tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-752666223633131197.post5664609858168337381..comments2024-03-27T09:53:13.770-05:00Comments on Mark My Words: John Updike, 1932-2009Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638783212215818291noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-752666223633131197.post-14068301014770256722009-02-09T22:07:00.000-06:002009-02-09T22:07:00.000-06:00Hi Dad, thanks for the kind words!Holly, I agree w...Hi Dad, thanks for the kind words!<BR/><BR/>Holly, I agree with you about Updike's style, it was just gorgeous, and never seemed mannered to me. It just felt natural, like it flowed out of him, as you said. But his style did seem so perfect, he must have taken the time to really sharpen everything. His death is a huge loss for American literature.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638783212215818291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-752666223633131197.post-3196627335203004352009-02-06T11:51:00.000-06:002009-02-06T11:51:00.000-06:00The news about Updike saddened me immeasurably. I...The news about Updike saddened me immeasurably. I can never decide which I love most -- the crystalline perfection of his short stories, or the elegant development of his novels. I can't think of any other writers -- okay, maybe Mark Helprin -- who excel so in both forms. <BR/><BR/>Back in the days when The New Yorker didn't put bylines at the head of their stories, I used to set myself a rule: If I wasn't hooked by the third paragraph of a story, I wouldn't read any more. For years, that saved me from wading through so many precious minimalist short stories. But occasionally I'd be locked in from that first paragraph on, and when I got to the end almost invariably I'd find out why: because it was Updike. <BR/><BR/>The prose was unbearably beautiful, yet it never seemed overworked or mannered. I always wondered: do that gorgeously formed prose just flow out of him, or did he rework thing obsessively? It never felt like it had been labored over, yet when you studied his sentences, you'd have to marvel at word choice and placement -- the artistry was simply amazing. No surprise that he was a poet too!<BR/><BR/>RIP, maestro.Holly A Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17828633442418722187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-752666223633131197.post-90774163969190449612009-02-02T19:32:00.000-06:002009-02-02T19:32:00.000-06:00So you're using your old college column name. I'd ...So you're using your old college column name. I'd forgotten about it, but it works. Very good tribute to our old friend John. This could be the medium for you, if it could make some money. It's a good way to hone your writing skills. I'll e-mail you mine when I finish it. DadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com