February 12 - "Frank Lloyd Wright"

“Frank Llyod Wright”
by Deb Olin Unferth
Minor Robberies (2007)

* * * (Good) Essay

The life of architectural genius, Frank Lloyd Wright, in about a page and a half.

(And the sad thing is he did more in that page and a half than most people, myself included, could do in two lifetimes.)

This essay was like reading a scribbling 5th grader’s biography of Frank Llyod Wright. But, I think that was the point. At first, not knowing much about Wright, I wasn’t sure – couldn’t believe – that the events told in the tale were true. It was only after a bit of research upon completion of the essay that I found the fantastic to be, well, factual. Multiple wives and axe-murdering servants and fires, flameouts, and fights – this man was the rock star of the architectural world. Unferth almost has to write this story as a 5th grader would – filled with wonder and awe. This stylistic approach gives the story a unique rhythm and flow. The only problem was that at points, the sentences became a bit too confusing in their intentional lack of skill. I do not mind re-reading sentences, but I do so only to enjoy their greatness once again, not because they lack clarity.