- Love, Raymond Carver.
His writing, with its unique sense of detachment, perfectly captures the minutest slices of life that I myself have been trying to achieve in my work.
The perception and tenderness behind his seemingly minimalist style always reveal the essential turmoil at the core of human experience.
Cathedral, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?
From each collection, I selected one story to draw inspiration from.
“Cathedral”
A reluctant husband hosts his wife's blind friend Robert. While drawing a cathedral together with Robert guiding his hand, the narrator experiences an unexpected moment of connection that transforms his prejudice into understanding
“Why Don't You Dance?”
A man displays all his household furniture in his front yard, arranged as if still indoors. When a young couple stops by, he invites them to use his possessions, even dancing to his records, creating a mysterious encounter that hints at deeper personal loss.
“Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?”
After his wife Marian confesses to a past infidelity, Ralph spends a night wandering, drinking, and gambling before returning home. The story explores his internal turmoil as he grapples with betrayal and the fragile nature of trust in marriage.