Reading

A couple of things from my reading that I wanted to share--cleaning off my desk for the first time in months (it is so lovely at the moment) gave me the impetus, finally. 

I'd wanted to take a look at this book for a while, written or edited, as it was by Anne Haycraft, pen name Allis Thomas Ellis, who wrote the essay collections, Home, and novels, and by Caroline Blackwood, who was one of Robert Lowell's wives (and he was one of her husbands). 

The writing is spirited and silly and delightful--by (I assume) the people submitting recipes and by the co-editors (there wasn't, in my perusal of the book, a method's section). I doubt I'll be cooking from it, but I'm glad I could take a look. The illustrations are just as edgy (or more!) than the writing. It's all fun. 

I like the emphasis on selling your food to your guests, instead of apologizing for it. And I like the sarcasm about how children eat. 

And, while I'm unlikely to cook from it much, I like the general idea that we should look for shortcuts and ways to pretend to be a little fancy for not too much time or money. 

 I also loved my re-read of The End of the Affair. I liked what it said about witnessing--as present in Sarah's honest communication (even hidden and uncovered communication) about her wrestling with God. Even in her sin are the seeds of redemption. Even through her doubt, through her willing herself not to believe, comes grace. Just beautiful. So much hope. I wish it could apply to me, but I'm afraid my [many] sins just chase people right away from Christ.