The Solace of Silence

There is an interesting article in The Telegraph which chronicles the efforts of novelist Tracy Chevalier to find quiet time in a too-noisy world. Chevalier is the author of Girl With A Pearl Earring, inspired by the Vermeer painting.

In the past, Chevalier has attended Quaker meetings where she sat in silence for an hour. (If you're of a certain age, you'll probably remember the childhood game of Quaker's meeting, sometimes invoked by parents desperately trying to get some peace and quiet.)

Chevalier's latest book, The Last Runaway, features a young Quaker girl. As she indicates, “I wanted to write a character who found the value of silence as important as I do.”

For the full text of the article, please see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/bo....

And, by the way, if you're trying to remember the Quaker's meeting rhyme, the version I know is:

Quaker's meeting has begun.
No more laughing, no more fun.
If you show your teeth or tongue,
you must pay a forfeit.