John Fischer's Philadelphia
Vol. 1 - Number 18 - 07/07/99
I get a lot of e-mail since I am the Guide for two sites here at About.com - Philadelphia and Hawaii for Visitors. Doing this site I get to write about a city that is so rich in history and culture. One of the pleasures of doing a site about Hawaii is that you get to describe some of the most beautiful places on earth.
Frequently I receive e-mail from people who actually enjoy my writing, and who ask about my background. It really moves me that sometimes I can make people laugh, sometimes make them cry, and often make them just think.
I suppose I have always been a decent story teller, and a decent writer, back to my earliest days as the news editor for my high school paper. I think, however, that I really only understood what it really is to write well when, back in 1991, I first read Pat Conroy's novel, "The Prince of Tides".
I had seen the Barbra Streisand/Nick Nolte film. It will always be in my top ten list of the best films of all time. I distinctly remember that the trailers for the film talked about this being the film version of the "most beloved novel of our time", which not only encouraged me to see the film but also compelled me to read the novel.
I remember to this day how mesmerized I was when I read it. Conroy has the wonderful ability to write in a way that you clearly see each of his images in your mind as you read his words. His characters actually become part of a virtual movie in your own mind. He is, not only a excellent story teller, but also a master of poetic prose. It is no mere coincidence that the character of Savannah in the book is a poet.
I studied language and literature for many years, but I learned more about how to write and touch the heart of the reader from this novel than in all of my years of study.
You may ask what inspired me to write this column today.
Last Saturday, I spent the day at Fort Mifflin outside of Philadelphia as part of the Welcome America celebration. Fort Mifflin is set on a tidal marsh, as is much of the local area on the shores of the Delaware River, as far south as the Delaware and Maryland shores. Wandering beside the marshes of the Delaware River basin and seeing the wildlife engaged in their daily struggle for survival in this world of men, I could not help but think of "The Price of Tides" .
As one who lives near a tidal basin, it brought to mind the words of Conroy's principal character, Tom Wingo.
"To describe our growing up in the lowcountry of South Carolina, I would have to take you to the marsh on a spring day, flush the great blue heron from its silent occupation, scatter marsh hens as we sink to our knees in mud, open you an oyster with a pocketknife and feed it to you from the shell and say, 'There. That Taste. That's the taste of my childhood.' I would say, 'Breathe deeply,' and you would breathe and remember that smell for the rest of your life, the bold, fecund aroma of the tidal marsh, exquisite and sensual, the smell of the South in heat, a smell like new milk, semen, and spilled wine, all perfumed with seawater. My soul grazes like a lamb on the beauty of indrawn tides."
Well, that's my spin on things. Let me hear from you.You can join me in our chat room almost every evening - Philly Chat - or drop me a note at philadelphia.guide@about.com. Also, be sure to check out our new Philadelphia Forum where you can share your comments and feelings, ask questions, post classifieds and much more.
If you missed any of our recent columns you can still catch them:
John Fischer's
Philadelphia 06/18/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 06/21/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 06/23/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 06/25/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 06/28/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 07/05/99