Welcome to Patti Marxsen's Website
and to the world of
Karen Blixen
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A Few Reviews ...
In this thorough and insightful re-evaluation of Blixen and the afterlife of "Out of Africa," Marxsen introduces the author to a new generation of potential readers. Her enthusiasm for Blixen—balanced by judicious critique—makes for a highly readable as well as informative account of the Danish writer and her poignant memoir of colonial Kenya. —Simon Lewis, author of White Women Writers and Their African Invention
As Blixen deployed her selective memory and fervent, rebellious mind, she composed a myth of tenuous belonging that reveals as much about herself as about Africa. Those seeking a nuanced and fair reading of "Out of Africa"—one that confronts difficult political questions while honoring the evocative, feminist brilliance of its author—will find it in Marxsen’s singular analysis.—Janet McIntosh, author of Unsettled: Denial and Belonging Among White Kenyans
Marxsen’s excellent book on the making of Out of Africa reveals Blixen’s contradictory perspectives on topics such as colonialism, feminism, and racism. In so doing, Marxsen explores how the inclusion / exclusion arrangement and emphasis inherent in memoir writing underscore the complexities of Blixen’s character. In the end, the reader develops a deep admiration for Marxsen’s remarkable subject.”—Norman McMillan, author of Distant Son: An Alabama Boyhood
From the Life & Times of Karen Blixen
We were not observers, as children today seem to be from birth of their own accord; and not utilizers, as they are brought up to be; we were creators.
Karen Blixen, On Mottoes of My Life