There are so many fine writers in Canada. It is logical, with ten times the population, that it is the same south of the border. Every time I venture down to the States it seems I discover another fabulous writer. One I discovered several years back is Kent Haruf. I am always surprised how few people know about this Colorado writer. He’s one of my favourites for sure. Here’s why.
Anyone who has read Raymond Carver knows how his insightful stories are conveyed in part by his unique writing style. His style is distinct. The same can be said for Kent Haruf. When you read his novels it is like swimming somewhere between a prayer and a bedtime story. My guess is, when you read him, you will experience Kent Haruf himself, sitting beside you, telling you the tale. His novels are set in fictional Holt, Colorado. He knows this part of the country well. His works include: The Tie That Binds, Where You Once Belonged, Plainsong, Eventide, Benediction and Our Souls at Night. This last novel, Kent completed as he was dying and after you've read it you will never think of aging in the same way.
Kent, apparently, liked to write two or three hours every day in a shed at the back of the property. He didn't want any distractions, to the extent that he would sit at his computer blindfolded and would type away in deep concentration. His wife reports that during one session he was deeply immersed in his craft only to discover at the end of it that he had his fingers over one on the keyboard and nothing he had written that day was decipherable.
If you want to be charmed I highly recommend this subtly powerful American writer. Read yourself a bedtime story and your dreams will be detailed and enchanting.
Kent, apparently, liked to write two or three hours every day in a shed at the back of the property. He didn't want any distractions, to the extent that he would sit at his computer blindfolded and would type away in deep concentration. His wife reports that during one session he was deeply immersed in his craft only to discover at the end of it that he had his fingers over one on the keyboard and nothing he had written that day was decipherable.
If you want to be charmed I highly recommend this subtly powerful American writer. Read yourself a bedtime story and your dreams will be detailed and enchanting.
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