Music and Ceremonies

Music and Ceremonies by Edith Sitwell, 44 pages

Music and Ceremonies was one of Dame Sitwell's last volumes of poetry published before her death in 1964 at age 77.  Unsurprisingly, the poems dwell on matters of aging and memory and death, but also spring and resurrection, and hope for a final harmony.

Sitwell's poems are interesting in part because, while they are formally excellent, they seem somehow artificial and uninspired, which may be why she is better known as a judge of poetry than as a poet in her own right.

Florence Gordon

Florence Gordon by Brian Morton
306 Pages

Florence Gordon is a feminist writer who was prominent in the 60's and who now at the age of 74 is experiencing a resurgence of popularity when she receives a laudatory review in the New York Review of Books.  She is a plain spoken, sometimes harsh woman who does and says exactly what she wants without worrying about what other people think.  Her family has come to New York for a short time and Florence starts to get to know her granddaughter.  However, everyone in the family holds a secret and we see how these secrets effect their relationships.

Florence is a somewhat likeable character despite her gruff style and we see a thawing toward her granddaughter that doesn't descend into a hallmark-like ending.