The most satisfying part of spending time with The Vet was knowing such a talented, patient, and kind person is headed into my world: education. I think she will be a fantastic elementary and/or special education teacher.
Later in the day, I transcribed the first interview (with Newbie). I would have continued with the second interview, but my wrist skin was starting to shine up in a precursor to callous. I love my desktop, but it takes a toll. Plus I needed to make progress on my bookclub book, due Tuesday night.
It has been twenty years since I read Conroy. I love him. Like Irving and Hassler, his prose is rich and lovely, his stories are delightfully place- and time-specific, and his characters have so much heart. They are three authors I rediscover again and again, thinking, "Oh, yeah. That's why I like his writing."
It's a little intimidating to read Conroy, to be honest. So I keep in mind Cheryl Strayed's comments on finishing her first book, from Tiny Beautiful Things page 57:
"I didn’t know if people would think my book was good or bad or horrible or beautiful and I didn’t care. I only knew I no longer had two hearts beating in my chest. I’d pulled one out with my own bare hands. I’d suffered. I’d given it everything I had. / I’d finally been able to give it because I’d let go of all the grandiose ideas I’d once had about myself and writing—so talented! so Young! I’d stopped being grandiose. I’d lowered myself to the notion that the absolute only thing that mattered was getting that extra beating heart out of my chest. Which meant I had to write my book. My very possibly mediocre book. My very possibly never-going-to-be-published book. My absolutely nowhere-in-league-with-the-writers-I’d-admired-so-much-that-I-practically-memorized-their-sentences book. It was
only then, when I humbly surrendered, that I was able to do the work I needed to do."
New prewriting: 1699 words
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