Liars and Saints

We might not often think of Snoopy having a dialogue with Virginia Woolf, but in 1973, the "conversation" occurred. Woolf famously wrote that a female artist should have a room -- a "room of one's own." She was speaking in a figurative way -- but, also, she was not. She was (at least partly) being literal. One should have a room of one's own. Jane Austen's nephew observed that Austen would write in a very public sitting room -- when guests visited, Austen would hide her manuscript under blotting paper, so she wouldn't have to engage in chit-chat about the very strange work that she was attempting. Alice Munro confessed that -- in young motherhood -- she would push her daughter's fingers away from the keyboard, so that she could continue to make progress. (This story has new resonance after the recent Andrea Skinner revelations.) By contrast, Snoopy has a man-vs.-nature problem. You can't write in the dark. "You can't write by firefly...

  It's a relief to report that "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" will air on PBS this year; last year, Apple robbed America of that event. I love rankings, so here are my three favorite Great Pumpkin moments (for now): (3) Dramatic irony: Lucy dresses herself as a witch, while announcing.... We must always choose a costume that is in direct contrast to our own personality . (2) Charlie's house visits: "You got candy? I got a bag of rocks...." (1) Charlie, a "ghost," appears under a white sheet with twenty to thirty large holes. "I had some trouble with the scissors." I find this script really inspiring, even after many, many years.

 Around 71 years ago--on October 2, 1950--Charlie Brown was introduced to the world. An unidentified bystander spots Charlie approaching. "Good Ol' Charlie Brown!" "Ol' Charlie Brown--yessir!" Charlie passes--beaming. And the bystander whispers--"Charlie Brown.....How I *hate* him!" It's so startling to hear this final sentence. And there is no explanation--because hatred, like other passions, sometimes grows out of absolutely nothing. For example, having never seen "Ted Lasso," I have nurtured a deep hatred for "Ted Lasso." Good Ol' Ted Lasso--how I hate him! This makes me think of great "Charlie" lines...."My anxieties have anxieties...." "Last night, I dreamt that somebody loved me...." "I'm even too tired to cry....." Happy Birthday to Mr. Brown.