A Momentary Taste of Being

A Week in Boston--and it appears I am in luck.  The Isabel Stewart Gardner museum has extended hours on the third Thursday of each Month, so I may be able to get there this trip.  We're heading out for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts after work this evening.

No, I'm not starting my caroling in July; however, it seemed appropriate for the news I'm about to share:  recently I received word that a collaborative novel we had been shopping around for some time has sold and should be published about the middle of next year.  Needless to say, I am utterly delighted having long relegated this novel to the ranks of those that would be published upon the advent of my next, more successful endeavor!

Little posting--vacationing in one of the loveliest areas of the Eastern Seaboard--the Shendandoah valley about 15 miles from Harper's Ferry.  But two books reviewed--perhaps in a moment.

One often sees lists of influential books and written media, but as I was thinking about it, while books have been highly influential, so have other works of art.  I present below a list of the most influential works or artists in my life: E. A. Poe H. P. Lovecraft Philip K. Dick (most particularly The Man in the High Castle , but also the amazing, Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said ) Harlan Ellison--particularly "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" and "'Repent, Harlequin,' Said the Tick-Tock Man." Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke Mendelssohn--Overture to the Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) and Incidental Music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Claude Debussy--particularly Jeux, Images, and La Mer Richard Wagner--(I suppose I should be a little ashamed of this--but I can't muster up much shame for it--splendid if often over-the-top music) Salvador Dali Rene Magritte Yves Tanguy Claude Monet Auguste Renoir Basho The Bible--but most especial...

The Wonders of Freelancing I know that as a freelancer I made more money 10-15 years ago than I make now.  But then I had to--with social security, city, state, and federal income taxes, I got to keep about 40% of what I made.  (Normally got a good amount back after all was said and done--but the penalties associated with underpayment in any quarter are draconian and I had a cautious accountant.) But this blogger certainly makes it sound like the life.

Today was a lovely Dublin day--overcast in the morning, but clearing in the afternoon to give a fine view of the Dublin Mountains crowned with low lying, but puffy white clouds.  Not much rain, and what there was came after I had walked back from the office to my hotel--just enough to make going out to dinner a little dicey without an umbrella--but as I had one, I was not in the least perturbed.  I walked around to The Pig's Ear, which is a restaurant on Nassau that I favor largely for the really excellent shepherd's pie and a Dublin confection that is simply unmatched called a gur cake.  (Look it up, it is too difficult to describe, and too delicious to do justice to in the few words I have before resuming work. Wonderful thing about Dublin, you can work an entire work day, go out to dinner, and then work your American job as well, catching up on the events of the day.) Dinner was somewhat disappointing because as I had had ground lamb en croute for lunch, I chose Salm...

Did I mention that the first time I was here, toward the end of the trip, I went out to a small theatre off Grafton Street to see Riverdance ?  I had less than zero interest in Riverdance as an experience; however, I had tremendous interest in Riverdance as a piece or reflection of Irish Culture, and where better to see it?  Well in my perambulations yesterday, I passed through the grounds of Trinity College three or four times and came to discover than on my last night in Ireland this time, there will be a performance of Samuel Beckett's "Happy Days" that I could attend (if money and stamina hold out.)  And I ask, other than visiting all of the sites of Ulysses and pondering the lack of dark on an Irish Summer night (a subject that continues to fascinate, enthrall and captivate my imagination--think--the entire "Night-town episode in what would amount to the complete dark of an average day at 2:00 pm), what could be better than Beckett in Dublin?  I'll let yo...

