tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801207462566510326.post1752609547352817194..comments2024-03-25T22:38:39.934-07:00Comments on THERESA'S TALES: PermissiveTheresa Milsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801207462566510326.post-4926199177470917942010-01-02T19:35:39.158-08:002010-01-02T19:35:39.158-08:00I only included Mackenzie Phillips because I heard...I only included Mackenzie Phillips because I heard her say that at some point the sexual relationship with her father became "mutual", which didn't seem like she was trying to work through it as much as sell books. Perhaps I'm being harsh.Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801207462566510326.post-61695514013491340082010-01-02T18:55:18.374-08:002010-01-02T18:55:18.374-08:00I did not see Julie & Julia because I had hear...I did not see Julie & Julia because I had heard about the book years ago, checked out the blog and found her voice unlikeable. <br /><br />Glad I did! I do not think I would appreciate her new book either as it sounds, not to sound super-prissy, *unpleasant*.<br /><br />As far as infidelity in memoirs, I enjoyed Ruth Reichl's "Comfort Me with Apples" despite what I considered to be some poor choices on her part. It was only an incidental part of a larger narrative and was treated very simply and without excuses.<br /><br />As a teacher who's worked with a student who was a victim of incest, I feel obligated to "defend" Mackenzie Phillips who may well have suffered a terrible, scarring ordeal and whose public declaration may in time open a dialogue about the shame experienced by such victims.<br /><br />Anyway, thanks for corroborating my anti-Julie tendencies :)lora96https://www.blogger.com/profile/08171062741089674769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801207462566510326.post-12341236532991214582009-12-28T05:44:01.733-08:002009-12-28T05:44:01.733-08:00Thanks for your comment, ttt.
I think Linda Holme...Thanks for your comment, ttt.<br /><br />I think Linda Holmes does have an issue (which continues into the comments section) about exposing Powell's affair although her husband is a private person, and I take issue with that as well. On a personal level, how could something that happened this recently be exposed to the world without further shaking the foundation of her marriage?<br /><br />While I (probably) would not write a memoir about my childhood to protect my family members, I am not against memoirs or their revelations. In fact, I've read and enjoyed several of them. But memoirs are not different from fiction in that there needs to be a plot, climax, and character growth. The reviews I read about Powell's book seem to say that, unlike her first memoir, her second seems to be missing some important ingredients. <br /><br />I believe the author wrote on her coattails before she had some perspective on the events that transpired (Probably why Powell is critiqued for bragging about her affair, but telling she feels guilty without showing remorse). I'm sure it's no accident that the second book wasn't published until after the feel-good "Julie & Julia" movie left the theaters. Julie Powell is a decent writer, and may want to try her hand at fiction until she has more distance for reflection.Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801207462566510326.post-28879049661952260102009-12-27T22:57:34.259-08:002009-12-27T22:57:34.259-08:00It seems like you and Linda Holmes, in the article...It seems like you and Linda Holmes, in the article you cite above, are talking about different things though. <br /><br />If I understand you correctly, you're condemning all memoir writers whom you judge to be revealing too much about their personal lives -- presumably this is in reference to stories about infidelity. If this is the case, I can't agree -- I think memoirs often reveal incidents in authors' life that the authors' families may not want revealed, and I don't think that I could judge an author's writing solely by what I may assume his or her family may feel about the revelations within the book.<br /><br />On the other hand, Linda Holmes seems to be criticizing Powell for her lack of perspective, within her memoir, on her infidelity, and not her actual revelations --- to Holmes, Powell appears to simply be bragging about her affair, while, on the other hand, also saying that she feels guilty. This guilt, then, appears inauthentic, which is Holmes's issue with the book.tttnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3801207462566510326.post-72117832407514445712009-12-10T15:42:35.140-08:002009-12-10T15:42:35.140-08:00Apparently I'm not alone in my reaction to the...Apparently I'm not alone in my reaction to the book. Read this insightful post about Ms. Powell's disconnect from her actions and lack of remorse:<br /> http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/12/whats_wrong_with_julie_powells.html?sc=nl&cc=msb-20091210Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.com