“in her company he wrapped himself in misery like a robe. Between them self-consciousness bulked as a river silts its channel.”
“His hot eyes cooled. Invisible clouds blocked the sky and its atmospheres where noises of people dissolve. The sea beside him, a monster with a lace hem, drained east.”
“Twice a day behind their house the tide boarded the sand. Four times a year the seasons flopped over. Clams live like this, but without so much reading.”
I dunno, David... Seems "block that metaphor"-worthy to me.
I dunno, David... Seems "block that metaphor"-worthy to me.
Well, we don't have the rest of the book to compare it to. Extracting a few lines to highlight her metaphorical bent will necessarily emphasize the juicier examples.
Besides, there's nothing wrong with this line:
“Twice a day behind their house the tide boarded the sand. Four times a year the seasons flopped over. Clams live like this, but without so much reading.”
Since I have been in Dillard's house, I can report that she does indeed live by the words in the Ginger quote (or did, in 1989). Not a cheese ball in sight.
Besides, there's nothing wrong with this line:
I did like the clam line. It was Lorrie Moore-esque.
What are you implying, madame? That I have a steam powered Mark IV Purple Enprosenator running 24-7 in my basement at all times?
(Pssst, everybody! It's actually in his bathroom.)
Besides, there's nothing wrong with this line:
"Twice a day behind their house the tide boarded the sand. Four times a year the seasons flopped over. Clams live like this, but without so much reading."
Man, I really dislike "the seasons flopped over." Flopped?
Yeah, I'm going to have to say I find little purpose in her purple. It feels less stained glass, more Bedazzler.
Also, that would be an awesome writing workshop: Is There Purpose to Your Purple?
Besides, there's nothing wrong with this line:
I was going to leave out the third selection in my quoted text, but "seasons flopped over" convinced me otherwise.
