For years, I've been aware of May Sarton as an author of novels and poetry, but have never read anything by her. Recent conversations with a library patron who is a Sarton fan steered me toward her journals, for which she is actually most known and acclaimed. After doing a quick bit of research, I decided to read one of these journals, and I picked Journal of a Solitude, which was published in 1973.
Journal of a Solitude was written from September of 1971 to September of 1972, during a period in which Sarton was involved with a woman she refers to as X. Interestingly, we hear almost nothing of their relationship, although as Sarton writes near the end of the book, everything she wrote in this journal was informed by what she was going through with X, even when she consciously chose to reveal very little about it.
During this period of time, May Sarton resided in rural New Hampshire, in a house called Nelson. By the time of Journal of a Solitude, she had lived in Nelson for more than a decade and formed a very real, very special attachment to the house. By the conclusion of the journal, she has made the decision to move to Maine in another year or two, to a huge house by the sea in York. She would, of course, carry out this decision, spending the last two decades of her life in Maine, and writing more journals, including the well-known The House by the Sea.
Journal of a Solitude is one of those books I enjoy, in which an author talks frequently about other authors, as well as artists and composers who mean something to her or him. In this journal, Sarton discusses, among others, Virginia Woolf, George Sarton (a scientist), Katherine Mansfield, Georgia O'Keefe, and Louis Armstrong. She also quotes passages from Robert Frost, Carl Jung, and Flannery O'Connor. I have always loved hearing what authors and musicians think of other authors and musicians, or learning about their idols and inspirations. Sarton speaks of these people with reverence and respect, and she even knew some of them (like Virginia Woolf) to an extent.
At the heart of this journal is one woman's inward life, a life of solitude, as she calls it. May Sarton was not really living in solitude. Yes, she was a single woman of 59 at the time she wrote this book, but she had dozens of friends, wonderful neighbors, and speaking engagements at colleges, churches, and other venues that took her across the country. Certainly, she was social and engaged. However, she lived alone, and she relished her inner life. She was an introvert by nature, someone who absolutely had to have time to herself, in which to reflect and process her life experiences. She explains it best in this passage:
"There is no doubt that solitude is a challenge and to maintain balance within it a precarious business. But I must not forget that, for me, being with people or even with one beloved person for any length of time without solitude is even worse. I lose my center. I feel dispersed, scattered, in pieces. I must have time alone in which to mull over any encounter, and to extract its juice, its essence, to understand what has really happened to me as a consequence of it."
What a great description of the way in which introverts must have alone time to process life! I think anyone who is an introvert, who requires extended periods of time to him or herself, will relate very much to Sarton's writing in this journal. And others, too, will benefit from her descriptions of the small pleasures in life, the private moments that can bring so much joy in and of themselves.
The natural world plays a huge role in this book. Sarton was a gardener, a lover of plants and animals, and her descriptions of flowers, as well as the changing seasons in New England, are absolutely beautiful. Her eye for detail in these matters was amazing. For someone like myself, not very knowledgeable when it comes to flowers, these passages were eye-opening and informative. On the other hand, as a resident of Maine, I could relate very much to her descriptions of the weather, particularly her frustration when the Spring of 1972 seemed to take so very long to get underway!
I read this book quickly, but I am sure it will stay with me always. Sarton's writing is very real, because she was writing of her life. Her introspection and self-exploration rings very true. Her relishing of quiet moments, reflection, the artistic life, and simple pleasures is passionately conveyed and strikes a chord with this reader. I hope people continue to discover her journals and to get something out of them for years to come. For introverts, I highly recommend this book ... once you read it, you'll feel like you've met another kindred spirit.
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