Listening to the Page by Alan Cheuse

 Listening to the Page

(adventures in reading and writing) by Alan Cheuse is a series of literary columns, essays, lectures.

Passionate of literature and avid reader, stimulated by his first wife and an ads for writers wanted discovered by her, started a new activity, reading and reviewing a book a day per Virginia Kirkus. If you love books and if you are in that field, you know that Kirkus is a prestigious place where many reviewers write their opinions about the most diversified books genre. Reading a book a day is a great exercise for understanding the whole book in its essence.

After this experience, the work in a school; the meeting with Delbanco, his activity as writer, essayist, the joy of being published by the New Yorker and more. 

The book is divided in three part: the first one, Reading is about literary and other kinds of art; Some example? In  Writing it Down for James some Thought on Reading Toward the Millennium the story of this boy who started to read later in his existence; at the same time reminescences of the first times the writer learned to read and the state of literature in the new millennium. In Books in Flames: A view of Latin American Literature is a long cultural trip started when Christian burned in Mayan city a library because of a story of religion and suppression of the current culture. You will notice that, starting from a distant fact, Alan Cheuse will end always to portray vividly something important in literature; in this case the birth of a literature with giant authors, that it is, after all an echos of what someone wanted once in 1500 to destroying.

In Traces of Light the picturalization through words of Marcel Proust's Combray. As adds Alan,  written words have a different and more profound and significant impact for people than not other kind of art, like theather or movies, because in this second case we observe and read reality with our eyes, while reading but also listening to music means a much more intense connection with our fantasy, imagination, possibility of escapism.

The second part Rereading is a series of pieces on modern US literature, published in the sunday newspapers editions.

I loved the piece On Steinbeck and Salinas. I am a great fan of John Steinbeck novels and in this piece will reveal aspects of the writer that I still didn't know. I hadn't read as did Alan Cheuse a biography of the writer and his mysterious lack of creativity, who, reports Cheuse maybe was caused by the departure of an important friend in John Steinbeck's existence.  The Nobel, more than deserved! 

Another article I loved a lot Fitzgerald's Christmas Carol, or the Burden of the "Camel's Back."

As you may know Francis Scott Fitzgerald hasn't never had any problems in being published by big realities. Since he was very young. It was also the case of this short story, written when the writer afforded to New Orleans in 1919. In one night composed the story and later was published in the Saturday Evening Post. You musn't imagine that this story is related to Jesus Christ or some exotic land; no. The scenario is the one of Christmas but, substantially the thematic treated by the author one with his most beloved thematics; the protagonist, in love for a girl is rejected and will end to drinking heavily; in this altered state he will live in a scenario where he will end in a marriage with his beloved girl.

Writing is the third and final section dedicated to writers and their activity, with practical examples, personal anedocts of Alan Cheuse, and a final interview.

If you are a writer or a passionate of reading this book wait just for being picked up by you!

I thank Columbia University Press for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori