My favorite author, Madeleine L'Engle, passed away yesterday. For more than twenty years, I have enjoyed visiting and revisiting her characters, those of measured time and those of real time. I love that she makes a distinction between the two, and that only a few of her characters go between measured and real time, and that her characters' lives are so interwoven and interlinked. Even though I've read many of her books numerous times, I'm always excited to discover another connection. For a time, I kept a list of the characters, making note of various tidbits about their lives and who they knew and were related to. (I now see that Wikipedia has completed that task.) So much of so many of her books is real to me and I am so thankful to her for writing them.
When I think of Madeleine L'Engle, not only do various human characters flash through my mind, but I also think of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which also plays a prominent role in several of her books. When I lived in New York, I would sometimes make the trip up there for the solitude. But I think a big part of my feeling a connection to it was due to her books.
I am also just reminded of a report I did in junior high. It was for English class, but it was about mitochondria. I think my teacher thought it a strange choice, but I had just read A Wind in the Door and was curious.
Who is your favorite author? Are there things that you associate with him or her?
How happy I am that when people pass on to the next world, all that they've written don't go with them.
Posted by Shokufeh at September 7, 2007 01:51 PMI had no idea. Thank you-she was one of my favorites.
Posted by: Sarahj at September 7, 2007 09:27 PMI love Raymond Carver. His work seems so simple on the outside, but it is so complex on the inside. Every time I read one of his stories, I feel like I've learned something new about humanity, or something new about myself.
Posted by: +mojan. at September 9, 2007 09:45 AMOh, this is so sad. I've only ever read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine, but your descriptions of the way her works make you feel are beautiful.
One of my favorite authors is Toni Morrison. She is one of the most gifted writers I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I wrote my Master's thesis on her works, so reading her always brings me back to my grad school days.
Posted by: kristi at September 10, 2007 01:59 PMOh my! I had no idea. A Wrinkle in Time was a favorite... an actual kids' novel with a female protagonist. A few months ago, I re-read it as I came across it in a fit of organization. Sorry to hear the news -- but agreed that it is nice to have a voice remain.
Posted by: Holly at September 10, 2007 10:19 PMMadeleine L'Engle got me started on Fantasy books, she is one of my favorite authors. I would escape into her books as a kid...aaah good memories. :-)
Posted by: Sholeh at September 17, 2007 02:19 AMI *loved* A Wrinkle in Time. I read it over and over and over when I was a kid ~ I just couldn't get enough. I always loved her name, too ~ doesn't it just wrap around the tongue? It's fun to say. :) Some of my favorite authors ~ Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Berg, Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, Tracey Chevalier ...
Posted by: lisanne at September 18, 2007 09:03 PM