My daughter gifted me Maira Kalman’s “Women Holding Things,” a themed treasure of art and poetry that entices readers through the surprising and not-so-surprising ways we hold on to people, objects, hurt, and more. Sometimes whimsical, often wise, Kalman reveals a core duty and privilege of female identity.
Each of the three Prose pieces we offer this quarter speaks to this holding and what it means to us to hold on to people and traditions we value. Up-and-coming storyteller, Vivian Pfleger, ushers us through the tasks of death and memory in her short story, “Last Day at Grandma Ada’s House.” Two personal essays, “On Wiggly Teeth” by Kirsten Burningham and Rachel Terry’s “Light a Torch and Gently Hand it Off,” showcase our roles as mentors and the insights we both hold and give.
