LiteraryTraveler.net

Courtsey of Gina Gagliano, First Second Books

When I picked up To Timbuktu, written by Casey Scieszka and illustrations by Steven Weinberg, I wasn’t so sure.  I mean, I can be a bit of a literary snob … yet at the same time, I like fun books with a unique twist.  Sometimes it’s good to relax your brain.  But what To Timbuktu offered was a book with heart, comedy and some pretty cool cartooning.  Definitely not the brain relaxer I had set myself up for–don’t let the accompanying cartoons fool you.  Instead, I was transported into my past as a young woman who studied abroad in the Caribbean and as a Peace Corps volunteer in Eastern Europe.  I kept saying to myself throughout the whole book, “They have it right!”

Allow me to explain.  The premise of To Timbuktu is the author and artist, Casey and Steven, are a young couple in a budding relationship.  Fresh out of prestigious colleges, they decide to explore nine countries throughout Asia and Africa together–even though they’ve been involved in an opposite coast, long distance relationship (she in California and he in Maine).  Yet they take the risk.  They teach in China.  They travel throughout Southeast Asia.  They live in Mali–all the while, finding themselves as individuals and as a couple.

The part that drew me in was the honest portrayal of living abroad in second and third world countries.  No, it’s not all sunshine and roses.  You certainly can’t change most things, as much as you want and as much as it makes sense.  And for your sanity, you do need to take a break from your surroundings once in a while.  Casey and Steven accurately depict what it is to be a first world foreigner amongst the natives, especially when they live in Mali for a year for Casey’s Fulbright Scholarship.

It throws us back into our ever-returning identity dilemma–are we long-term tourists?  Temporary residents?  Honorary locals?

Yes, what are they?  Casey and Steven leave that up to the reader to decide.  There’s also an element of could you survive this experience?  The couple comes across as VERY patient, even braving the obnoxious behavior of fellow American Chris, who invites himself on their vacation.  China seems like a cakewalk compared to Mali where they are taunted and viewed as “human ATMs.”

Despite all the brutal honesty, their story is fun and funny.  I thought it brilliant how Casey “interviews” each country and how Steven seems loved by all for his tall, skinny whiteness wherever he goes.  The couple shows a sense of humor too–from collecting Chinese Ethnic Minority Trading Cards to letting their students give themselves American names such as “Dad” and “Mummy Vista.”  And you come to love the people who love Casey and Steven, who coincidentally all have names that start with the letter M … Mabo, Moussa, Maria.  What’s up with that?

Steven’s artistry only adds to the words as I had a clear picture in my head of what these places were actually like.  And when I looked up what Casey and Steven actually look like, the cartoons depict them accurately.

To Timbuktu is a powerful mixture of soul and sincerity combined with a topping of humor.  For anyone who has been the first world traveler in a foreign land, this book will speak to you.

To read more about and/or purchase To Timbuktu, please click here.

Peter Kubicek w/ Jackson Pollock's Autumn Rhythm / Photo by Sheva Tauby

On a sunny and warm spring day, I traveled from my Westchester home on the express bus down to New York City.  After a pleasant ride (only 38 minutes!), I arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on 85th and 5th.  The cherry blossoms in full bloom swayed with the breeze.  The emerald green of Central Park lured me as I sat on a bench, watching the joggers go round and round.  Finally, it was time to enter The Met.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but for the sake of LT honesty, I will.  After living in Brooklyn for two years and Westchester County for almost four years, this was my first time at The Met.  How shameful.  I’d even visited the Guggeheim, MoMA and The Museum of Natural History.

However, I couldn’t have chosen a better day and a better tour guide.  Peter Kubicek, subject of our latest interview, was my guide.  He earned a coveted docent position seven years ago and has been giving tours ever since.

I was first taken by the massive Auguste Rodin sculpture, The Burghers of Calais.  To me, it looked like a tribute to suffering and injustice.  The gargantuan feet of the men embedded in the earth, the nooses around their necks, the hands of despair covering the face of one man.  They all stood silently but bravely in black, robes flowing.

What struck me as we walked along was how Central Park was so well integrated with The Met.  Yes, of course, The Met is in The Park, but I expected a dark museum–like the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.  To my surprise, the windows gave way to the bright pink cherry blossoms, blue sky and cityscape.  I had the museum and the natural world.  I was having my cake and eating it too.

As the Monet and Picasso rooms were flanked by rowdy European kids on their spring vacations, we sidestepped the frenzy and opted for the serenity of the Asian world.  The Chinese Scholar’s Court had these interesting rocks, which reminded me of a cross between a volcanic rock and the elephant man.  The bizarre harshness of these structures mixed with the delicate, green plant life represented the balance–what Kubicek referred to as the “yin/yan” (or duality of opposites) the Chinese like to have in their gardens.  If only we Americans could achieve such a thing.

