on august 7, 1974, a man strung a tightrope wire between the twin towers and walked back and forth as pedestrians hundreds of feet below him craned their necks and stared upward, undoubtedly questioning if what they were seeing was actually happening. it's one of those joyous historical events that i wish i had been alive to see, a celebration of life, freedom, and new york city.
last night, i finished colum mccann's book let the great world spin--the centerpoint of which is that very tightrope walk--and i am in awe. mccann's prose is beautiful; and the story, which is about grief and balance and love and new york city and the ways we all muddle through our lives, is touching. i haven't read a book this good in awhile, and i heartily recommend it to anyone looking for something to get lost in for a day or two. it's not a light read, by any means, but it's beautiful. also, this is a book that needs to be held, needs to be dog-eared. don't read it on a kindle or an ipad, ok?
p.s. my birthday is august 7. i kind of love it even more now.
lovely artwork via all the mountains
Did you see the movie Man o a wire? It is the documentary of the event. Amazing. Off to get the book now.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen Man on Wire? It's the story of the tightrope walker. Great film. But now I'm interested in checking out this book. It's going on my list!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't you know it? I am about to finish my current book, and this one is on a huge stack of unreads on my nightstand. Think I'll pick this one up next - looking forward to it now!
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