“Inside Out: Reflections on a Life So Far”
by Evelyn Lau
Published: March 2001
ISBN: 038525928X

(Updated: December 7, 2004.)

On looking over the list of books I have recently read, I see that there is sort of a "flow" in my choices even though — stretched far — common threads, singular connecting threads can be found everywhere. Between my last book and this one, I find myself moving from tongue-in-cheek "confessions" to personal journaling. The former is a work of fiction meant to be funnily entertaining. The latter is neither of these things.

Having read Evelyn’s Lau’s first book, Runaway: Diary of a Street Kid, on seeing this "next" recounting, I picked it up. I like to "know" people. I like to "know" how they continue/d to move through their lives. I believe that we have much to learn from each other. (Even in our ways of approaching entertainingly funny.)

And, as arbitrary as our starting points seem to be, as different our circumstances appear, I continue to believe that it is but for a small shift sideways that our lives are as they are. And, I suppose, I like to see what the samenesses and the differences are. Usually there are plenty of both.

A society at war is one thing. A society at peace is another. And why is it that within a society of privilege — where physical survival is not “on average” the main focus of the day; where supportive, love rather than fear-filled contexts are possible; where we potentially have choices in front of us daily that we could actually value — there are still such extremes? Why is it that within this we seem to mimic the war versus peace scenario but at, now, smaller scale although definitely not less significant levels?

For these matters of magnification, where rather than looking at the whole the view is from the deepest vantage point of “a part”, the fact is that “average” rarely equates to a mean of homogenous experience. On diving in deeper the subtleties of the next layer of sameness and difference can be seen. And none of us truly is “average”. And none of us is so far apart as it might appear on the surface.

In this light, I found Evelyn Lau’s view into her own life in her first book what? Wise? Smart? As open as one can be with oneself? Yes. All of that. And… Evelyn Lau writes beautifully. Well, it’s actually not “just” that. Evelyn Lau thinks and feels “beautifully” and she manages to articulate this magnicficently. So, although I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to this work — inside out is never “easy” — I did look forward to getting to know this person more. And… ultimately I was wrong to not look forward to the content itself.

In this book I found a collection of essays that truly are reflections from the inside out. Evelyn Lau has an amazing ability to intertwine thoughts, feelings, actions and time in a way that permits an intimate view into another “being”. A very generous and talented "sharing".

My "couldn’t wait to get back to it" rating… 3 out of 5 hearts.