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Bascombe Is Burning Bridges
February 19, 2008

Richard Ford has jumped from Knopf to Ecco.

In Sara Nelson's editorial (the above link), she concludes by writing "In midlife publishing, as in midlife love, change often starts with trading in one beloved for another."

So true. Anyone who's ever known a man or a woman in any stage of midlife knows that people can be prone to trading in one beloved for another when they feel trapped, or scared, or frustrated, or bored, or any number of things.

Ford is leaving behind long and fruitful relationships with his editor, his publicist, and others at Knopf to try something new. As I thought about why he might be doing so, it struck me as ironic and poignant that no matter how conscious a writer may be of psychological states, it does not save him from going through those states himself. 

Just as Frank Bascombe wants one perfect Thanksgiving dinner, Richard Ford wants to know he still has a place at the table. Perhaps he wants to try something new, perhaps he sees Ecco's approach as more in keeping with his writing, who knows? 

The thing Ford would be wise to remember is that Bascombe's turkey day turns out quite differently from what he planned. It's not necessarily a bad experience, and in fact may be richer -- but it's not what he had planned.

Posted by Bethanne Patrick on February 19, 2008 | Comments (0)