“A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.”

How true this fortune cookie bite of wisdom is! And how wonderful it is to revisit old “friends” and enjoy their wisdom and beauty anew. It’s like rediscovering something about yourself as well.

Today, December 7, is Willa Cather’s birthday—she was born in 1873. Ever since an inspiring teacher gave me a copy of her short story, “Neighbor Rosicky,” Willa has been favorite author of mine.

I have some of her books on a shelf, but recently came across “Lucy Gayheart,” one of her later novels. Turning to a page at random, her crystal clear prose leaped out at me and reminded me of why I love Willa’s writing:

Her descriptions of setting are incredibly evocative and infused with emotion. In her hands, the weather or a place becomes a mirror, a reflection of what her characters are feeling. People and places are enmeshed in a way that both reveals and conceals.

Her skill in capturing the inner emotions of her characters seems so artless and natural. It’s as if someone’s heart is made of glass and Willa sees peers into its depths and shares what she sees. 

Her compassion for human suffering and foibles is, for me, one of her deepest strengths and one of the touchstones of a wonderful writer. She doesn’t judge her characters, she understands them. And as readers, through her, we come to understand them as well.

I’m diving into “Lucy Gayheart” — what a fabulous name! — and loving it. What a delight it is to visit with Willa again!

How about you? Is there an author you really loved early in your writing days? Someone whose writing you admired and who inspired you to want to write? Why not give yourself a gift and rediscover what enthralled you back then? Write on!

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