Ms. Welty Speaks

I love reading Ms. Welty's works.

Surprisingly, I never paid that much attention to the books of Ms. Welty until I was in college. It was on a rainy evening in my dorm room at Delta State. I was reading Willie Morris' "North Toward Home" and his story telling (how many wonderful places has Willie's story telling led me over the years?) led me to pick up a Welty book and truly dig in.

I was hooked. Her passion and her grace... her biting and eloquent prose... her story telling has since kept me reading till the early hours of many mornings over the past years.

What's funny is that in all the reading I never noted too much humor in her words. Then, not very long ago, I ran across some recordings of Ms. Welty reading her own books. I was on the floor in laughter. How did I miss the humor that was so obvious?

I've provided a link. Listen to Ms. Welty read some of her own works. I suggest "Why I Live at the P.O." If you are mesmerized by reading her words you will be mesmerized in stitches listening to her words.

http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/11/22/specials/welty.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Various recordings of Ms. Eudora exist at this link. Again, I suggest listening to the Pulitzer prize winner reading her short story, "Why I Live at the P.O." Its wonderful listening to the words and humor from the great writer's mouth. These recordings are from 1953 of the Mississippian speaking at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.