After a day spent reading and editing other people’s words, I feel a bulging need to use some of my own. It’s funny; editing these manuscripts has definitely made me a better writer, no doubt about it. It’s also made me an easier writer, by which I mean it’s even easier for me to write. And it’s always been pretty easy for me to write! I guess what I mean is that it’s made me better at telling a story on paper.

So after a day spent editing other people’s words, I wanted to use some of my own words to discuss another form of other people’s words – a book I just finished. Maybe I was the last person in the world to read Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann. It won the National Book Award last year. Marnie read it just before I did and said something like “it’s easy to tell that he teaches creative writing,” and I instantly knew what she meant….and she was dead right. Of course anyone can be a critic; put my money where my mouth is and actually write a freaking book, then see what I have to say! But still, I have complaints. (No complaints about the title, though, which is pretty magnificent.)

As you probably know, the central organizing event of the book is Philippe Petit’s beautiful tightrope walk between the World Trade Center Twin Towers, back in 1974. Now that is a singular thing, an awe-inspiring event (in the true meaning of the word awe), something that feels profound and transformative, though it’s hard to say why. (You should definitely watch the movie about it, called Man on Wire; here it is on imdb, and if you’re a Netflix subscriber, here it is). I cannot begin to say why, but Petit’s walk makes me cry, and fills me with some feeling I do not have a word for.

Anyway. So that walk is the center of the book, which really comprises short stories of a number of people’s lives (and deaths) on that day. True to current-day creative writerly technique, each story has its own voice, and the stories – surprise! – connect in ‘unexpected’ ways. Except that after the first surprise, you’re set up to expect all the others.

Some voices and stories work better than others, and I was surprised by the ones that worked best – especially the story of Tillie, a prostitute with a daughter named Jazzlyn (also a prostitute whose story is told). That chapter, Tillie’s chapter, was really amazing, in every way. Worth the book. But I found many of the voices tedious, overworked, overly “creatively written” if you know what I mean.

The most surprising part to me is that I just wasn’t affected by it, but I know people who were profoundly moved. One woman I know – Karen – said that the traumas were so great, she wanted to warn me. I know from trauma, so maybe it’s just that my bar is set unnaturally high. I know it is, but still. I didn’t find anything very moving or traumatic (other than Tillie’s story).

Of course you’ll read the book if you want to; it’s not time wasted, at least, and maybe you’ve already read it. But if I had it to do over again, I’d just watch Man on Wire once more….I guess it’d be the 5th time for me?….and find something else to read.

Oh! And did you see that someone made a movie of Never Let Me Go (which I reviewed here)? The main character, Ruth, is played by Keira Knightley. I can’t stand her acting, which mainly seems to involve pinching her face in one of a few ways. So that was disappointing. The NYTimes review was mixed, and honestly, one of the best parts of the story is figuring it out and I already know what it’s about. Still, I thought I’d mention it in case you hadn’t heard.

Back to editing for a little while, and then……..KNITTING! (said in the style of Jon Lovitz as the master thespian….acting!).

.