Once again, I find myself in Dublin for a week of work.  As a result my posts will be asynchronous, corresponding either to mid-afternoon (after work) or very early in the morning (before work).  As today was the first day after arrival, I slept in.  I never fail to be amazed at how easily my body accommodates the change moving west to east and how difficult it is to acclimate upon returning home.  I'm already used to getting up at two in the morning my time and the week should go very, very well indeed. On my last two trips here, I spent the time tracing the tracks of Ulysses and reading it when spending off-hours from work.  I also worked all of the major religious and historical attractions and many of the museums.  So far this trip I was able to take in the Irish National Art Gallery (Featuring Art by a lesser known, but very fine Irish artist--Jack Yeats) the Irish Natural History Museum--a kind of interesting museum of museums--the exhibitions resem...

We go to celebrate--at Sea World and then with a tea-party at one of his favorite places of eat.  He'll be able to sit in "special seating" area and drink from the Alice in Wonderland Tea Set.  But first he must try to get Daddy to ride Manta with him.

A friend from work just walked in a gave me a wonderful gift.  So, now on my bulletin board, with St. John of the Cross, and a list of seventeen evidences of a lack of humility, and a calendar showing tropical island vistas is a photograph of William Faulkner's house in Oxford Mississippi--Roanoke. I am blessed to have such worktime friends who think of me and bring small tokens.  I am blessed also to be so delighted in such a gift.  This has really made my day!

A novelty for me, not for Boston.  In my touring Sunday, I passed by a statue of Benjamin Franklin that stands about a hundred feet away from the sidewalk plaque that celebrates the first American Public school.  I walked back to look at it and as I was exiting the fenced in area, I saw a statue of a donkey.  Now, this was odd.  I knew of the bull on/near Wall Street, but this donkey had no apparent explanation.  Walking closer I looked for an explanatory plaque.  I saw embedded in the pavement the object I sought, or so I thought.  Looking at it, it took me a moment to decipher what I saw.  There were two shoe-prints in each of which was the drawing of an elephant and at the base of this plaque, behind one if one were to stand in the shoes was the inscription--Stand in Opposition.  I realized what it was, but still didn't know why it might be there.  Then it occurred to me (and I would have to find the dates of the statue to affirm) b...

Plaques in the Old North Church Major John Pitcairn fatally wounded while rallying the Royal Marines at the Battle of Bunker Hill was carried from the field to the boats on the back of his son who kissed him and returned to duty. He died June 17, 1775 and his body was interred beneath this church In memory of The Revd Mather Byles Jr. DD. Rector of this Parish 1768-1775 and of the Parish of St. John 1788-1814. Loyal to the King he was banished by the act of 1778 " to suffer death without benefit of clergy " if he should return Plaque in the Holocaust Memorial Park April 12, 1945 OHRDRUF concentration camp THE THINGS I SAW beggar description. The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were so overpowering as to leave me a bit sick. . .  I made the visit deliberately in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things, if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to propag...

Okay, one final Boston post.  Over the past two days I've been able to get into Boston enough to partake of two of my favorite Bostonian treats (other than cannoli) fresh clams (fried) and scrod (baked).  Why you need to know that, I don't know.  But what trip is complete without a menu? Oh, and each eaten in a Boston eatery of some vintage--The Union Oyster House and Durgin-Park Market Dining Rooms.  Both wonderful meals and not exorbitant  (for lunch at any rate).

So, I did as I said I would and took the train down to Quincy and toured the three houses that part of the Adams National Historical Park.  There are two "birthplace homes" on a small lot, representing the early life of John Adams, and the much more stately Peacefield, a true mansion of a house, though considerably bigger now than it was after Abigail Adams's additions.  The family continued to add to it through time resulting in a truly magnificent house.  Of interest to me were three points.  Being more acquainted with Southern Colonial residences, I was surprised to find the kitchens and the cooking areas within the main house. In most of the Southern House I've been in it is a separate building with a "butler's pantry" built into the house to serve as a warming station for food brought in from the kitchen.  The second point that impressed me is that nearly every room in the houses had a closet or storage space.  Again, in southern houses because th...

