Molly McQuade

Like many collections of work from a variety of authors, this book provides irregular satisfaction. Some of the essays are lighthearted or whimsical, some are melancholy, some very imaginative, some autobiographical, and some (to me) were incomprehensible. I like the idea behind the book, though: the editor asked each author to write about one word, and it is fascinating how varied the choices were and how diverse the approaches to the assignment.

My favorite selection in the book is "Very" by Brock Clarke, which in general discusses the ineffectiveness of that word but which also has a beautiful passage about watching his son read: "What is it about seeing your children read that makes you love them so much, love them as much as you should love them all the time?...[M]aybe to watch a child who is unaware of you watching them is to watch something so perfect and unself-conscious that it is impossible to do anything but love them."

This book is certainly worth taking the time to browse. I learned a few new words and took time to ponder the weight of some old, familiar ones. I have even tried to think of what word I would choose if I were given such an assignment, but haven't had any luck narrowing it down!… (more)