I wasn’t going to write this blog, because I much prefer celebrating the living than mourning the dead, but I came home to an obit page from the Boston Herald, lying on the counter. The front was marked with a black pen, and there was a scribbled note saying, “See other side, too.”
The front announced the passing of Kate McGarrigle, a songwriter and folksinger who hailed from Canada. She performed with her sister, Anna, and was mother to the up-and-coming songster, Rufus Wainwright. I knew of the McGarrigles only because of a relative living in Montreal. Once we heard their sound, we were hooked: clarion voices, a presence reminiscent of birds, original lyrics, no gimmicks or pretense. Truly masters of words – deep meaning disguised in utter simplicity.
The last time I saw the McGarrigles was at Sanders Theatre at Harvard. They filled the warm, wood-beamed auditorium with a spirit of light and enlightenment. Anyone who can sing about leftovers and mashed potatoes and come up with something poetic is all right in my book. However, one of my favorite lines is “talk to me of Mendocino” – which conjures up fond memories of walking the foggy streets of that charming town.
I turned the page over and saw two more wordsmiths: Robert Parker, the “blunt and beloved crime novelist” as he was identified and Erich Segal, the sweet and sappy author of “Love Story.” Talk about contrast!
Parker wrote more than 50 novels including 37 featuring a Boston private eye named Spenser (with an “s”) – played by Robert Urich in the TV series “Spenser: For Hire”. “Hard-boiled” are the words used here to describe the man and his style – a genre of tough detective fiction that, according to the obit, went dead in the 70’s but was resurrected by his prolific contribution.
Segal, on the other hand, emerged from teaching classics at Yale. He conceived “Love Story” in 1970 which AP summed up as “a weeper — a million seller guaranteed to make readers cry and critics scream.” Talk about a great line!
So, as night falls on New England, I think fondly of these distinctively different people who defined themselves by words . Sad passage but fine legacy.
Tags: Erich Segal, legends, McGarrigles, obituaries, Robert Parker, songwriters, Spenser: For Hire
Categories: Reflection, Writers