Eddie Whitlock's Blog: Reader and Writer - Posts Tagged "beth-allison"

The wisteria is in bloom and I think of Dr. McAlexander telling us that Absalom! Absalom! was the greatest American novel. So I graduated shortly thereafter. Intent not to be one of the people who graduates and never reads another challenging book, I rushed out and bought this William Faulkner novel.

Challenging? Yes. Worth it? Oh, hell yes.

Life-changing? Well. Yes. Yes, it was.

First, the story of Col. Sutpen and his "rise" probably helped me put in perspective the way that we - especially men, but really everyone - use other people while we need them then we set them aside and move on. My funky inner voice says, "You need to think about that shit. That shit don't go away. It comes back on ya'."

Second, I was reading this novel while substitute teaching in Pike County, Georgia. It was the fact that here I was, a grown man reading for pleasure, that caught the eye of Beth Allison. She was the beautiful librarian at the middle school there. I didn't figure I had a chance with her and tried to fix her up with a friend. She turned it back on me and suggested that we go out. Wow. That was 31 years ago.

One of the great things about this story - well, other than having been married to Beth for 30 years - is that in my current job, I sometimes see Dr. McAlexander, who still lives here in Athens.

And this time of year, as I drive across the countryside, I see the wisteria in bloom and I think about Quentin and Col. Sutpen and the widow and Faulkner. Good times, good times.