Nancy’s Language Doorway

Two Sides followers might remember me and Lory talking about Nancy Pearl. We’ve mentioned my interview with her and we’ve talked about her ‘four doorways’. Nancy, like me and Lory, is interested in playing a part in people finding books that they will enjoy. Nancy likes to explore what ‘doorway’ will lead people to their books. Her four doorways are story, character, setting, and language.

Lory and I are big Nancy Pearl fans and hope that we have an opportunity sometime to do a Two Sides interview with her. Nancy, if by some crazy chance Two Sides has come to your attention, just letting you know that we would love to talk.

Tonight, I have Nancy’s language doorway on my mind. I’m enjoying a book by an author that I like. I’m not sure what put the thought in my mind, but this isn’t a language book. I don’t find myself stopping to reread sentences or to think about word and phrase choices. There are books where that does happen for me. I enjoy it when it happens though it does slow reading down.

Not being a language book isn’t a criticism. Every writer, every book isn’t going to isn’t going to bring the same qualities. I don’t expect the same thing from every book. I love Anne Tyler. In a Tyler book, you expect and get stories that are driven by the characters. It isn’t that the other doorways aren’t there, but you know it will be about her characters.

I expect that Lory and I will return to Nancy’s doorways again.