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May 17, 2005
Rock On, Anne Lamott
Last night my book group met and discussed Anne Lamott's newest offering, "Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith." We gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up. Here are some of the things we liked:
We liked the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation. Even though not all of us were thrilled with Lamott's constant harping on Bush (not that we like Bush--we just didn't always like the constant harping), we did appreciate the way she moved toward at least a good effort at loving and forgiving him by the end of the book, witness chapter seventeen, "loving your president, day 2" and even the last chapter, where Lamott writes that she "started to believe in George Bush" (even though she then concludes that "believing in George Bush was so ludicrous that believing in God seems almost rational"). Bush seemed to play the role of front man in the book--someone to take the fall for much of Lamott's frustration, but also someone who illustrates the need and capacity for forgiveness. That's not an entirely bad role to play. It is, in effect, very generous of Lamott, who clearly does not like the guy, to assign him this role.
We also liked the way that things are not always "all wrapped up" in Lamott's book. For example, when she wrote about her ski trip with her friend, Sue, who was dying of cancer, the effect was, "well, here is an account of the last time we spent together." It was not melodramatic; there was no frantic attempt to make things better than they were for Sue. The chapter ends simply, with Lamott eating the scones that sue baked the last morning of their trip. "They were gone by the time we arrived home." Well, OK, I guess there's some symbolism in that sentence. But the upshot of it is that Lamott doesn't beat a dead horse. She lets the bad stuff be bad, and she tries to find where God is in it. Sometimes she fails.
Previously in our book group, we'd read Lauren Winner's "Girl Meets God," Winner's memoir of her conversion from Judaism to Christianity. Since both Winner and Lamott deal with spiritual issues and have a somewhat confessional tone (in Winner's book, we hear all about her boyfriend troubles, her jealousy, and her sex life [ugh]), I asked the group how Winner compares to Lamott.
Basically, we felt that Lamott is not as self-concsious, in a navel-gazing way, as Winner. Also, whereas Winner seems to want us to know all about her, Lamott is always asking, "Where is God in this situation in which I happen to find myself?" The difference in emphasis between self and God is striking.
Along the same lines, Lamott tends to take her situation and universalize it so that it appeals to many people. How many readers are going to relate to Winner's torturous conversion tale and upscale, book-lined New York apartment? The themes in Lamott's stories come out more clearly, and they are ones that we all face: how to forgive, what to do in the face of death, trying to get by one day at a time.
One of the women in the book group, T., was even inspired by Lamott to make muffins for a prickly woman at her church. Lamott is always pleading that sometimes all we can do is to be kind to ourselves and others, and, well, T. just took her up on this. Lamott consistently moves from reflection or sometimes even whining to action--sending a card to the president, starting a Sunday School, taking a walk. Winner often never seems to move beyond the whining phase.
Of course, we all agreed that Lamott's ability to turn a phrase is without parallel. She describes things in such unusual ways that it makes you think about it differently, for example, her description of a Catholic church (in a previous book, I think) as a "religious bus station." Her essays are often brief because her descriptions are exactly on the mark; endless explanations are not necessary (unlike this entry, for example!).
And I have to tell you the end to yesterday evening. After this wonderful discussion, T. (she of the muffins) drove me home. On the way, it came out that both of us had had squabbles (well, OK, fights) with our husbands that day or the night before, and that both fights were about finances. After T. pulled in to my driveway, we continued talking for a minute and then she asked me if she could pray for both our families. Which she did, right there in the van.
It was a Lamott kind of moment. Sometimes you feel helpless in the face of it all, and all you can do is pray.
Posted by Lisa at May 17, 2005 08:39 AM
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