On Marilynne Robinson, The Woman

Goodness gracious, Obama reads Marilynne Robinson, too! Amazing.

Robinson is such a lady--the way that she speaks, slowly and carefully and softly, the way that she dresses--a scarf that matches her gray and white hair, her obvious deep contentment with herself--the same contentment that is present in her characters. She says of this quality in her characters, "If they cherish their inwardness, they cherish a great deal more besides," discussing solitude as pleasure. She also has a strong maternal side--she said that the things that comfort another person are some of the most beautiful things, that these things are sacramental. And here she mentioned caring for a sick child and preparing food.

She talked at Georgetown about Gilead and the theme of blessing, which she was drawn to from the benediction at the end of church services. This blessing is connected to passing on your heritage--she writes about the vulnerability and anxiety of passing on a tradition to one's children.

She also gave an unusual answer to the question of the connection between home and education: She said that there is a gain that comes from being unplaced, and that it is not a helpful nostalgia for us to have to wish that we were less free.

Robinson also somewhat paradoxically claimed that she loves good people and she writes about characters that she loves. On the other hand, she notes that Jack Boughton is clearly not a good person, and yet that she loves him. She said that writing about him was a sort of test--"If people love Jack Boughton, God loves Jack Boughton." I approve.