Not long ago I read and was quite moved by May Sarton's novel about growing old in a nursing home, AS WE ARE NOW. So I picked up this book. I'm not sure what I expected to find in May Sarton's journal, AFTER THE STROKE, but I don't think I found it. Much of the journal is taken up with her constant fretting and worrying about her heart's arhythmia, digestion, cramps, various meds, etc. Which, I suppose, is normal after suffering something as frightening as a stroke and learning, at 74, that you also have heart problems. Her solitary life in a house in coastal Maine is filled with references to the weather, her flowers and garden, her pets, errands into town to PO and store - in fact very much like anyone's journal might be.

I think I was looking for connections, to other writers, to her readers - the writing life. And there are many mentions of other writers, but most of them were obscure poets or writers I'd never heard of, with a few exceptions: a meeting with Louise Erdrich, who Sarton found charming and bright, and her assessment of a Doris Grumbach novel, THE MAGICIAN'S GIRL. It appears this journal was written before a correspondence was established between those two. (Grumbach probably had not yet relocated to Maine at the time this journal was written.) Both Sarton and Grumbach are often pigeon-holed as "lesbian writers." From my own reading experience, I have found Grumbach to be a marvelous writer. Sarton thinks of herself as a writer first, "a good writer who happens to be a lesbian." I would say the same about Grumbach.

Many pages were devoted to complaining (?) about the overwhelming amount of mail she received, letters from her readers which she felt needed responses but she didn't have time to respond. This surprised me, as I had always thought writers enjoyed hearing from readers and fans. Go figure, huh? Sarton also finds herself bombarded with requests for reviews and blurbs for other books, which she said she had given up doing, even though she is obviously a lover of books and writing.

The truth is, AFTER THE STROKE is only mildly and occasionally interesting, and I found myself often skimming whole entries about flowers, luncheons, weather and so on. There are, however, numerous nuggets of wisdom to be found throughout the journal, which makes it a reasonably worthwhile read. But for now at least, I feel like I've had enough Sarton to last me for quite a while. ( )

Amazon preorder,Amazon received

Thoughtful writing after a sudden stroke leaves Ms. Sarton fragile and in need of daily assistance. Frank, open acknowledgement of aging and the loss of independence. ( )