But perhaps my favorite of the day was the Jackson Pollock.  The painting entitled Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)–as seen in the photo above–was fitful.  As Kubicek stated, “there is no place for the eye to rest.”  This was true.  Calamity was not in Pollock’s interest.  The painting, to me, represented Pollock’s mind (perhaps alcohol-fueled mind), which seemed to never shut off.  Not until his untimely death.

My day at The Met was fun and refreshing.  It is a museum that lets the city in.  It breathes the life the people, the excitement of art and the spirit of New York.  Even though I am not a New Yorker, I almost felt like one in The Met.

Please continue reading Interview with Peter Kubicek, Author of Holocaust Memoir 1000: 1 ODDS.

To sign up for one of Peter’s tours, please see tour info.  His next scheduled tour is May 15, 2011.

Photo by Janet Halliday

Of all places to find Jane Austen, who would think The New Forest in Hampshire, England?  Writer Janet Halliday cleverly thought of this idea as she was inspired by Austen’s adventures in the nearby village of Beaulieu.  Halliday details the wildlife, plant life and springtime beauty of The New Forest in our latest article.

Literary Traveler: When is the best time to visit The New Forest i.e. spring, autumn?

Janet Halliday: All the seasons have their joys, but my special favourite is late spring/early summer; say May and June. In spring there’s the fresh green foliage, bluebells and primroses; in summer the foals are everywhere and the fabulous honey-scented heather makes the moor areas purple; and in autumn the russets and golds as the trees change colour are lovely. Winter is maybe best avoided, though, as it can be very wet and muddy.

LT: Do you think Austen’s time spent in Beaulieu had an influence on her famous works in any way?

JH: I’m no expert on Austen, but given her powers of observation I’d be surprised if some of the things she experienced on those visits didn’t end up in her works, even if the material isn’t specifically referenced to Beaulieu.

LT: Are you scared of the wild pigs of The New Forest?  We have wild boars in the US and they’re pretty big and terrifying.

JH: No. Just give them a respectfully wide berth – especially if they have piglets – and they’ll ignore you. They aren’t ‘wild pigs’, they’re domestic ones being allowed to forage, but you should adopt the same cautious attitude to them as to any large, untethered animal.

Incidentally you should never, never feed any of the ponies/cows/pigs/donkeys. It encourages them to come close to roads, to pester people, and to be less self-reliant. They are monitored by their owners and by the Verderers (people charged with the management of grazing in the forest) and if conditions mean the animals need extra feed, the owners will provide it.

Please continue onto our latest article, Ponies & Tranquility, Jane Austen’s New Forest.

By Ammon Monroe Aurand, Jr.

Yeah, I know.  I’m 11 years behind.  The novel Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult was published in the year 2000 and still continues to be successful.  However, I hadn’t gotten around to reading Picoult until this year.  I was inspired by our blogger Katie Davis’ feature article on Plain Truth.  After reading it, the intent of reading the book stayed with me.  When my mother gave me a free copy, I knew it was the perfect time to start reading.

I was curious as to why Picoult is so popular, especially with women readers.  I was also curious to see how she handled the Amish topic.  What I’ve found reading the book is Picoult did impeccable research on the Amish, detective work and the Pennsylvania court system.  I like a dark edge to my reading and Picoult brings it as she portrays the Amish as enigmatic people.  Katie, the Amish girl that’s at the center of attention, is a pious, young woman, but she also has a dark side, which makes her all the more human to us readers.

The woman protagonist, Ellie, a non-Amish woman and lawyer, is so flawed–just like the rest of us.  She’s successful in her career, thin, attractive and financially stable.  She seems to have it all.  But that’s just looking on the surface.  Underneath, just like Amish Katie, Ellie has a dark side that makes her so humanizing, she could be any of my women friends approaching 40.

And, of course, anyone who reads Picoult knows about her flawless descriptions that evoke a picture in one’s mind of exactly what is happening, but in a lovely and poetic way. In this excerpt, Picoult masterfully describes an Amish barn raising:

Mixed with the sweet, raw scent of new construction was the heavier tang of men’s sweat as they hoisted the other walls into place, secured them, and climbed the wooden rigging like monkeys to fasten the boards of the roof.

So I can say I fully understand why women love Picoult and why she’s so popular.  She creates a very human world where women can feel just like themselves.

Please continue onto The Plain Truth about Amish Country by Katie Davis.

