Friday, April 10, 2009

An example of show don't tell...

Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck was a boring read for my granddaughter. I had read it in high school, but I had forgotten most of it. I picked up a copy at a thrift store and am actually enjoying rereading it. Forty years later, I hear an echo from the past. Some of my deceased father's stories lie between the covers of this book. He too drove a Model T in reverse uphill when he was in his youth.

I came across a line I wish I had written. "Lee's mind nosed over the proposition like a mouse in a cheese cupboard."

Oh to have the ability to paint a word portrait. That is what I strive for. I have a long ways to go, but these little 'brain sparks' excite me.

1 comment:

Tammy said...

Amen! Steinbeck is one of my all-time favorites!