Think of The Position of Spoons, by two-time Man Booker Prize finalist Deborah Levy, as a crash course in the best female authors and artists of the past century. Featuring themes of gender, consumerism, mortality and language, this collection of short stories, letters, poems and essays creates a captivating portrait, and provides deep insights into the life and mind of one of the most admired writers in the UK today.
Exploring the experiences of women in the 21st century and “what it takes for women to own their own talent without hurting the feelings of the men in their lives…”, Levy shares intimate thoughts about the literary and artistic muses who have influenced and shaped her through the decades, from her childhood in South Africa to present day UK.
Levy does include a number of males, such as English novelist J G Ballard and Italian film director Federico Fellini, along with several references to Sigmund Freud’s theories, but it’s clear that great female writers and artists have played pivotal roles in guiding her life and work.
The lives and work of creatives are put in the spotlight thanks to Levy’s sharp observations and prose. The book covers an eclectic array: writers Colette, Violette Leduc, Marguerite Duras, Elizabeth Hardwick, photographers Lee Miller and Francesca Woodman, and artists Paula Rego and Francis Upritchard.
In her poem, ‘X = Freedom, A poem for Meret Oppenheim’ Levy writes, “We have to look outwards/At the view/And then inward to find a point of view/ Every day/ In every century/ It’s a long view” and this is exactly what The Position of Spoons does. By examining the lives and works of her predecessors and peers, Levy constructs and shares a striking point of view and voice that is uniquely her own and of this time, but is also a culmination of the past and a beacon for future generations.
Turning further inward in some of the more personal essays, Levy provides vivid and humorous accounts of her younger years with a piece about her favourite shoes and “sockless people”, a dream-like ‘Alice down the rabbit hole’ inspired tale about finding her place in London, as well as memories of an eccentric older neighbour, to name a few.
Fans of Levy’s work and aspiring writers will delight in the insights of ‘The Psychopathology of a Writing Life’ towards the end of the book, where Levy shares advice about looking at the world, thinking and writing, suggesting that one must “lose as much fear as possible when it comes to writing, because that’s the only way to be open enough to make something new”.
And in Levy’s world, the humble lemons on her kitchen table become worthy subjects of art, city gardens act like punctuation marks and you can even have a conversation with the Mona Lisa because “all thoughts can be bent like a spoon”.
Read: Book review: Saltwater Cure: True stories of the transformative power of the ocean, Ali Gripper
Written in Levy’s precise and pointed style, The Position of Spoons is an easy and enjoyable read that will likely be the catalyst to discover a whole raft of books, films and art you may not have otherwise sought out – like getting a personal recommendation from the author herself!
The Position of Spoons, Deborah Levy
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 240 pages
Publication: 19 November 2024
RRP: $45
