Tuesday, February 9, 2010

D'Ambrosio needs ta get out

"My ideal life is a quiet one...if I'm lucky I'll come across a lovely phrase or fine sentiment... and feel the harmony of some notion, the justice of it and know that everything is there."

This is far too passive. Don't get me wrong, certain cc's of passive can work sometimes. Its good at the Steinbeck level: meandering through the Salinas Valley like some cool-water river taking its time to meet the sea, stopping at a farm here and there to lend a hand, maybe uncover a "lovely sentiment" or two somewhere along the way. If not, keep moving.
D'Ambrosio's ideal goes beyond a healthy acceptance of things into a disconnected disinterest. If suicide runs in your family, why not step out the door a bit before the inevitable happens? Maybe pull a Hemingway for some time. Work for the Kansas City Star, fight in World War I, a Catalan insurgency or two, retire to "gay Pareeee", hunt, trap, love, make it too, write a novel about it all, then you know if you still feel like it...
At least get out a little. Get out for Christ's sake.

1 comment:

  1. Sadly, the stellar moments are far and few. People are inorganic and if D'Ambrosio is satisfied with a meaningful convo or inner-revelation, that's respectable. At the same time, it also gives people the notion that mediocrity is permanently cool. You must be, do and have what you want to be, do and have~
    Is this what happens when you get older? You trick yourself into living for nothing because the somethings became nothings?
    LD

    ReplyDelete