Philip Roth, American Pastoral
Why I would like the opportunity to be Philip Roth's gardener, even if it was only for couple of days or a week at most. A longer period like a month or more would be the ideal time frame in which to get acquainted with the American novelist Philip Roth. No doubt his erudite writing experience would rub off on me. At least I would get to talk with the man about writing and what it is like to live the life of a writer. But there is also the possibility that Mr Roth might be too busy to even notice that his new gardener was also a keen if not aspiring writer. Any way I'd enjoy the opportunity to meet Philip Roth - still it's nice to dream. Currently I'm reading his masterpiece, American Pastoral (1997) which I bought on the 17th October. Roth was awarded The Pulitzer Prize for this novel in 1998. It's an interesting book which is brilliantly written because it explores the American tragedy; the story demonstrates how life can go wrong even for people who have it all - 'the so called beautiful people' as my cousin Leon used to say. In this story Roth's protagonist, Swede Levov who was once a legendary athlete, has his life reduced to humiliation and despair by an act of political terrorism on the part of his daughter Merry. At this juncture I urge you to beg, borrow or buy American Pastoral because it is one of the great novels of the twentieth century and a book you will enjoy rereading again and again.Some advice about what you could be doing in your garden - here are the top 10 gardening jobs for November:
- Clear up fallen leaves - especially from lawns, ponds and bed
- Raise containers onto pot feet to prevent waterlogging
- Plant tulip bulbs for a spring display next year
- Prune roses to prevent wind-rock
- Plant out winter bedding
- Cover brassicas with netting if pigeons are a problem
- Insulate the greenhouse from frost - bubblewrap works well
- Stop winter moth damage to fruit trees using grease bands around the trunks
- Put out bird food to encourage winter birds into the garden
- Use a seasonal bonfire - where this is allowed - to dispose of excess debris unfit for composting
Labels: gardening, November, Philip Roth
posted by Thomas @ 11:40 pm
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