I'm rereading Patti Smith's M Train this week, which is a comfort
read for me. I have many comfort reads: childhood favorites; classics;
plot-driven bestsellers of yesteryear; humorous essays; just to name a
few. M Train is the quietest of quiet books, but its spell lies
in the way Smith finds magic in daily life, in memories, in objects that
act as talismans, in habit and in dreaming.
As writers, we are
constantly observing the world around us, seeking the magic in the
moment. Today I saw golden beech leaves fluttering to the ground, and
piled up a satisfying stack of library books, and listened to hopeful
music, and signed some petitions, and did some work that needed doing,
and revised part of a manuscript. A quiet day--a useful day, I hope,
with a few bits of magic. Darkness comes early now, and it suits my mood
of settling in with a comfort read to cap off the day. I hope you, too,
are finding comfort and magic.
This is the first description of this book that has made me want to try it. Putting it on my list. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt really is perfect for when you want something quiet and meditative.
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