Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

Nina Sankovitch, Huffington Post

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey is an exquisite meditation on the restorative connection between nature and humans.

Bailey, isolated and immobile due to a debilitating illness, finds herself in the company of a woodland snail.

The snail becomes both her mirror and her mentor. By observing the snail through all the phases of the day, Bailey reflects on her own constrictions of mobility, placement, and relationships.

The writing is pristine and clear, with sentences of stunning lyrical beauty that I read over and over again.

The chapters move along through the months of Bailey's illness, made bearable now by the presence of the snail. Researching the genealogy and habits of the snail, Bailey finds evidence of the richness of its existence and proof that she herself is still living, and as vibrantly and with as much persistence as her tiny companion:

"The life of a snail is as full of tasty food, comfortable beds of sorts, and a mix of pleasant and not-so-pleasant adventures as that of anyone I know."

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