8.14.2008

Can great writing actually be taught? Or does it only come naturally?

As I shared earlier, I'm in the midst of reading Red, White, and Drunk All Over: a Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass by Natalie MacLean. I'll post an actual review once I'm done with the book, but I just had to share my favorite passage so far:

My second glass tasted like a sigh at the end of a long day: a gathering in, and a letting go. I felt the fingers of alcoholic warmth relax the muscles at the back of my jaw and curl under my ears. The wine flushed warmth up into my cheeks, down through my shoulders, and across my thighs. My mind was as calm as a black ocean.

Oh god. All this time I've been wanting to put words to that feeling I have when I get home every day and pour that first (and second) glass of wine. Now those words exist. What a fantastic piece of writing.
Eat, drink, and wish you could write like that too!

2 comments:

Natalie MacLean said...

Thanks Laura! I generally refer to my glass of wine at 5 p.m. more prosaically as "Mommy's little helper."

Keep smiling!
Natalie

www.nataliemaclean.com

Nicole said...

Great passage! I DOOOOO wish I could write so poetically. Perfect. Can't wait to hear the review of the book.