Customer Reviews

Windowlight

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Nietzke enters into a dialogue with her characters, the inhabitants of the edge of America. Leaning into the waves, propelled from across the country she collects and transmits the stories of the people of the foreground and background of the mural that is Venice, California. She describes those in her adopted community with an unusual degree of insight and compassion. As they are timeless so are her stories of them and, one presumes, of herself among them - a woman who has taken up the great challenge of writing her own life.

Windowlight, a southern word for window pane, is narrated by a woman living in Venice, CA. The prose is vivid and direct, making it easy reading for a Gen Xer who often gets inpatient by writing that requires too much work. I both identify with, and am interested in, the images and thoughts of this character, a woman who moved to Venice after a divorce, who notes the life on the streets and boardwalk of Venice while out and about and through her window. One chapter, called, "Pissing," describes the act of peeing in public in a delightful manner, which has altered my view of indecent exposure and public urination. And having lived in many places with street characters and roaches, her other observations both resonate with me, and provide new insights and food for thought.

If you can find this book, buy it, and savor the words. As a picky person, it's the one of the few books which I received as a gift which I completed. I usually only read the beginning of free books and toss them aside, but this one I cherish.

I'm planning to read this writer's other books as well.