Black Swans by Eve Babitz
First, I'd like to say that I honestly cannot believe I haven't crossed paths with an Eve Babitz. Where has she been all my life? When Counterpoint Press sent me a copy of the reissue of Black Swans, I was excited but went in blind in regards to her writing. Reading Black Swans was similar to the reading experiences I have when finishing a Joan Didion book. GIVE ME ALL THE DIDION. I felt the same after closing Black Swans. I immediately hopped on my computer to research Eve Babitz and her other titles.
There is something remarkable about reading a collection of essays like the ones in Black Swans. I felt like a tag along friend of Eve's throughout my reading, as if I was riding along in the car with her. Her writing creates such an easy atmosphere of wit and honesty, almost like a chat with a girlfriend you haven't seen in a while....you pick up right where you left off and there is so much to share. Black Swans didn't lose me in a lot of political depth or name dropping, it carried me through the stories with a sense of familiarity. By the end, I almost felt like Eve and I were friends, ya know? She had shared these moments with me and they felt so personal. Something only a truly memorable author can do.
One of my favorite stories was Expensive Regrets, where Eve writes about a weekend with an Italian write in such a slow and mesmerizing way. I think I had officially fallen in love with the book at that point.
If you are interested in reading Black Swans, you can find it here. Thanks again Counterpoint Press for my copy! I am an Eve Babitz fan for life now.
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