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On Beverly Cleary

 So much of my daily life is family time, and I'm always happy to find great writing that is specifically about the things that occur in one house.


My husband and I like the show "Catastrophe," in part because it feels like a documentary about our own marriage. For example, in one episode, the central couple fields a question from friends: Will you care for our son if we die? 

This would seem to be a no-brainer, but we follow the central couple back home, where a debate occurs. What's in this for us? Do we get the beach house if A and B both die? What if B doesn't die--but he is comatose for years? That means we're taking care of B *in addition to* his son? His son has this growing acting career....If we become his godparents, we might have an *in* with Daniel Radcliffe....and Susan Sarandon....

To me, this is all of marriage, in three or four minutes. Unforgettable.

The other domestic drama I love is "Ramona and Her Father," by Beverly Cleary. The detail is still astonishing. In the first chapter, Ramona is quietly saying, "Yeep! Yeep!" This is because her church encourages her to make a "joyful noise unto the Lord," but no instructions on the actual noise are provided. "Wow" would be too raucous. Beezus returns home, and soon, she is labeling her sister "a pest." Ramona calmly replies, "You are a rotten dinosaur egg." And when Ramona sees the exasperation on her sister's face, she understands that she has "won the contest."

Later, the two sisters struggle to spy on their parents. Ramona says, "Listen at the heating vent." Without missing a beat, Beezus says, "Too far from the living room. Believe me. I've tried."

Sharon Horgan and Beverly Cleary both remind me of all the comedy that occurs on a weekday, in a house. These two can see what others fail to see. I think they're both inspiring.
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