And then, for one glorious, supreme
moment, came "the flash."
It had always seemed to Emily, ever since
she could remember, that she was very,
very near to a world of wonderful beauty.
Between it and herself hung only a thin
curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside--
but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind
fluttered it and she caught a glimpse of the
enchanting realm beyond--only a glimpse--
and heard a note of unearthly music.
--L.M. Montgomery,
Emily of New Moon
moment, came "the flash."
It had always seemed to Emily, ever since
she could remember, that she was very,
very near to a world of wonderful beauty.
Between it and herself hung only a thin
curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside--
but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind
fluttered it and she caught a glimpse of the
enchanting realm beyond--only a glimpse--
and heard a note of unearthly music.
--L.M. Montgomery,
Emily of New Moon
----
I sometimes think that writing--or any pursuit of one's passion--is our clumsy breath on that curtain. Most of the time, it stubbornly stays put. But when true inspiration strikes, that corner lifts, and we connect with all the beauty and rapture beyond.
If just for a moment.
I wasn't particularly like Emily as a child. Her last name wasn't "Starr" for nothing. She was a strange girl: a little mystical, a lot temperamental, whereas her sister in letters--the plucky, lovable Anne of Green Gables--kept her feet nearer to P.E.I. earth. I loved them both. I still love them. The fiction of our grade-school years imprints us like none other, after all.
But there was a darkness to Emily's New Moon world that appealed to me. I didn't completely understand her depth as a character, but I was willing to take the plunge. Her "flash" was something I wanted to share in. And now it's something I--like so many of you--still chase.
Oh, did I mention she was a writer?
(This post is dedicated to Sheri, the Anne to my Emily. :) )
If just for a moment.
I wasn't particularly like Emily as a child. Her last name wasn't "Starr" for nothing. She was a strange girl: a little mystical, a lot temperamental, whereas her sister in letters--the plucky, lovable Anne of Green Gables--kept her feet nearer to P.E.I. earth. I loved them both. I still love them. The fiction of our grade-school years imprints us like none other, after all.
But there was a darkness to Emily's New Moon world that appealed to me. I didn't completely understand her depth as a character, but I was willing to take the plunge. Her "flash" was something I wanted to share in. And now it's something I--like so many of you--still chase.
Oh, did I mention she was a writer?
(This post is dedicated to Sheri, the Anne to my Emily. :) )
