Archive for May, 2007

Take a break. Watch art.

Women. Art. Women in art. 500 years of female portraits in Western art. Take a break. Make a cup of tea. Watch, listen, enjoy. Just because you can?

In celebration of the real meaning of Memorial Day in the U.S., an 1876 flag with 38 stars that we hang on our porch for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July and other days when the happy spirit of patriotism strikes. It is easy in our hip, intellectual, urbane world–the one in which we read Proust and bake spelt…
Read the rest…

Oh, my

Just imagine. Let’s all go.There are moments when the whole system of patronage makes such sense – those fantastic wacky Medicis who supported artists (my buddy Uccello for one) and writers – their largesse would allow us all to journey to Key West to sit fawning like a teenager at the feet of learn from Billy.

Pirates, and now poets

We’ve hit the lottery here at 37days this week. First, actors playing pirates playing rock stars playing pirates. And now poets. Thanks to Sally for emailing to let me know that my beautiful Billy is on Prairie Home Companion today. The moon must be in alignment with something.

Eat breakfast on a lake

“A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”- Henry David Thoreau “Let’s grab a cup of coffee sometime soon,” I emailed. “Sounds good,” Brooks emailed back. “It’s supposed to be a beautiful day on Wednesday – how about going out on Beaver…
Read the rest…

Pirates, tonight

Ahoy there, matey. I’m just sayin‘. As I might have said before, once or twice or thirty eleven hundred times. It’s a swashbucklin’ kind o’ day. Aaarrrrr.

A lanyard for Mama on Mother’s Day

I made two memorable gifts for Mama in my childhood. One was an Ivory dish detergent bottle with the top cut off, made into a vase, and colored with markers to look like stained glass (do you remember it, Mama? Is it in my annex in the attic along with every book report I ever wrote and the tiny sequined…
Read the rest…

Lightning, twice

Willie Tyler once said, "The reason lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place is that the same place isn’t there the second time."So while it seems like a second lightning strike in the same place – the fact that my teacher, friend, teacher/friend Sebastian Matthews appears again today on Writer’s Almanac just a week later than the first time…
Read the rest…

Remember Daddy

Twenty-seven years ago today, Daddy died. It was a death too young, at 53. As I move each day closer to that age, I realize with increasing clarity just how young it really was. Besides the loss, obvious though that is to any of us who have suffered the death of someone we love, the worse thing about someone so…
Read the rest…

Books make lovely companions

“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”- Desiderius Erasmus In an effort to fund my addiction to Nutella, Mango Chutney Papadums, the books of Billy Collins and Richard Powers, Revolution Lavender Earl Grey tea, Naot Monterey sandals, a little Tracy Chapman, the silly fact that Emma wants…
Read the rest…