Going to author talks is one of my favorite things to do. I love hearing writers discuss their writing process and where they get their inspiration. It makes me feel like less of a weirdo.
Last night I went to see Michael Krasny (from KQED, our local NPR station) interview Abraham Verghese, who wrote Cutting For Stone — a novel I read recently on the recommendation of several friends. (My oldest bestie Karen actually bought it for me for Christmas — thank you Karen!)
It was a packed house of blue hairs, and me and Karen. Nevertheless, it was a lively crowd, and a compelling evening. Verghese is witty and brilliant, and Krasny is always a great moderator (I saw him interview Salman Rushdie a few months ago—one of my favorite author talks and the partial inspiration behind my new tattoo.)
After the initial interview, Verghese took questions from the audience, which Krasny read off index cards. The very last question was something like: “What is the one message that you have gotten out of your life as a doctor and a writer, the one thing you want to impart to your audience?”
Verghese said: Only Love Endures.
This made me very sad. It’s a really romantic, mythical thing for a novelist to say. But is it really true? Personally, I haven’t had this experience. I’d venture to say that love is one of the most whimsical and least enduring of things.
As for Cutting For Stone, yup, love endures all right. It endures so much that (spoiler alert!) the main character nearly dies as a result of it… and not in a good way.
Admittedly I’m a cynic when it comes to love, and vapid sappiness has never been one of my favorite things, but I’m just not sure I buy into the whole “only love endures” concept. I think it’s a great message for a novel, and one that has been used time and again through the ages….. precisely because it’s fiction and fantasy. We so drastically want it to be true.
Oh but you know what does for sure endure? Tattoos. Those bad boys are for life.
Only love endures”? Love gets up from the table and takes itself out to dinner, party of one, after you have spent three hours making the most fabulous dinner you’ve ever created.
“O.L.E.” is a nice, comforting thought for people who are deep in long, successful relationship, and a panacea for people who routinely watch love walk out the door. It is a sharp stick in the ear of people who have watched love not endure, but dissolve like soap bubbles on dirty dishes, over and over again.
Amen brother. It’s kind of a bullshit thing to say, if you ask me. Although, otherwise, really adored Verghese. And his book is nice.
This is one of those extremely annoying trite-masked-as-profound things that authors (…and philosophers, and yoga teachers, and one’s friends from Sausalito…) often say when faced with gushing followers. It bugs the hell out of me, and is pretty much the main reason I don’t like going to ‘Writer Talks.’ I mean, “Only Love Endures”??? Hallmark with a side of barf-bag.
I’d describe myself as a romantic. But that’s just dumb.
I did kind of feel like he was fucking with the audience a little bit, quite honestly.
It’s funny because just today I was saying “only truth endures.” (well, in slightly different wording.) but i really believe that. maybe if love is based on truth, then it too can endure, and with love, other things can endure. it’s sad that so many people are jaded by love, but a wonderful thing that love between friends can create such a strong bond.