I was reading an essay yesterday by Joyce Carol Oats in which Oats offers that confessional poetry has been replaced with what might be called the memoir of crisis. I find interesting her supposition that current literary culture is obsessed with memoirs. Getting into the meat of the essay I was taken by surprise at her mention of Lucy Grealy, author of Autobiography of a Face. I read this book a number of years back as well and her second book, As Seen on Television and found her to be a an exceedingly talented writer. What really took me by surprise was the mention of her death. For some reason this was totally off my radar. I had not knowledge whatsoever.
Grealy’s first book was a memoir of the sad and tragic life – a victim at an early age of a rare form of cancer of the Jaw, she was greatly disfigured through the illness and subsequent multiple surgical procedures. But for all that the young girl endured, her candor and ability to express herself was a gift to all who read her words.
Lucy Grealy was also a poet, and after reading her second book I went looking for any poetry I could find published. My efforts at the time fell short. I could find nothing. Today I was able to locate two lines attributed to her. They are profound. Somewhere there must be other gems.
“When I dream of fire / you’re still the one I’d save / though I’ve come to think of myself / as the flames, the splintering rafters.” - Lucy Grealy
6 comments:
Read Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett for another look at Lucy's life. An incredible book I recommend.
I currently an reading 90% memoir, non-fiction, and poetry. Fiction probably only occupies about 10% of my reading. I guess I just want to hear some good true stories or learn something (ie. Freakanomics, Outliers, etc).
Hi Kelli-
Actually the piece by Joyce Carol Oats was about the Ann Patchett book. I will likely read it. I hear it's not well viewed by Lucy's family and has gotten a lot of mixed views elsewhere.
I'm sure there are many layers to Lucy's life. Ann Patchett's contact with her came of course after she left home. Examples for instance, of insecurities Patchett discribes of Lucy would not be surprising at all to me based upon Lucy's own account of her early life, with insecurities that no doubt could lead to obsessive and possessive attributes in any friendship/relationship. But how may other gifted writers have we seen with equally troubled personalities?
Michael, she had three poems in the Winter 1992-93 issue of Ploughshares. If you can track those down, I would love to see them, too. I've heard she was a wonderful poet but have not been able to find her work, either.
Dana:
Wow, this is like a challenge. I wonder if the library at the at the Writers Place would have back issues of Ploughshares.... humm, a place to start. If I can find the goods, I'll share. :)
You've seen these, yes?
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/57229.Lucy_Grealy
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_n2_v26/ai_18082720/
Darilyn
T Screamer... Actually I have seen the quotesnrecently when I was doing a google search.
The interview I had not read. Thanks for the information.
All three of those quotes are profound in my estimation. Soumething I could use as the basis to start some intense journaling. Good rainy day peoject.
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