Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

The story from Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer that I chose to read and write about was called “Every Tongue Shall Confess”. This story was about a nurse named Clareese who happened to be a very devout Christian who is disgruntled with her life and her Pastor. She attempts to do god’s will by trying to save patients. ZZ Packer tells this story in a very interesting way. Packer tells the story through a third person narrative through the nurse Clareese. Packer uses quotes when other characters in the story are speaking and when Clareese is speaking to other characters. For example, when Clareese is speaking to a patient Packer uses quotes for what the patient says and then on what Clareese says to the patient. However, Packer does not use any quotes for when she is describing what Clareese is thinking. Packer also uses lots of anecdotes throughout the story. Packer frequently has Clareese think back on events in the past while she is in her current setting. For example, the main setting for story is in a church and while Clareese is in the Church she is thinking of past events that occurred before she got there. Packer also uses a great deal of description to describe scenes. For example, Packer writes “men like Deacon Julian Jeffers, now setting in the first row of pews, closet to the altar, right under the leafy top of a corn plant she’d brought in to make the sanctuary more homey”. This describes the scene perfectly and is only one example of ZZ Packer’s great writing style.