"Then he licked his finger to turn the page." Why do the simplest details described sometimes strike me a like an entire Norman Rockwell painting? Are such bare descriptions the hidden superpower of a memoirist?
It's a great question, Rick. For me, this detail specifically was not something I ever noticed because it was all I knew. It only came to me in recent months when reading books to my son, and I found myself licking the page to turn it. My son was so curious and asked what I was doing, and I thought of my dad.
I've found that when I sit with memories, these details that felt so common and uninteresting are the same details that will trigger memories or flashbacks for other people. Which actually makes them extremely compelling.
Dec 6, 2023·edited Dec 6, 2023Liked by Charlie Bleecker
"Then he licked his finger to turn the page." Reminds me of how my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Yates, used to read to us. She would walk up and down the aisle in her stockinged feet, her voice a hypnotic cadence. I wonder if they still do this in schools, at this grade level.
7th grade teacher did, too, but she wasn't as smooth as Mrs. Yates. Mrs. Hornbaker had a pack-a-day voice and she just stood at the front of the class, hand in pocket, while she read "The Outsiders" to us. Which, thinking back on it, her voice was perfect for that book. LOL
Hhm!What a nice family experience.Indeed,you really took me down the memory lane.My siblings and I normally sit round our parents while they(mum and dad) tell their past experiences from childhood into adulthood.They are events to remember for life.
"Then he licked his finger to turn the page." Why do the simplest details described sometimes strike me a like an entire Norman Rockwell painting? Are such bare descriptions the hidden superpower of a memoirist?
It's a great question, Rick. For me, this detail specifically was not something I ever noticed because it was all I knew. It only came to me in recent months when reading books to my son, and I found myself licking the page to turn it. My son was so curious and asked what I was doing, and I thought of my dad.
I've found that when I sit with memories, these details that felt so common and uninteresting are the same details that will trigger memories or flashbacks for other people. Which actually makes them extremely compelling.
That last bit is very Jeanette Wells of you (can’t find my winky face emoji but insert here.)
Love getting to see you integrate what you talk about on your podcast into writing. Such a special part of following your work Charlie!
Ah yes, thank you for noticing, Libby! By far my biggest learning of the year.
"Then he licked his finger to turn the page." Reminds me of how my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Yates, used to read to us. She would walk up and down the aisle in her stockinged feet, her voice a hypnotic cadence. I wonder if they still do this in schools, at this grade level.
I hope they do. My second grade teacher read to us and I loved it.
7th grade teacher did, too, but she wasn't as smooth as Mrs. Yates. Mrs. Hornbaker had a pack-a-day voice and she just stood at the front of the class, hand in pocket, while she read "The Outsiders" to us. Which, thinking back on it, her voice was perfect for that book. LOL
I also laughed at a dozen hacky sacks
Thanks for making my morning, Charlie (:
Lol. Stupid hacky sacks.
Hhm!What a nice family experience.Indeed,you really took me down the memory lane.My siblings and I normally sit round our parents while they(mum and dad) tell their past experiences from childhood into adulthood.They are events to remember for life.
Hearing all those stories never gets old. And sometimes they tell me something I had never heard before, which is thrilling.