Six degrees of separation, FROM Tom Lake TO …

/ whisperinggums

Last #SixDegrees I was in the land of the Wurundjeri Wandoon people of the Greater Kulin Nation, that is in my part of Melbourne, but this month, I’m home in Ngunnawal/Ngambri country. Where will I be next month? Time will tell – and do you care? So let’s get to the meme. If you don’t know how this #SixDegrees meme works, please check host Kate’s blog – booksaremyfavouriteandbest.

The first rule is that Kate sets our starting book. And this month it is, of course, one I haven’t read. I’m told, however, that it’s well worth my considering, so that I’ll do. It’s Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake.

Now, I had several goes at this meme, but they didn’t lead to where I wanted to end, so, I decided to do one of my #SixDegrees poems. Here goes (with links on titles going to my posts on those books):

Tom Lake*
was discussing Question 7
with Elizabeth Finch,
when Chinongwa cried out,
What if Things fall apart?
Never fear, they replied, there’s a Crossing to safety
in the Valley of Grace.

With thanks to Ann Patchett, Richard Flanagan, Julian Barnes, Lucy Mushita, Chinua Achebe, Wallace Stegner and the inspirational and much-loved Marion Halligan. Her funeral was held yesterday, and I wanted to end this #Six Degrees on this beautiful book by her – after sharing some books that ask big questions.

* And yes, I know Tom Lake is not a person, but for my purposes “he” is. It’s called artistic licence!

I used more filling words than I like to do with these poems, but it’s the best I could do.

We’ve travelled far this month – to North America, Britain, Africa, and Australia – and I’m 50:50 on author gender. How good is that?

Now, the usual: Have you read Tom Lake? And, regardless, what would you link to?

37 thoughts on “Six degrees of separation, FROM Tom Lake TO …”

  1. Absolutely loved it! I couldn’t put it down and when I reached the final page I sighed with pleasure.

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  8. This is great, and until I read the book I’d assumed Tom Lake was a man so happy to go along with that first line! I love the Stegner and wish more was available from him in the UK.

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  10. I would link Tom Lake to Chekhov’s play, The Cherry Orchard, because Tom Lake is about a Michigan cherry farmer and former actor, who while picking cherries during the pandemic makes frequent references and comparisons to the unsettling times and change in Chekhov’s play. I would then link that back to Chekhov’s Question 7.

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    • Oh good one Carolyn. I have seen one other person link to that play but then I think they linked on Orchard in the title. I like that you then went to Chekhov’s Question 7.

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  13. Hi Sue, what a very clever response.  I have read and enjoyed Tom Lake. My links: Once upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino; The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn; Actress by Anne Enright; An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge; City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, and Theatre by Somerset Maugham.

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