Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Aaron Aupperlee's piece about Gail Hammett, a mother faced with the despair of having a child in prison, was an interesting character study. The story had a good pace to it and peaked for me upon learning about her handicapped child. Aupperlee's terse descriptions allowed for the piece to forego any melodrama one might expect when reading about such a harrowing topic. The arrests of her son were laid out well and provided just enough information into Hammett's strife. I wanted the topic of Hammett's drinking to be further fleshed out; it seemed to be a major player in her life and both of her son's lives. What is she doing to combat her addictions? It was very good to read something of a fellow Kalamazoo student.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have to agree, Cam, it was very good (and reassuring?) to read the writing of a fellow “K” student. I was wondering about your comment and the idea that you “wanted the topic of Hammett's drinking to be further fleshed out.” I guess I personally felt the topic didn’t need much more explanation. Indeed, the “terse” explanation and quote from Hammett was enough for me to understand the role of alcohol in her life. In the way Aupperlee’s writing framed it, it would seem that Hammett does not enjoy talking about her addiction and maybe that tells us as readers something important about her character. Could you elaborate on how exactly you wanted to see the topic further investigated?
ReplyDeletePaul