Slice of Life – A Sevenling

Today’s Slice of Life at TwoWritingTeachers.org, 7 September 2021

Last month I wrote a Slice of Life about reading, how I had been neglecting it, and I asked for recommendations for my next read. I got some great suggestions, most of which I had not read yet. I went to my public library online, and checked out Goldfinch first, which Fran Haley had suggested.

I loved this sad and suspenseful book that had characters I will never forget. It was really difficult to put the book down, and I would read in bed for too long each evening, until my eyes glazed over or I fell asleep. However, I’m a slow reader, and this book was 750ish pages, so I had to renew it. Then yesterday I had to have a cataract removed from my eye, and I still had about 3 hours left to finish the book. When I got home, while my eye was still patched, I finished reading it. One eye closed under the patch, and the font size enlarged for my other lone eye.

Today I checked out my next book, this one on audio so I can rest my eyes the next few days and do more listening. Thanks to Lakshmi’s idea of listening to classics on audio, I checked out Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky.

I wrote a sevenling poem about Goldfinch; the sevenling form I learned about last month from Tammi Belko. She sometimes has her students write sevenlings after they finish reading a novel, so I did that today too. You can read more about the sevenling form here at her post at Ethical ELA.

Goldfinch
Theo Decker loved his mother and then Pippa,
he experienced hell, and he and Boris tried to escape
this life by flying too close to the sun.
He didn’t want to forget his mother,
to have stolen the painting, and
then to have disappointed Hobie.
He was too young for all the catastrophe.

I’m not usually a great patient, so I probably read and wrote too much today. I will go add some drops to my eye and rest it now.

6 thoughts on “Slice of Life – A Sevenling

  1. Way to tap your virtual PLC for new learning and inspiration. I’m especially interested in poetry as a response to reading. I’ve been noticing it more in blogs and tweets recently. Good luck with your rest, I think being read to is so soothing. I’m wondering about Crime and Punishment. You’ll have to let us know.

  2. As someone who is legally blind, I totally understand your reading dilemmas. I regularly use audiobooks and magnification to read but I do it daily. Sometimes I read and write until my eyes are red, irritated, and tired. I hope you recover soon.

  3. Sorry about your eye troubles! I hope you’ll be seeing well again soon. I’ve heard really good things about the results from that surgery! Thanks for sharing your reading.

  4. I loved learning of this poetry form. I read Goldfinch long ago and your poem took me right back to it. Your post also shows someone who needs reading and writing in her life, even following an eye surgery. So much is revealed about the author through their writing!

  5. Denise!! I am so glad you read The Goldfinch! It does totally draw you in. I am in awe of Tartt’s skill. Phenomenal. I am also in awe of your finishing the book with your lone, unpatched eye. If that’s not testimony to the power of story…

    I love this sevenling. You have captured Theo’s experience so succinctly. He’s a character who stays with us – along with Boris, good heavens, what a character. Thank you for writing and sharing about this. And here’s to audiobooks. Just yesterday I met with literacy coach colleagues and the topic of read-alouds arose – we mentioned how students need to be read to straight on through college, and how we enjoy audiobooks, many so magnificently delivered in the voice of true artists. I maintain that a read-aloud done well is a powerful theatrical performance. Magical.

    1. How did I not mention Boris in my sevenling! I just added him. So true. What a character. Tartt does have amazing skills in developing those characters! Thanks again for the recommendation.

Comments are closed.