I haven't really known what to say about this, but my maternal grandmother, Helen Yglesias, died early Friday morning. It's a sad thing to have happen, but she was an old woman (born in 1915), had been ailing, and went peacefully and comfortably after a full and successful life. Like my father and his father, she was a writer and published several novels after an unusually late debut in her fifties. Previously, she worked at literary editor at The Nation so you can see that the family is slowly moving right and selling out over time.
There are a couple of brief biographies available online for those who are interested here and here though of course it's always slightly bizarre to read a "professional" account of someone like your own grandmother who you came to know and love at an early age when you didn't know anything about this sort of thing. Nevertheless, she led a fairly inspiring life when you get right down to it, always committed to her passions.
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Heads in the Sand
During her five years (1965 to 1969) as the literary editor of The Nation, she became convinced she had the ability to write as well as, if not better than, many of the authors whose work she reviewed. She subsequently resigned her position and became a full-time writer.
Many readers have had that feeling, but she acted on it. Good for her.
Posted by John Emerson | March 31, 2008 8:42 AM