The Ocean in the Closet

A late afternoon of shopping for items for an upcoming North Carolina/Virginia trip ended at the Spoonriver Restaurant, with me gently nursing a Glenlivet whilst* attending a reading by Yuko Taniguchi, from her novel The Ocean in the Closet. It was a very intimate affair, Yuko, her publisher, and an audience of six.

Listening to her read the beginning of her story put me in a mellow mood (mellower than the Glenlivet) thinking of my childhood, when I would listen to my kindergarten teacher read to the class. Yuko's story was told from the point of view of a child, in simple language, adding to the warmth of the atmosphere. I had planned on buying a book to read on my upcoming trip and had received notice of this event from the restaurant. I thought: "What better way to preview a book than to listen to the author read it?"

It worked. I bought the book:



*Affected British usage caused by the whisky...