Between the Synapse

Early this morning I found my first occasion to utilize Facebook’s new “sad” emoji, reacting to the announcement that author Pat Conroy died at the age of 70. Conroy’s page turning, emotionally wrought, poetic prose reveled in his challenging upbringing while his characters acted as pawns in an elaborate therapy session for his reader’s entertainment.  Yet the reason I read all but two of Conroy’s books (My Reading Life and Pat Conroy Cookbook remain) was not to bear witness to lives shattered by abuse, ego, poverty and prejudice, but because of his ability to convey emotional resonance on a personal level to each reader. One need not endure Conroy’s past to respond to the outcasts, the demeaned, the disapproved; as well as the fighters, the overachievers, the victorious to close each book abundant with hope in the human condition.

Thank you Pat. May your rivers run wide and sunsets be eternal.

New York Times – Pat Conroy Dies at Age 70