Virginia Woolf.......

I first "met" Virginia Woolf at college many years ago...oh about 30 years ago now. Up until that time I hated English Lit in high school but at college I had two incredible teachers for "Women in Literature". Janet, an American who was fun, lived for literature and still teaches at Seneca College I've heard. Linda was an English student at U. of T., practice teaching at the time, now head of some Dept. there and assisting doctural students with their thesis. Quite brilliant she is. It was through them I was introduced to Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group. I took many courses with these women and their influence was positive. After graduation I took a "Literature" holiday to England by myself and visited all the sites on my list - Virginia's house, the house where the Bloomsbury Group met, Jane Austen's house, the Bronte home on theYorkshire Moors, the haunts of D. H. Lawrence, a pub in London that Charles Dickens frequented. What fun that was. How brave I was to go on my own!

After seeing "The Hours" twice and reading the book, I naturally wanted to read "Mrs. Dalloway", one of Virginia's books I had not read before. I forgot how difficult she can be to read. Difficult and mesmerizing at the same time. Virginia Woolf, poor depressed Virginia who was in her head most of the time. I became totally engrossed with her descriptions....one can visualize everything beautifully in one's mind. One can visualize, and hear the sounds and smell the scents she is describing. Sometimes I get so lost in her words, I forget where the story is going. Truth be said, sometimes I haven't a clue what she is saying but the words are beautiful.

By the way....spring has sprung. The snow has melted and it's difficult to recall only 3 weeks ago when we had 2 foot snowbanks. Now the tiny pointy tops of spring bulbs are poking through the earth. Wonderful!

Namaste,

L