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William H. MacLeish (1928–2015)

Autor von The Day Before America

6 Werke 137 Mitglieder 3 Rezensionen

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This work is actually quite deep science, but never boring as William MacLeish is always ‘getting wet’. In describing the Gulf Stream he goes under it, and with the reader, hovers above it in a shared imaginary space-craft, sails across it, surfs in it ….
The authors years of research and study in Oceanography – in Woods Hole, the libraries and ship’s rocking, heaving holds - grants the reader such rich depth of experience, and the sheer enjoyment of his prose clearly communicates his passion and excitement.
This is the book to read about the ‘river in the sea’ that so fascinated Ben Franklin.
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John_Vaughan | Nov 10, 2011 |
Not just a biography of Archibald MacLeish by his youngest son. MacLeish was a poet and was chosen by Roosevelt to become the Librarian of the Library of Congress.
 
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moibibliomaniac | 1 weitere Rezension | Nov 2, 2010 |
Bill MacLeish is much too hard on himself, especially for someone who had already lived for nearly seventy years by the time he got around to writing this book, perhaps as a way of not just honoring his famous father, the poet Archibald MacLeish, but to exorcise some personal demons. The author, whose father lived to be nearly ninety, became so used to living in his father's shadow that he he had trouble recognizing his own not inconsiderable accomplishments. Indeed, even after Archie died, Bill felt guilty about inheriting his share of the family fortune, about being comfortably wealthy as a result.

"Memoir writing," the author comments, "is better left to the accomplished masochist, which must the the one reason I have kept with it." He tells of "laughing, snorthing, cursing, and sobbing" as he worked at writing this book. As a memoirist myself, I must agree, but not completely. Because writing the kind of book MacLeish has written must, ultimately, help. If it didn't, then Bill MacLeish is definitely too hard on himself. Because this is a beautiful book - both as a tribute to his father, whom he obviously loved very much and, later in life, even got to tell him so, something many adult sons never quite get around to doing, much to their everlasting regret.

Having said all these things, I have to confess that it took me more than a hundred pages to really get into this memoir, mostly because there was - at least from my point of view - way too much family history here, particularly about earlier generations of MacLeishes. I only began to get interested when Bill MacLeish began to tell more about his own life. Because, while I know who Archibald MacLeish was, and even studied some of his poems and plays in college oh so many years ago, I really remember almost nothing of them now. Which is not what his son wants to hear, I know, but there it is. Bill M quotes Shelley's "Ozymandias" at the end of his narrative, in talking about the fleetingness of fame and fortune, so I think he will understand. He spent many years trying to figure out what to do with his life, noting that his father and brother, Ken, were the writers in the family, and apparently didn't feel he could ever possibly compare - or compete. The fact is though Bill MacLeish is one hell of a good writer. And there was one line toward the end of the book that really made me chuckle, because it's indicative of what all serious writers do, and shows how preoccupied they can become when they are in the throes of writing something -

"When I'm in the middle of my writing, I can walk right past Elizabeth [his wife] and not see her. This riles her, as does my penchant for letting my attention sag in mid-conversation while the writing mind nibbles, like the mice in our walls, on bits of sentences."

Bingo! Bill MacLeish. You are a writer and you always have been, and UPHILL WITH ARCHIE is a damn fine piece of work. I wish you well, and thank you for writing not just your father's story, but your own.
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TimBazzett | 1 weitere Rezension | Jun 29, 2010 |

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