A Simple Tapestry
by
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. . .We are weavers all, with every hour of every day spent busily intertwining our conscious experiences - and at night our dreams - with that complex entity we call our inner selves. And thus, strand by strand, we create the tapestries of our lives. To memorialize the high and the mighty, tapestries were created by artists and became beautifully fashioned portrayals of heroic deeds at which mortals today gaze in wonderment. These artworks were intended as historical records - sometimes as historical boasts - to be viewed by posterity; in this way the subject of the work hoped to insure his immortality. In the old tradition the artist-weaver, having been commissioned to create such a work, drew his preliminary sketches, called 'cartoons.' Then, instead of looking directly at his drawing, he placed it behind him and worked from a reflection, as in a rear-view mirror. My tapestry creates a record of a different kind: the triumph of an everyday life. The chronicle is uniquely personal and goes back many decades, yet it resonates with the experience of innumerable women today, women who have faced, or are facing, what confronted me so long ago: a crumbling marriage, a crushed soul, and the need to find some way to sustain myself through a dark and uncertain future. Socrates said, 'The unexamined life is not worth living.' And so, on the threshold of my eighty-sixth year, I venture to examine my life, to unveil my tapestry, not as a work of art, but as a work of life. . . . EMPATHY Have we met before? Have I seen your face? (Though not in the known geography of time and place.) Do I know your name? Did our paths once cross? Did we come face to face at the abyss of human loss? What do I see in you that strikes a spark? Did we brush shoulders once, in passing, in the dark? Why do I feel I know you? What kinship do I see? And why do I think the pain you mirror Mirrors me?
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About the Book
'A Simple Tapestry,' is the candid and beautifully crafted memoir of author, teacher and poet Beatrice Eldrage - a modest and intelligent wife and mother. After a marriage of almost 20 years, she suddenly realizes she's been betrayed by her husband, a talented novelist who has secretly become addicted to shallow deceptions and romantic entanglements with other women, thanks to his increasing celebrity and literary acclaim.
With extraordinary sensitivity, Ms. Eldrage details the emotional episodes that lead to her inevitable decision to separate from her husband, and soon afterwards divorce him. Thus, 'A Simple Tapestry' becomes the revealing and heart-rending narrative of an emerging, though less well known pioneer feminist, embarking on a voyage of disappointment, recovery and radiant self-discovery. Her story occurs a generation before the women's movement would become recognized and accepted. It is Ms. Eldrage's inner strength, plus the support of family and a few wise, trusted friends, that finally enable her to emerge triumphant from the tragic breakdown of her marriage.
Utilizing an ingenious journal motif that skillfully blends her personal recollections with intimate letters of self-insight to a former professor, along with a generous selection of Ms. Eldrage's beautiful original poetry, 'A Simple Tapestry' is a very unusual, and ultimately joyous affirmation of the spirit. The reader cannot help but feel profoundly exhilarated by Beatrice Eldrage's remarkable, courageous story, her gentle wisdom, and her unique knowledge of the human heart.
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(The cover-art tapestry, 'IMAGES OF ME, WOMAN', was designed and woven by artist M.L. HIGGINS.)
About the Author
A graduate of Hunter College, City University of New York, with BA, (history), and MA (comparative literature) degrees, Beatrice Eldrage began a mid-life 'second career' in education, with special emphasis on the development of innovative reading skills and the teaching of economically disadvantaged elementary school children.
Working in both hubs of the U.S. educational system, she labored 10 years each in the New York and Los Angeles public school systems. During her 20-plus year career, Ms. Eldrage's many achievements were acclaimed with numerous awards and citations for her unique, original plays, poetry, and child-centered publications with which she was able to enrich the lives of her students, as she inspired and improved their abilities. Though now retired, she continues to write, read, and travel, especially enjoying the time she spends with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Beatrice Eldrage is a 'pen name' the author has used to protect the privacy of family and friends.