I’ve been writing a short essay on how, after signing the registration book as Housewife, I found myself to be in the Abu Dhabi library reading “A Room of One’s Own” (they have two copies).
And then, thanks to Genevieve, I read Susan Johnson‘s blog and she said, amongst other excellent things, this: “I do know my life is enriched by my children, but I am not entirely sure my art is….it is very, very hard for me to combine writing with running a household, having children, and a marriage. Most of the world’s greatest women writers did not have children. This is not an accidental fact.”
So it seemed that although I was very much enjoying putting words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs that there was no longer any need to write the essay.
But if I keep not saying things because they’ve already been said, then what will I write about?
So I put the kettle on.
my sentiments exactly, dear cat.
There are very few female painters with children either.
Genevieve is very very helpful for things like that.
Actually, I don’t imagine that you said, despite its having been said a million times before,
would fail to be made all the more worthwhile by its having been said by you.
You could start small:
“These bricks don’t have enough caramel and cockroach filling!”
There.
That’s never been written before.
I thought this would all improve next year when they were both at school. Are you telling me this is not the case?!?!?
*runs round in circles screaming*
make that *anything* you said.
When the feck will I ever learn to type or talk sense, I don’t know.
Academics are always repackaging the words of others, dear Cat, so why not us? why the hell not indeed?
Susan is a very good blogger, her snapshots of literary life in London (and elsewhere – did we see Dieppe?) are terrific.
Rachel Power has done a whole book with others on the mothers and art thing, it’s good too. Just such a relief to know I am not the only parent who has been impatient when children are around.
It may need a sequel, however, about women whose children are grown and gone – when did this happen? I keep asking myself. At the risk of sounding blasphemous, it’s almost too quiet now.
And she hath a blog.
http://rachel-power.blogspot.com/
there is not much (if anything) to be said in this world that has not already been said. that doesn’t mean you can’t reach people in a different way with the same message, just because of the unique way you create your writing.
You write things worth reading. That’s a good reason to keep doing it. Please.
Forty? A child. Your life stretches before you, full of endless possibilities.