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Truth-telling, Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
14Oct2004 Filed under: reading Author: Marcia HansenI’m reading Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin for my American Lit class. His words sound so well together.
So much sadness here: “But people can’t, unhappily, invent their mooring posts, their lovers and their friends, anymore than they can invent their parents. Life gives these and also takes them away and the great difficulty is to say Yes to life” (5).
and reproach here: “‘Somebody, said Jacques, ‘your father or mine, should have told us that not many people have ever died of love. But multitudes have perished, and are perishing every hour–and in the odest places!–for the lack of it” (58).
and jokingly: “She smiles a satisfied smile. ‘Men–not just babies like you, but old men, too–they always need a woman to tell them the truth’” (69).
and reproach here: “‘Somebody, said Jacques, ‘your father or mine, should have told us that not many people have ever died of love. But multitudes have perished, and are perishing every hour–and in the odest places!–for the lack of it” (58).
and jokingly: “She smiles a satisfied smile. ‘Men–not just babies like you, but old men, too–they always need a woman to tell them the truth’” (69).
It’s not just men — we all need friends who will tell us the truth, and friends to whom we can speak our truths.
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About m2h blogsMarcia Hansen works by day as a marketing manager in social media. At other times you'll find her traveling about speaking, writing, and learning. And, if she's lucky, it's on her Honda Shadow 1100.
Please note -- the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent my employer's positions, strategies, or opinions. If you want to know more about me, you can visit my About Marcia Hansen page above, or my home page at MarciaHansen.com.
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