This week I spent an enjoyable afternoon with my mom over lunch in a beautiful country club setting. The 300 other women who joined us enjoyed their lunch as well as we all eagerly anticipated the arrival of the guest speaker.
Amy Tan.
Sorry for the out-of-focus photo, but my hands were shaking!
Yes, that Amy Tan. The author of such books as The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God's Wife and The Bonesetter's Daughter.
My mom's book club boasts the presence of many fabulous guest speakers, including Anna Quindlen, Jo Jo Moyes, Lisa See, Mitch Albom and Daniel Silva. An impressive array of talented authors.
I've gone to a few of these gatherings with my mom. She and her friends are avid readers, and it is their great pleasure to not only attend these events, but to bring their daughters along as guests. It's always a sweet time to be in the company of these ladies.
We eat, chat and discuss great literature.
Before Amy began to speak she graciously stopped at each table, greeting us with a kind word and a warm smile. When it was my turn to meet her, I tried to fit in my elevator speech about having a blog and being a writer, but I clearly wasn't vocal enough.
I'll have to work on that.
Her necklace was handmade and her silk jacket was extraordinary
As I listened to her eloquently discuss her new book, The Valley of Amazement, and spin stories about her real life, I was moved in ways I hadn't anticipated. I know that sounds trite, but it's true. She was so authentic, so obviously self-assured despite a difficult childhood, that you couldn't help but feel as if she were your best friend.
But our family history couldn't be more different.
Amy Tan was born in California to Chinese immigrants, to a father who was a minister and a mother who was emotionally dysfunctional. As Amy's story unfolded we learned about the family history that helped her form the basis of her rich, vibrant novels. Her story began years before she was born, with her mother's decision to leave an abusive husband behind in Shanghai along with their three young daughters. It continues on with the tragedy of losing her father and brother when they die within months of each other from brain tumors, and her mother's decision to move the family to Switzerland after those tragic events. Then, a few years later, she experienced the trauma of having her mother threaten to kill her and her family so they could re-join her father and brother in the afterlife.
Using a slideshow filled with old family photographs, she describes in great detail the story behind every stitch of clothing worn by family members, and discusses the nuance behind each facial expression. Most of the photos were taken years before Amy was born, yet she is still able to spin an intriguing yarn about every print . Your focus never leaves the conversation because of her sheer genius at crafting a tale.
She is a master storyteller.
For me, as a writer and someone with a great need to write my own story, it was my great privilege to listen to such an inspiring author. She is what every good author should be, and through the seemingly simple act of being purely herself, she was able to rekindle a lost spark within me that has long needed to be reignited.
The need to write my first book.
She is an original, true to herself at all times despite family history and the emotional scars inflicted on her by her mother. She illustrates, by example, that no matter where we come from and what our own stories are, they need to be told. And when we write them, it is our personal responsibility to hold true to the truths about ourselves and the stories that make us uniquely us. Because honesty, before all else, is a requirement of good writing. The written word is sacred.
That is what I learned from you, Amy Tan. And for that I thank you.
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Wonderful, Cathy! I am so glad you got to meet her. I have always been a huge fan of hers and have read every one of her books. I didn't realize that the story about her mother leaving children behind in China was true. That is a story line in The Joy Luck Club. Also, how cool that you have access to such an amazing author series!
Amy found her niche. It's funny how I think of her as a young woman, but like us, she's aged into a lovely mid life.
Very exciting! I've read all of Amy Tan's books. What a nice way to spend an afternoon with your mom.
What a great day. The Joy Luck Club and the The Kitchen Gods Wife were two of my favorite books. I still need to read The Bonesetter's Daughter and now her new book. I love hearing author's speak. Anna Quindlen has always been my favorite.
Sounds like such a great day and experience and so glad she inspired you to get started on that book of yours!
I love her books. And you SHOULD write a book!
Sounds like a great day! Amy Tan is one of my favorite writers, and I'd love to hear her speak. What a fantastic book club your mom belongs to!
What a lovely evening that must have been. She sounds like as riveting a speaker as she is an author.
Estelle
HI Cathy,
Lucky you, I love Amy Tan. Joy Luck Club is one of my favorite books, so beautifully written and such powerful stories about strong women. It's nice that you and your mother can go to these events together!
Sounds like an inspirational time. But how could it not be, considering the speaker? Your mother's book group hosts some incredible speakers. Wow! I want to join...!
What a great post about your time with your Mom enjoying one of my favorite writers too! I remember reading the Joy Luck Club years back and how much the author moved me with her colorful words. I can't wait to see what you write next!
What a fabulous way to spend a day!
The written word is sacred. Yes!
Oh, such a treasure to be able to share this with your mother. I think of when I got to meet and talk with Alice Walker and all my photos are fuzzy. Great read.
"She illustrates, by example, that no matter where we come from and what our own stories are, they need to be told. And when we write them, it is our personal responsibility to hold true to the truths about ourselves and the stories that make us uniquely us. Because honesty, before all else, is a requirement of good writing. The written word is sacred." Wow, that's amazing and inspiring--what a lovely post! I've loved her early short stories and "The Joy Luck Club," of course, but never got around to the more recent ones. (I'll have to fix that).And Cathy, your pictures are so pretty and painterly. Especially that last one, which looks like a detail of a painting.
What a cool book club! Wonderful experience - thank you for sharing it with us. Amy Tan is one of my favorites.
I want to join your mom's club! What and exciting and special evening, and I hope you hold onto that spark rekindled and write that book!
Thank you for sharing Amy Tan with all of us through this post. Inspiring and informational!
Hi Cathy! How wonderful for you and you your mom. It's no wonder that you have writing in your blood with that sort of support. And wow! Who doesn't love Amy Tan's work? As you say, she is a master story teller. It sounds like she was just the inspiration you needed. Go for it! You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain. ~Kathy
Thanks for your vivid description of your lunch with Amy Tan. I felt like I was there. Like so many of your commenters, Joy Luck Club had a great impact on me. My mother emigrated here and I felt I like Tan zeroed in on the very same conflicts that I had with my mother. I even gave the book to my mother, thinking we could discuss some of these issues. After she read it, she called me and said she loved it, that it described so perfectly the conflicts she had with her mother.