Nearly finished with "The Hamlet" by William Faulkner

He wrote novels with subjects so shocking, they still seem raw today. His ability to craft his writing is what saves the taudrey, depressing stories---that, and his light touch with gruesome details. Your mind fills in the gaps. He portrays dynamic movement well--like a galloping horse, a person falling down a staircase, etc.

The Hamlet was the first "Snopes" novel in a trilogy. It is set about the turn of the 20th Century.

Faulkner's family was from the "planter class" of 19th century Mississippi, though not excessively wealthy; he was aware of the social decline of his family and friends; he had sympathy within the black community and friends, too.

The times did not favor the poor, white hill farmers of the South; even those who tried hard had difficulty to prosper. The Snopes family was beneath them. He said "a Snopes is a son-of-a-bitch's son-of-a-bitch", a "different kind of man, like a cotton mouth is a different kind of snake". Snopes's would burn peoples' barns for a grudge or kill another man for winning a court case, the family had to be forced to care for one of their own who suffered severe mental handicaps (to the point where he had fallen in love with a neighbor's cow and "married" it! Shocking) This book tells the story of Flem Snopes' rise to prominence in the village of Frenchman's Bend, his marriage to the local Big Man's daughter and their eventual departure for Jefferson.

Faulkner could find no sympathy for the Snopes's, though he spoke with evenness about those Snopes wives who were able to care for their families with the poor lot provided by the usual Snopes man.

Why am I writing about this? I'm writing about what I am doing--above the level of household chores--This is what I am doing.  Faulkner's world was complex, dangerous and perplexing: wars, depression and worry.

You Tube During the Quarantine? (disappointed).

I probably annoy my friends and acquaintances with my reliance on You Tubes for entertainment, news, interviews, discussions, instructions etc.

I don't know why--and maybe it was just "Me"--but the platform lost it's so-called "sizzle".

During the Stay-at-Home order, I was careful not to watch too much, careful to try to keep busy about the house and garden, take long walks. But anyway, it seemed most of the You Tube creators were over-taxed by the tendency to "over-produce"....

So maybe this whole You Tube Thing was just a phase with me...?

We're not going back to cable.

Our public library is not fully open yet. That has been difficult.

Farmhouse Vernacular is the one of my former favorites that still makes me smile.

And I'm reading more books, of course.

What Am I Doing?

Summer Solstice is my favorite time of year.

I like to get up "in the 4's" and watch the sky get light and listen to the birds wake up. Depends on how well I have slept.

Which normally is not too well these days.

I like to work in the flowers early in the day, with my best energy. Then work around the house or go shopping for food once a week.

I tend to lose energy after noon. Or I sew. Or read.

I'm continuing with my "Faulkner Studies" by reading "The Hamlet".

I'm not very happy. Worried about everything. But I understand most people are right there with me, on the worrying. I've been very fortunate to live in peaceful times most of my life. Most of the world's population has never known real peace. Prayer, instead of worry.

But I worry about the younger people. My own kids. Pray for them.

I finally finished the William Faulkner bio

         The book was written by Joseph Blotner, as I mentioned before. It was over 700-pages; it was a page turner, surprisingly.

          The subject, William Faulkner, was complex, moody and elusive; he seemed to believe that his work should stand on its own, without people invading his privacy. 

           The book was full of little nuggets of information: conversations he had with other famous people (which they later reported or remembered). Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Ernest Hemingway, etc.

What he told Robert Oppenheimer on the subject of the emerging medium of popular TV cannot be repeated in today's world.

            Speaking of TV, at one point the author revealed that Faulkner only valued TV for horse races, occasional sports events and one favorite situation comedy series he enjoyed.  We were left hanging for a few hundred pages, wondering which show he liked. I thought and thought.      Finally, the reveal: William Faulkner enjoyed a silly show called "Car 54, Where are You?"  

            What would William Faulkner make of the sad circumstances the country is in now? Of course, he wouldn't be happy. But by the time he passed away, he was ready to go. He was beyond caring what would happen to the rest of us.  By now, his daughter has gone, also. He has grandchildren still living. 

            He wrote about and was disturbed by the unequal treatment of Blacks by our legal systems. In his day, there were no Federal Civil Rights laws, so inequality could vary wildly, depending on where you were. His views made him rather unwelcome in his home state of Mississippi. Read "Pantaloon in Black", as an example of his  ability to relate the story of a Mississippi tragedy that will burn your soul---in his usual poetic prose, smoothly veiled but unmistakably pointed toward his message.

            Safe to say, he would be horrified by the rioting, looting and random murders. 

            As I proceed to read his novels and stories, I am comforted by an understanding of his tortured life, always worried about money, unable to fight his alcoholism consistently; yet able to produce some 19 novels and countless stories. A real body of work.  He died from the effects of several severe falls from his horse, over the course of the last year of his life. He had internal injuries which were not addressed--maybe could not be at that time. And his back bones were all chipped and cracks. He was racked with pain.