Thursday, March 31, 2011

jubilation 85...tobias wolfe

"I have never been able to understand the complaint that a story is "depressing" because of its subject matter. What depresses me are stories that don't seem to know these things go on, or hide them in resolute chipperness; "witty stories," in which every problem is the occasion for a joke; "upbeat" stories that flog you with transcendence. Please. We're grown ups now."
— Tobias Wolff

I just read "The Night in Question: Stories".  I have always meant to read some Tobias, but never got myself around to doing it.  I am in love with his writing because he is able to so gracefully include all that is wrong with the world and all that is right with the world in one complete bundle.   He is upbeat and realistic at the same time.   It is exactly how I want to be...finding the right balance between empathy and joviality.  

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