Muriel Spark and Green Dresses

"My mother was full of superstitions and presentiments. She wouldn't wear green. But I knew this was mad from the evidence of perfectly happy people I saw wearing green."

--Muriel Spark, Curriculum Vitae

"Elegance appealed to [Muriel Spark]. She said she got inspiration from women's magazines, and when a journalist from the Daily Telegraph interviewed her in 1970, she wore "a 'flowing green dress' and insisted they 'drink Creme de Menthe to match it.'"

--From a review of a Spark biography

"She wore a grey-green dress which picked up the colour of the six Somerville eyes; her sleeves were wide, with a mediaeval look."

--From Loitering with Intent

"This enabled me to wash and repair my shabby green dress, and the change of dress in a way contributed to my peace of mind."

--From Robinson

"The salesgirl shouts at the customer, who, up to now, has been delighted with the bright coloured dress. It is patterned with green and purple squares on a white background, with blue spots within the green squares, cyclamen spots within the purple."

--From The Driver's Seat


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