In My Nancy Drew Era
I mean, always, but especially this summer
Hello, Nancy Drew Fans! And everyone else who is missing out!
And yes, I do have two copies of The Mystery at Lilac Inn (Book 4 in the original Nancy Drew series) among my stashes. Why? Because it’s the best! I’ve read it many times and expect to read it many more, not least because I’m terrible at remembering plot. But what I do remember, and why I loved it originally (and still), was that Nancy goes canoeing! Because I too had been canoeing as a girl (nowadays I prefer kayaking), this scene resonated with me: I was well on my way to becoming Nancy Drew! Obviously.
Sure, Nancy can be annoying; after all, how many people can sew their own dress for a charity beauty pageant, identify antiquities, chase thieves, get chloroformed or hit over the head or locked in a cellar, AND still make it home for dinner? But I, for one, admire that kind of moxie. Also, Nancy is unfailingly cheerful, including when surrounded by nitwits and cowards, which is not nothing.
All of which is to say, I hope I have A Nancy Drew Summer full of mysteries and craftiness and canoeing and all the rest. I’ll keep you posted.
Of course, I don’t want any capsizing, literally or metaphorically, during My Nancy Drew Summer, but such things do happen, so I guess I'll have to keep a cool head, just like Nancy. Wish me luck!
And yes, of course, Nancy has turned up in a poem or two of mine. Yet to be published, though, so not to be “published” here, but Brenda Hillman has a terrific Nancy Drew poem, “Girl Sleuth” (redundant??), which you can read here. And the assignment for you? Well, your own poem about or in the voice of a fictional character, of course. Childhood books are especially powerful for this. Think back: what/who were your favorites? And, more importantly, why? Tap into that.
In recent weeks, I have become the owner (guardian?) of some very lovely vintage evening bags, just the sort of thing Nancy would have carried (and then ditched as she scaled a wall or tackled a masked bad guy or gal). Aren't they pretty?
My friends Laura and Rosemary gifted me these bags, and though I’m not sure I’ll have more than one occasion (ever), I do love to look all the beautiful details, especially the beading. Such handiwork (I assume it was done by hand...) reminds me of weaving, of course.
Bright colors usually aren’t my thing — I definitely prefer the muted and sophisticated colors of the evening bags — but recently I’ve really liked working with some summer-y fiber packs, each of which has a zesty, party-ish feel:
As usual, titles are fun. With poems, titles nearly always come first for me and seem to spur on discovery (I rarely set out to write about a particular topic), but with weavings, the title frequently lags behind, often not coming to me until a day or so after I’ve finished. Something in there, I suspect, about different kinds of making/different parts of the mind. Any thoughts on this?
Speaking of parties, I recently hosted my grad poets for an end-of-semester light dinner and final class. Having students over used to be a tradition, but, alas, the pandemic put that on hold for, oh, five years—! Glad to get back on track.
Our dinner included one of my favorite quick breads, Honey Beer Bread, a few salads (four bean; butter lettuce with avocado and hot honey vinaigrette; arugula with asparagus and radishes and pea pods), and some lemony potatoes.
For dessert, one of my students brought home-made cookies and I made brownies, fast!, from the box, and some yummy no-churn chocolate chip ice cream.
As is often the case, the party was a good excuse to clean the house (!) and get organized (!) and use all kinds of bowls and plates that usually stay tucked away. All in all, a happy evening. I doubt I am the effervescent hostess that Nancy was, but Kip and Polly helped out and dogs at a party do make all the difference, don’t they? (And yes, Nancy had a dog! Remember Togo??)
Anyway, yes, of course, I’m reading a Nancy Drew mystery; it’s nearly summer after all! I just began The Whispering Statue, and it’s already, by Chapter 2, way over the top with not one but two intruders showing up at the Drew house (front and back door!!) while a phone call at the very same time turned out to be very threatening! George and Bess, Nancy’s sidekicks, are concerned, but, naturally, Nancy is forging ahead! I’ll keep you posted.
War and Peace update: yep, Tolstoy and Nancy! I’ve passed page 500 (of 1300), and unlike with some lengthy novels, I’ve yet to have that feeling of “oh well, surely this bit could have been cut,” which is pretty remarkable.
Lastly, because this is the season for reading, I’m back to Elizabeth Bowen; this time it’s The House in Paris. Bowen’s writing is just so so good, with memorable insights such as “To eavesdrop is an ordeal.” That certainly seems true, but, as Nancy would probably say, eavesdropping is necessary sometimes. Ahem!
I’ll leave you with a question I often ask my students: what did you love to do when you were age 11 or so?
Whatever that was, maybe you could do it again now? The power and imagination and promise of 11: whether you really experienced that or might allow yourself to do so now... that’s what I wish for myself every summer and that’s the wish I’m sending your way, too.
In case you need a map to get back to 11, here’s one to get you going. It was a gift from my sister Ruth who understands what Nancy means to me.
Thanks for reading. Happy May. Take good care.
I loved Nancy Drew as a girl! I remember reading them when I was about 6 or 7.