I love Boston--or at least the parts of Boston I've been able to see from the Back Bay to Charlestown.  Yesterday, I went down and walked most of the Freedom trail, stopping only at the Old North Church while cheerfully munching a cannoli from Mike's--a place so famous that you can order their cannoli kit online.  This was after a lunch at the Union Oyster House and stopping by the Market and picking up a half-pound of marinated olives to munch on along the way.  Today I've decided to chance Quincy, although the sky is fearfully overcast and it doesn't bode well for extended sightseeing.  This may be the one and only chance and while in the area I want to take advantage of it.  If I do so, I will have visited the residences of the first six presidents of the United States.  Not that I'm trying to "do" all the President's homes, but Adams has been of interest to me since I first saw the musical 1776 at Lincoln Center in the seventh grade (or thereabo...

And I'm thinking one in particular--I'll be spending a week in Waltham starting on Monday.  Don't know how blogging will go.

It is horrifying to admit to any duplicate books in a collection other than study copies and pristine copies, or personal copies and loaner copies.  However, I have discovered the following duplicates in my library and it does say something about me and the library I keep: Daisy Miller , Washington Square, Portrait of a Lady, Mrs. Dalloway's Party, Kew Gardens, (oh, here's a mortifying one) Flush, The Sea and Poison, Kokoro, Some Prefer Nettles (this is explained by the fact that my original is falling to pieces). And that's only the start, I'm afraid.  I think I shall leave off plowing through the newly opened room for the evening to give myself respite and breathing space to recover from a surfeit of nearly everything.

A trip to Dublin, even when it entrails extremely long work days (after all, you work your Dublin day and then there are still five to seven hours left that your American colleagues are demanding your attention) is always a pleasure.  For one thing, the Irish seem to take enormous pride in their writers, artists, scientists, politicians.  If you walk by the houses in the Georgian area of town (I'm acquainted with those in the southwest part of town), you'll see plaques for the houses of A.E., Yeats, Jack Yeats, Oscar Wilde (birthplace and childhood home), Oscar Wilde's father (whose name slips my mind) and on and on and on.  It's wonderful.  I walked along the Canal and could take a seat by Pat Kavanaugh (a little chilly, I did not avail myself of the opportunity.) Ulysses plaques scatter the pavement along O'Connell, Westmoreland, Grafton, and Kildare streets (perhaps elsewhere, I didn't find all fourteen that are reputed to be there.) North of the Liffey on a...

Okay,  I'm sure I've thrilled you with the tales of the James Joyce plaques.  I discovered two more today and didn't discover one that I thought would certainly be there.  One was right in the center of western sidewalk of Westmoreland Street just north of the hotel I'm staying at.  The other was in front of the National Museum on Kildare street.  I was disconcerted to note that I found nothing for the National Library.  Given that one of the major episodes of Ulysses takes place within the Library, I was surprised to find no plaque.  Tomorrow I will visit the National Maternity Hospital to photograph it and whatever associated plaque there may be.  I hope to publish a sort of compendium/guide to some of these markers.  (I am more convinced than ever that I have missed more than I found.)  Oh, and today I had a glimpse in the distance of Howth (pronounced Hoath) Hill.  That's for you fans of Finnegans Wake (. . . brings us by a co...

My 11 year old son loves books.  We went into a Barnes and Noble that was having their classics collection on sale 3 for 2.  We picked up a Jane Eyre for school and he chose an Aesop's Fables .  Well there, we had two, so we may as well get the free one.  He latched on to a copy of The Metamorphosis and Other Stories.  His mother tried to dissuade him, but I said, "If he thinks it sounds interesting, where's the harm."  Recalling the summer experience with some books that were a trifle advanced, I further opined inwardly ("It isn't as though he's actually going to read it.") Well what a surprise came in e-mail today when Linda wrote to tell me that he had finished the book and delivered an oral report.  The chief result of which was the question, "Would you still love me if I turned into a giant cockroach." Lady-of-the-House reassured him that it would be so, though hugs and kisses might be in shorter supply--which he readily acknowledge...