moon

9 comments:

  1. Wow, you make me want to read Arcadia, although how disconcerting it must be to have people you so admire cloaked in this pseudo fictional way, which may or may not be the truth of it. I might be headed down the google rabbit-hole after this post...

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    1. It's just odd, you know? I mean, I don't have any dog in this hunt but I am not sure I've ever seen a novel handled in quite this way.

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  2. Dear Mary Moon,
    Thank you so much for writing here every day, for your words that evoke thoughtfulness.
    Sincerely,
    Xoxo
    Barbara
    P.s. your post yesterday brought up memories of another Angelo's in Panacea...best damn seafood. Glad to see that one is still around

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    1. I haven't eaten down at the coast's Angelo's in years. Have you?
      Thank you so much for your very, very kind words.

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    2. It's probably been about 30 years, not since my friends moved from Tallahassee.
      Xoxo
      Barbara

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  3. I was raised that you do not call people before 9:00 a.m. Between 5 - 7 in the evening and after 9:00 at night unless it is urgent. You can tell them I said so.

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  4. Hmm. I don't know what to think about that last one. Iffy dodgy.

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