The Divided Heat: art and motherhood, by Rachel Power, Published in 2008 by www.rdog.com.au.Rachel Power is a Melbourne based author with two very small children, Griffin and Freya. On the final page of the book is an informal portrait of the author and her rat bags. It's a pic that makes Power seem closer to life, further from literature simply because she looks very much like one of Us. The entire book resonates the same tone as her family portrait.
In the opening chapter she places herself very honestly and realistically as a regular woman who adores her children, takes parenting very seriously yet has a burning urge to continue working as an author. The book is dedicated to looking at the finer details of the mother-artist theme through lived experiences of woman who share the same vocational urge. She toys with the idea that the creative inner space is often the same space that's required for mothering children: emotional, intuitive and demanding.
" During the day, when my baby slept, I would tidy the house and then sit at the kitchen table to pen a few urgent thoughts into my journal, constantly fighting the urge to check on him. Every 20 minutes or so, the hideous threat of cot death hanging over me, I would desperately squeeze out a few more words before running down the hallway to where my child was sleeping. There his shape would rise and fall; he was pink and warm. My words had not murdered him. Because, spun out to its furthermost consequence, this was the fear: that my baby would die because, for a mere matter of minutes, I put my own self-interest before his precious life - and implicit in this horror was the knowledge that I would lose everything, both my child and my ability to ever again put pencil to paper."
The introduction presents the book's interests clearly with gentle scent of an essay and the conclusion matches her introductions in weight and analysis. The work's style is journalistic. Power interviews 25 mother-artists of varied ages, number of kids and artistic back grounds. All have had success in their fields. My favourite interviews were with women of the 70's. They were less questioning of their choices than Us, gutsy and unashamed. Kinda dangerous too. They had less choice so they romped through life compared to our treading carefully as mothers.
Each chapter is dedicated to one interview which is perfect for the mother-reader because each chapter is short and told in a conversational style that demands little of the mind and time yet fills the imagination in a soothing cup-of-tea-and-a-slice-of-cake way. It's a book of oral women's tradition and it reads as easily as any well told story.
For about 10 chapters I semi-enjoyed this book. Actually I found her interview questions soft and annoying. I wanted her to ask the 'big' questions, but she didn't. Even though I found it a tad soft I continued to pick it up most mornings to accompany my cuppa. In time The Divided Heart became a good friend, warts and all, and that's all I ask of a good book. After all, Rachel Power is a woman after my own heart, a mother and a writer.
6 frank folks find it in their hearts to say::
Great review, I've been wanting to read this book.
Came here via Gemma!
what a beautifully written review ... I am looking forward to reading this one. Now ... 25 Jan -cannot make it - my family who didn't come for xmas are now coming en masse to celebrate Australia Day weekend ... a garden party sounds so bloody good in a pims, cucmber sandwich and wide brimmed hat goodness way. can we get together for a coffee catch up thing to break the mismatched calender trend? xx
Hey Daniele, thanks so much for checking out The Divided Heart and penning this review. It’s interesting what you say about it’s softness, and I have written a bit about this on my blog, in response to a similar criticism made elsewhere (though in much less generous terms). I think my approach (not strategically conscious on my part) was to share experiences rather than try for hard-hitting scrutiny, though I realise now that’s what some readers might have preferred. Perhaps I didn’t have enough distance from the subject matter at the time to be in that mode, or perhaps that’s just not me. Can I ask (and this is with genuine curiosity, not out of any sourness, as I think it’s a fair comment), what kind of ‘big’ questions you would have liked to see posed?
Hi Rachel,
Sorry to have taken so long to reply to this comment. I've been think about it lots and lots of late because I've been in a full time creative project and doing the juggle in real-time, rather than theory. I've listed a whole lot of random questions and I certainly don't write them for you to provide an answer. Your book covers many of these questions. I ask these questions more as a response to what your book provoked in me, rather than what your book lacked.
I think the big questions are these:
1] Is it possible that ALL children have characteristically child-like dependency-like needs that if unrequited, can cause them grief and anxiety that then can, and usually do, become health issues?
I think yes. We know what stress does to adults, so why do we ignore the signs in children? Is art more important than children? Is anything more important to children?
2] If kiddies do have certain dependency needs, is one of those characteristically kiddy needs that they DO need to be cared for by a parent, not a nanny or grandparent or creche?
I think yes.
3] If it is in the best interest of a child's to be with a parent while in early years, why not provide it, no matter if parents are artists or not? What's 4 or 5 years in the scheme of our children's foundation development?
4] At what point is it ok to allow an adults interests prevail over a child's?
Tough question. Tough answer. No answer, really. But I'll put my head on the chopper and say that putting kids needs first, when they're weenie is imperative.
5] At what age should a child be expected to understand time and space; ie, mummy will be HERE in 2 DAYS from NOW. Why can't we see them panic when we tell them that they have to get-it?
6] Who is footing the financial bill for arts practice, because there inevitably is a bill to pay?
I believe that if you can't support yourself, then no-one should support you because if you are being supported, overly, then when the time comes for you to cough up and do your thing to be the supporter, which is inevitable, we as artists often fall short of a basic moral obligation: receive AND give, in descent proportions. People think that artists are selfish because they simply see them taking more than they give ... and I see this also.
7] Who is paying the emotional bill for the workaholic accountant father?
The same person as the over worked and underpayed artist mother: the kids.
8] How is success in the arts defined?
Surely success in the arts is not different to anywhere else in life, success is measured by a little bit cash, a little bit happiness, and little bit family life, relationships, health etc?
9] Is financial and emotional dependence from the mother artist upon others ok, so that they can make art? Doesn't this just make the mother artist an irresponsible moochatatrian, not unlike a child?
10] Is the conflicting emotional bind coming from mother artists because they share needs that are fueled by imperatives not so dissimilar to how children need?
11] Is the conflict not mother-artist and child, rather mother's inner child competing with her actual outer child?
Rodger over and out,
D
Phew! Jeez. Yes, these are big questions. Will have a crack at responding on my blog (that ok with you?) as I'd be really keen to know what other women feel about these questions/dilemmas too. Might take a bit of thinking time first. Thanks for taking the time to pose those thoughts, though--I really appreciate it, and I think they're important questions--for all artists, not just mothers.
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