Hope in Hardback

Although I don't get much of a chance to do it these days, writing is one of my favorite activities. I've been writing since I was about 15, with some consistency, and I've really enjoyed seeing my writing improve from high school trash to some of the things I've written in the past year and a half. I've enjoyed developing my voice, which is the essence of all pieces of writing. It's the characteristic of the author that can't help but shine through, the thing that makes a Hemingway different from a Dostoevsky, Bellow different from Roth.

One day, I would love to write a novel. Maybe a few novels--who knows? When I was young, I imagined being some sort of prodigy, the youngest person to ever write a Pulitzer or National Book Award-winning novel. Although I suppose it's not too late for that, I find it hard enough to write a page right now, much less a novel.

That's why I was so delighted to see Millard Kaufman's new book, Bowl of Cherries. Recently published, it is Kaufman's debut work.

The incredible part, though, is that Kaufman was born in 1917. At the age of 90, an age we can only hope to live to, Kaufman is foregoing golf and gardening, and decided to write a novel instead. Granted, Kaufman was a screenwriter for many years before writing a novel, which is a feat I doubt I'll ever achieve [though I would love it], but I still think that it is inspiring that he published his first novel now. It certainly encourages me that I still have plenty of time to get my words, my voice out.