Quite awhile ago, a.fortis suggested that I read Feeling Sorry for Celia, by Jaclyn Moriarty, queen of the epistolary novel. I’ve FINALLY gotten to it, and I just fell in love all over again with Moriarty’s style, and the way she depicted the fabulous friendship between Christina and Elizabeth. I like the use of letter writing as a Lost Art (why isn’t there some kind of career I can get into where letter writing’s all I do??), and the idea of letters as being something an English teacher assigns that opens a new world to the characters. If every student unplugged just briefly from their iPods, life at school could be so different…
The best part for me was Moriarty having Elizabeth getting letters from her subconscious. That’s the part that resonated the most with me, since I am forever having doubts, second thoughts and simple paranoia crop up in my brain as if it’s my brain’s job to tell me every little thing that could go wrong. The weird Greek chorus that serenades my conscious mind likely sings to others, and Moriarty captured the finest point of good YA literature — that part that lets everyone know that their secret fears are shared. Thanks for suggesting this one, a.f., and I really hope Moriarty puts out something else soon.
It would be fun to figure out how to incorporate more letters in my writing. Here’s hoping letter writing doesn’t become an art that is completely lost!
There is another Moriarty book, called The Year of Secret Assignments, which was just as riotously funny and featured cameos by Elizabeth from the first book.
Now I’m just waiting for others! Really! Please!!
Ooh, I have read that one!! And now, I really, REALLY want her to get on with a few more, yes! Please?