Andre's beautiful excerpt brought back memories of my own. My dad wasn't a writer but a military man, the first to teach me how to defend myself at age seven: "Ball up your fist when necessary, then sail it into your enemy's nose." It was a lesson that served me well, and one I employed twice on an army post in Kansas.
Thanks, Andre, for this lovely piece. Thanks, too, for the smile.
Renee Thompson replied on Fri, 03/04/2011 - 03:46pm
So intensely and deeply moving. The scene where the father grieves the loss of his sons to some future battle was so moving, and such a foreshadow of how he "lost" his sons due to his own ironic actions. Can't wait to read the book!
Chris McClelland replied on Sat, 03/05/2011 - 04:23pm
What an amazing story. Being from the same generation as the author, I can vividly imagine the scenes, themes, pain, grief, and passion of those times. What an incredible writer!
Maria-Teresa Zenteno replied on Wed, 03/16/2011 - 11:42am
Absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking.
So much pain, so much love; such restrained power.
Beautifully written with excellent clarity. Superb emotion in a story that is so common and yet so desperately important to those in it.
Lovely. A child's nonjudgmental view of life around him.
Andre's beautiful excerpt brought back memories of my own. My dad wasn't a writer but a military man, the first to teach me how to defend myself at age seven: "Ball up your fist when necessary, then sail it into your enemy's nose." It was a lesson that served me well, and one I employed twice on an army post in Kansas.
Thanks, Andre, for this lovely piece. Thanks, too, for the smile.
So intensely and deeply moving. The scene where the father grieves the loss of his sons to some future battle was so moving, and such a foreshadow of how he "lost" his sons due to his own ironic actions. Can't wait to read the book!
This memoir excerpt is even more interesting when followed by "A Father's Story" by Andre Dubus.
What an amazing story. Being from the same generation as the author, I can vividly imagine the scenes, themes, pain, grief, and passion of those times. What an incredible writer!