Linda Strever
POETRY . FICTION . NONFICTION
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Distant Voices

9/15/2013

5 Comments

 
Picture
Kari in the 1940's
Picture
My great-grandparents
Picture
My memorial for Kari

I met my cousin Kari when I traveled to Norway to do research for my newly-released collection, Against My Dreams, poems written in my grandmother's voice. Kari's mother and my grandmother were sisters.

During the weeks I spent with her, Kari drove me all over the countryside to show me the farms where my ancestors lived and to share cultural museums and other relevant sites. She made a photo album and written history of my family for me. She fed me, listened to me, told me stories, gave me space to wander and write.

Kari died this spring while I was working on publication of this book. But I can still hear her earnest voice that day in her apartment when she pulled me into the hallway to show me a photo of my great-grandparents. 

"One day before you came, I walked by this picture and I heard their voices," Kari said in her lilting English. "They told me to be good to you, because you are the one who cares, the one who will tell the story." 
5 Comments
Brenda Kaulback
9/15/2013 05:38:34 am

No way! OMG. Terrific. Tears in my eyes.

Reply
Rosalie desGroseilliers
9/15/2013 09:59:52 am

Just having met you and after one delightful conversation, I knew you cared...am anxiously awaiting my signed copy of your book...your writing resonates with me...thank you!

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Lee
9/18/2013 06:44:39 pm

Amazing, that moment in the hall is a beautiful memory of her. Kari resembles you, too. What a grace that you got to know eachother. I'm so looking forward to your reading next week.

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bari
2/28/2014 02:15:36 am

so beautiful - I too had Norwegian grandparents - our grandmother lived with our family 1/3 of her time while I was growing up as my grandfather died in an accident in his early 60's. I treasured my time with my grandmother - she taught me to knit and make limpa bread which we shared with gye-ost? cheese on it every afternoon.
As a child, I thought everyone had a loving grandmother (actually I had two) and Clara lived to be 94 and my other one 99 -
and then I found out that is not true -but that I was particularly blessed. My mother and I went to Norway when I was 17 and we were able to connect with the aunt (who was 94 at the time) who brought my grandmother over on the boat to N.Y. cith when she was 18 and met my grandfather there. They were from neighboring cities in Norway but had not met til N.Y.

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cecilie elisabeth knutsen
12/6/2015 03:55:00 pm

Hi Linda. Sending you lots of love from your family in Norway. Kari was a good woman who is deeply missed. I am grand daughter of Gudrun who is Kari's sister.

I wish you and your family well.

Cecilie

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    My poetry, fiction
    and nonfiction give voice to the capacity
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Linda Strever
Olympia, WA
linda@lindastrever.com

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