I enjoy seeking out memoirs and journals written by people about my age. Or older! I found this captivating book, "At 82: A Journal" by May Sarton. Wow. I could not stop reading it and only reluctantly put it down to do other things.
I learned about how she is aging, which is helpful for me to know. My slowing down is not just me! She celebrates the little things like her adored cat Pierrot, flowers in bloom, her old house in Maine which she has rented for many years, visits from friends and publications of her books. Actually these are Big things.
She is 82 and recovered from a big stroke she had 12 years earlier at age 70. The year before she began this journal she had two small strokes and a TIA when in London. It is desperately hard for her to go ahead with her writing but she does.
I have not read her poetry, but this journal is perfection. I sort of fell in love with her. She is often depressed because her poetry, while beloved by readers, does not get the awards she feels she deserves. Like me she needs quiet time alone, naps and cheerful visits with friends.
She mentions her writing colleague and friend, Doris Grumbach, who lives near her in Maine. Sarton praises Grumbach so I bought and am reading now "Coming Into the End Zone" by Doris, written when she was 70.
I also bought May Sarton's After the Stroke: A Journal". A point in favor of her journals is they are quick reads, shorter than memoirs. Do you have any favorite journals or memoirs to suggest?
