Biblio-Files

There’s a Virginia Woolf line I’ve highlighted in one of my notebooks that reads, “There’s no doubt in my mind that I have found out how to begin (at 40) to say something in my own voice; and that interests me so that I feel I can go ahead without praise.”

Turning 40 (more than a year ago) was not something I anticipated would be a challenge, but it was. Hitting midpoint (if I’m lucky) was like a smack in the face. Life all of the sudden seemed a lot shorter. Too much still to do and so little time. Yet, there’s also a brighter side. My once-questioning, angst-ridden self seemed to slowly give way to a confidently curious side. And I’m not alone. I talk with close friends who are the same age, dealing with similar emotions and a general need and desire for more. As a reader, I have more than ever been turning to biographies and personal essays for new perspectives to consider about this topic. These include books by Dominique Browning and Dani Shapiro. The latest to join this shelf is Planting Dandelions by a relatively new-to-me author Kyran Pittman. I related to Kyran’s book of personal essays on more than one level. She writes about marriage, motherhood, living in Little Rock (where I grew up), and coming to grips with being middle-aged, all with a fresh voice and my kind of sense of humor.

Tomorrow evening (Sept. 27), Kyran has graciously agreed to be the guest on BiblioChat, starting at 7 p.m. CST. I hope that you’ll join us for this hour-long discussion during which Kyran will share more about her insights of how she is owning her age by deciding to “lean into” midlife.

From Planting Dandelions:

“There is, in every woman I know, a creature that cannot be domesticated. It prowls through our dreams, enters the house, casts cold eyes on our mate and children, and holds us rapt in its terrible beauty. You can love your husband and children with every breath in your body and still feel restless and detached sometimes. You can be a good mother, and have daydreams of running, or simply walking away. It’s the ones who can’t accept this paradox who have the most to fear, are the most vulnerable to the sudden ambush of desire.”

Photo courtesy of Kyran Pittman