"Marvellous and ephemeral"
Over half a lifetime of friendship
I’m listening to Molly Peacock and Phillis Levin discuss their 43-year friendship, now documented in their book A Friend Sails in on a Poem. I asked them about envy, because I’m like that, and hey, I’m writing about the seven deadly sins. Relevant! But I also asked anonymously in case the audience wanted to burn the heretic.
Of course I knew that if any envy arose, they must’ve figured it out over the past 43 years.
Sounds like they protected themselves in a few ways. They shared their poems instead of focusing on publishing milestones. Even though they were both ambitious, the fact that there was a 7 year age difference and that they both succeeded but in different areas helped too. Phillis described a cartoon of a father and son in the snow, father easily wading through it, son buried up to his eyebrows, while the father calls over his shoulder, “You’re lucky! When I was your age, the snow went up to my eyebrows!”
Molly concluded that she enjoyed their "marvellous and ephemeral” relationship and “the vitality of this exchange."
I wish you a friendship like that.
And if you don’t yet, maybe it’ll come later in life. I’d love a really close and sustained female friendship. I have my husband and children. My brother and I have always gotten along, and I truly like/love and admire a lot of women, but it seems like we’re always rushing between our families and/or work and don’t have time to devote to one on one relationships.
_____
Speaking of friendship, I thank those of you who came to say hello in person or online over the past few months. Totally impressed by Marlin’s Orchard and Fall Fest, and Can*Con and Arts Walk are always a delight. Just two more in-person events in 2022.
Saturday, November 26 Reading: Cornwall Public Library, 2 pm
with financial assistance from The Canada Council for the Arts through The Writers' Union of Canada. We’ll celebrate the release of Chinese Cinderella, Fairy Godfathers & Beastly Beauty and Dog vs. Aliens, Grandma Othello & Shaolin Monks in Space as well as the upcoming The Shapes of Wrath.
Please feel free to dress up like a princess, an alien, a doctor, a ghost, or whatever strikes your fancy!
You’re supposed to sign up here: https://www.library.cornwall.on.ca/event/author-visit-melissa-yi
5th Glengarry Happenings! Christmas in the Countryside, December 3
My very last event of the year, in Williamstown. I’ll attend Saturday only. Get yer Christmas books and baking and other good stuff!
Online:
Mesdames of Mayhem-Launch of In the Spirit of 13-Nov.13 2:00 PM ET
Please register at carrickpublishing@rogers.com to keep out the Zoom bombers while celebrating our terrific new anthology of spirits of both kinds! The Mesdames et Messieurs are very kind and talented people. Glad they let me tag along.
Speaking of friendship, Crime Never Takes a Holiday highlights my fellow Windtree Press auteurs. :)
I’ll also participate in the “Get Shorty” panel on Dec 3rd at 9:30 at the Maple Leaf Mystery conference.
Okay! Have a good night.
Cheers,
Melissa