Out on the Porch

As a lover of porches and vintage porch furniture, the title, Out on the Porch, caught my eye immediately. I use this phrase a lot in my everyday life. I am often out on the porch or telling someone I am going out on the porch. I have enjoyed this charming book again and again. It is a compilation of photographs of porches of every possible description from the lowliest to the most grand, together with excerpts from southern writers who have incorporated their fond and vivid recollections of porches into their work. It is a testament to my belief that there truly is something universal and special about sitting on a porch. Going out on the porch for me is a mini mini vacation. I leave behind the shoulds and have-tos of the interior and reacquaint myself with the sights and sounds of nature, if only for a moment. Sitting on my cushioned vintage glider out on the porch changes my perspective, like a smile. I believe people are more willing to stay put and talk out on a porch…or sometimes just to stay put and be…alone or together. One of my favorite authors, James Agee, says of his family in his novel,  A Death in the Family, “They are not talking much, and the talk is quiet, of nothing in particular, of nothing at all in particular, of nothing at all”.  If you take your time and listen to the words in Out on the Porch, you will find yourself momentarily transported to some porch you’ve known somewhere in time. If you click my Books section and go to The American Porch, you can personally enjoy these wonderful photos and beautifully crafted words honoring the American porch.