From: Maia <maia>
Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 11:21:26 -0400

First, I suppose I wasn't very clear as to *why* Monica's posting struck me as that fresh breeze... after all, it's not a particularly cheerful topic. Rather, it's because as usual, Monica seems to bring a balance and thoughtfulness to each topic. Being an Irish-American spitfire myself, I know how easily I can become intense about issues close to my heart. Somehow Monica seems to be able to address 'the big ones' without becoming either too fired up or blas?, and I respect that immensely.
... Second, a thought on autobiographies in general: It's hard, isn't it, to see the balance between representing a culture and speaking as a individual person with foibles and failings? Recently I was at a social gathering where two people were discussing a memoir by an Irish-American. The tone seemed to me to be "Oh, so now I understand the Irish immigrant experience." I almost had to leave the room. Part of me was annoyed with the author, but after all, the book wasn't causing the trite response. I expect that the memoir was valid for the author. It was the automatic extension to _all_ Irish immigrants that made me angry. So here's a question - when addressing a youthful audience by means of autobiography, diary or memoir, how much balance is the author's responsibility, and how much belongs to the readership and its guiding adults?

Maia
Received on Tue 06 Apr 1999 10:21:26 AM CDT