I realized in the middle of the night that everything I had imagined about the plot structure of Three Sisters was insufficient unto the task. I had assumed I could move from one sister's narrative to another, forming discreet and somewhat separate interludes. But, I realized as I turned over on the pillow that If […]
A Middle of the Night Meeting With the Commedia Read More »
As I am participating in a scary-supernatural book reading event, I thought I would lead off with this older but excellent novel, Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo — which I have now re-read for the third time because it never fails to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. This is
The Dreaming Dead: Juan Rulfo Read More »
The tricks and treating are over (well, except for that candy migraine hangover and the bag of little wrapped chocolates hidden in the kitchen pantry for later must-have-sweeties-emergencies) and now we honor the saints. As a Catholic, it’s true, I talk to the saints all the time. I ask for help, courage, prayers for friends
I have been madly in love with the recent offerings of hedgehog marginalia from Medieval Animal Data Network. These adorable looking creatures, are often rendered in the rich golden and red hues of fall, and harvesting grapes (despoiling the vineyards) using their spines like cocktail toothpicks. But most wonderful of all…a group of artists got
In Praise of the Hedgehog Read More »
Happy 100th birthday to the great Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. "My birthday began with the water–Birds and the birds of the winged trees crying my nameAbove the farms and the white horsesAnd I rosein rainy autumnAnd walked abroad in a shower of all my days… Read the entire poem "Poem in October" (1945) here. Or
“And I Rose in a Rainy Autumn” Read More »
It’s been one of those months…distracting and demanding. So I am here now, trying to make up for all my lost time. I have a lot to say about these days…but am still wading through the need to get more done here and there. So here…a collection from my pinterest account of gorgeous foxes —
Among the many letters I have been archiving from my great, great grandparents in Valley City, North Dakota was this unusual gem. A quick postcard from Hilda (which at that time, judging by the hundreds of postcards I have was the early 20th century version of a paper tweet) alerting my great grandmother that she
A Quick Postcard from the State Hospital for Insane. Read More »
I was so very sad to learn that Scottish folksinger Jean Redpath has died, August 21, 2014 — here in Arizona at a hospice. She was easily the most powerful voice of my childhood — and her album "Skippin' Barfit Through the Heather" with its achingly beautiful traditional Scottish songs, and her gorgeous voice, slow and
A Sad Farewell To Jean Redpath Read More »
It’s been a helluva a month or so working through the events following my mother’s death. It hasn’t been horrible — just time consuming as we work through the details. My mother went out like a rock star — on a farewell tour. Her ashes were collected and there was first an event in Toronto
Not Gone…Just Working On Life Stuff Read More »
A little indulgence here — as I go through the family photos (there are a lot of them, expect to see them over the coming months — this is a novel slowly unfolding). I was struck how much alike were these two "glamour" head shots — the first of my mother at about 20 (maybe
