Showing posts with label John Glassie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Glassie. Show all posts

Sunday, February 8, 2015

wiped out

so that must be it, when your computer decides what you were writing isn't actually worth it...
was writing my rarely-written blog, saying about how much was going on and on and on, talking about my seminar in translation/adaptation and what we are reading, and what I was reading on the side like John Glassie's really fascinating book called A Man of Misconceptions: the life of an eccentric in an age of change which I am quoting a lot, particularly about Queen Christina, who knew about her makeup and wig and everything really greatly creepy and will sneak it all into my Pascal book i am having such fun writing when i get to it -- after preparing this college art association thing next week on "Casting a Talismanic Spell," such fun -- and it all got smithereened out, but at least it isn't that "revenge envelope" i read about today, how you send someone an envelope and out come lots of sticky pieces, ooof

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

middle of night things

What a joy is a middle of night rising: this time, I had some of that cloudy sake and those seaweed thinner than thin crunchy wafers -- these with brown sugar taste -- that melt instantly on your tongue, like the Japanese flowers that blossom instantly in the water. Very Proust. Trying to translate Yves Bonnefoy's writing on his wander through the Louvre in something of his style --how I wish I could. Having tried over the years with various of his superbly elusive poems and writings on art, this time I'd like it to work.
Of course, life keeps seeping in: recommendations here and there, readings of chapters in dissertations, reviewing books you think should be noticed, or swatting through a book you were excited about, and then it got long. Alas, this happened with How to Live, the one about Montaigne, wonderfully conceived, but exuding length, and most recently, with A Man of Misconceptions, about the incredible Athanasius Kircher.  Incredible he was, but it doesn't have the holding power that we all wish our writings and musings would have.. A feeble wish, but a real one.