What have we been reading at Story Cafe? Pauline shares another brilliant round-up…
27 March
Wendy again welcomed us to our Thursday lunch-time session, a good turn out reflecting a sense that those attending feel at home and relaxed in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Wendy mentioned that at the end of the session, she would be asking for ideas about themes, styles of writing and authors that people might like us to read, so that everyone can feel involved in planning future Story Cafes.
Our theme today was Love in just a few of a myriad forms of human love.
Wendy read from Whose Loving You: love stories by women of colour, edited by Sareeta Domingo, the blurb describing the stories showing “romance sparking in unexpected places”. Her chosen story from which she read the opening pages was The Row by Danielle Dash, a writer who works in magazines and in drama and comedy development.
It tells the story of Edith, new to South London, looking for accommodation and work. Her new landlady is friendly, sending her to the local bookies where there is a job vacancy. As she passes a hair salon she sees a woman “with eyes so big and bright she could swim in them” look at her and she senses the immediate attraction between them. The attraction flares again when Edith plucks up courage to go into the salon to ask Mariah for a hair appointment.
The writing is very visual and the dynamic between the two women is interesting: confident, maybe older Mariah and younger, uncertain Edith and in the discussion afterwards someone commented that relationships often had a power imbalance. That triggered the memory of an earlier Story Cafe, where we read of the initial meeting between an upper class older woman and a younger shop assistant in Patricia Highsmith’s novel, Carol, a ground-breaking story of lesbian love.
After the break Wendy read some of the short poems from Classical Poems by Arab Women edited by Abdullah al-Udari, rarely seen work by women who refused to be silenced. These poems, written over millennia, are confident, sensual and often funny:
I am the wonder of the world, the ravisher of hearts and minds.
Once you have seen my stunning looks, you are a fallen man.
or:
I would give my life if we could meet away from spying eyes and eavesdroppers.
Oh how I wish my lap could be his home.
I read two poems about love and friendship: Kitchen Love Part One by Naomi Head and The Orange by Wendy Cope.
And finally, suggestions for future sessions included water, women pilots, Magic Realism, Dorothy Parker and philosophy!
The books used today are both available from GWL.
The next Story Cafe is Thursday 24th April, when we’ll be exploring some work by Turkish writers. We hope to see you there!
