Houses provided us the necessary certainties—somewhere to come home to where you’d find your family, your things, a hot dinner, a bed or a good couch. Write to me here. Call me at this number. But I’ve changed addresses and phone numbers enough times to know better. Perhaps that’s what houses are really about: the fundamental uncertainty of life, the slowly learned fact that the reference points by which we draw our maps and chart our course are ever shifting, and a life’s cartography is never quite done.
But of course, I also fell in love with other pieces in the collection, particularly "At War and at Peace", which just brought back a lot of memories. It talked about music and some of the most iconic bands from the past. Since I myself grew up listening to music, I found the piece relatable.
Of course, I also appreciated both "A Political Life" and "A Political Life 2", which both provided a glimpse of the political climate from the time they were written. I believe pieces as such are important in ensuring that people don't forget about our dark past as a nation.
Finally, I want to say that anyone who's into creative nonfiction can learn a lot from this little book, especially from the essays I mentioned, especially those who are curious about how memories can be effectively used and explored when writing powerful pieces.
(Image from kalatasliteraryezine.wordpress.com)
