Happy Birthday Mary Gordon

December 8, 2009

It’s writer Mary Gordon’s birthday today. (picture from Random House).

Mary Gordon was one of my favorite teachers during my MFA. She was generous, honest, and so precise in her feedback. She also made you feel like you were a friend to her. I loved visiting her apartment on the Upper West Side and chatting about writing.

Many of my NYC writer friends still see her and i’m so jealous. It’s been a long while since i’ve seen or spoken to her. One of these days I know I will reach out to her or our paths will cross.

She has a new book out: Reading Jesus–a Writer’s Encounter with the Gospels.

If you’ve never read her, I definitely recomend starting with Seeing Through Places: Reflections on Geography and Identity. An exceptional book of essays about travel/journeys–both geographic and emotional. But oh, she has so many great books out– and her collected stories… oof. You can read one of her essays here.

I don’t know think I knew what an important, influential woman of letters she was while I was in her class. She was so accessible and warm. I kept a notebook while in her class and some of the things she said still resonate:

“Don’t be afraid of making a mess” [with your writing]

“Why do we tend to rely on our ‘eye’ to tell a story? There are 5 other senses.”

“Richness gets lost if you don’t give descriptions and locations.”

“If the ‘garden is flourishing…’ what is it flourishing with? What is this suggesting? Smell… feel… texture…

what does it say about the person who gardens there?”

Thank you Mary Gordon! And Happy Birthday.