Jane Austen's House Museum / Photo by Helen Palmer

Jane Austen arouses feelings of the provincial life in England.  The English countryside arouses feelings of home life with quiet villages and quaint cottages.  It is from this connection to English home that Austen wrote her best work.  Today, Jane Austen’s House Museum located in Chawton is open to the public.  Book-lovers of Austen’s great works can explore her humble residence and the place where she labored over characters, plot and setting.  Writer Helen Palmer has been exploring Austen’s House since 2006 as she discusses her deep connection to it in our latest Jane Austen article.  But first, Palmer answers a few extra questions:

Literary Traveler: In the article, you wrote that you’ve made many visits to Austen’s home in Chawton. Was there anything that stood out during your most recent visit?

Helen Palmer: My most recent visit to the house was memorable in that the village lay under several inches of snow, and all the trees were frosted white. This past winter was a particularly long and cold one in England – visiting the house in the big freeze gave me much more of a feeling for the harshness of life in Austen’s time. I could imagine Jane and her sister Cassandra huddled around the open fire to keep warm. Obviously it’s lovely to visit the house in the spring or summer time when everything is in bloom, but I’ve enjoyed seeing it in every season.

LT: Jane Austen continues to inspire us as writers.  Were you surprised to hear Austen was heavily edited?

HP: I was quite surprised – and fascinated to hear that NPR interview with Kathryn Sutherland at Oxford University. Like many people I had always had the image of Jane Austen sitting at her writing table with her quill, turning out perfectly polished prose. Learning that she had trouble with punctuation doesn’t change my appreciation of her as a writer though. The essence of her genius is unchanged.

LT: How does Austen continue to inspire you as a literary writer and travel writer?

HP: I think for me it’s her wit and lightness of touch that continue to inspire, both in writing and in life. It’s her gift for observation of people and their foibles that’s completely timeless.

Please continue reading our latest article: Jane Austen, A Beloved Friend in Chawton.

Robert Pattinson / Photo by Nicolas Genin

Water for Elephants was a surprise hit.  It reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list, captivating audiences with its young-old protagonist, timeless love story and circus theme.  It even has a big leading lady named Rosie, the elephant.  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen was never supposed to succeed; Gruen was rejected many times by publishers but never gave up.  She finally found a small publisher, Algonquin Books, who helped turn Gruen’s book into a huge success.

From that success, not only came a bevy of die-hard Gruen fans, but a feature-length movie based on the novel.  The lead role of Jacob goes to Robert Pattinson, more commonly known as “Edward” in the Twilight Saga movies.  The beautiful Marlena, Jacob’s love interest, is played by Reese Witherspoon.  And Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (of Inglourious Basterds fame) plays August, the villain.  The choice of Pattinson raised many eyebrows, so it will be interesting to see how he is received by audiences in the role of Jacob.

Water for Elephants hits theaters on April 22, 2011.  The book is wonderful and has a magnificent, larger-than-life presence.  We’re hoping the movie is the same.

Henry James, Library of Congress

by Katie Davis

Henry James was not a one-hit-wonder novelist. Throughout his lifetime he wrote more than 22 novels, in addition to over 100 short stories, and many essays and plays. Though not all of his works became classics, he produced such gems as The Turn of the Screw, Daisy Miller, The Portrait of a Lady, The Wings of the Dove, and The Ambassadors, the piece James considered his “most perfect work of art.”

James’ accomplishments alone suggest a passion for the novel as a literary form, but in his essay “The Art of Fiction,” James makes his feelings explicit. As most people during the late 19th Century did not consider novels to be serious, meaningful works, James strived to convince them that the novel should be viewed as “one of the fine arts” rather than a work of mere “make-believe.” Fortunately for us, James sprinkled the essay with advice on how to craft the perfect novel.  So, for all you (budding) novelists out there, listen up! Henry James has something to say:

“The only reason for the existence of a novel is that it does compete with life.”

As a true proponent of literary realism, James believed a novel should strive to portray events as authentically as possible in order to capture the texture of the human experience. To accomplish this he advocated strict attention to detail and the use of thorough description. Without an “air of reality,” James believed there was no point in writing a novel at all.

“A novel is in its broadest definition a personal impression of life.”

For James, the real did not signify the objective. He believed the novel was indeed a reflection of the author’s personal experience in the world and that a work would possess more “truth of detail” if it came out of the writer’s individual impressions. Therefore, James prescribed to the well-worn mantra “Write what you know!”

“The only obligation to which in advance we may hold a novel without incurring the accusation of being arbitrary, is that it be interesting.”

Though Henry James believed the novel to be a literary art form, he did not ignore its primary function: to entertain. So if you are stuck in a writer’s rut, don’t be afraid to have a little fun. After all, James believed that novelists should enjoy the creative freedom of writing and he urged us to “take possession of it, explore it to its utmost extent, reveal it, rejoice in it.”

Happy Birthday to Henry James b. April 15, 1843

Photo by Paul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’ve been struggling with a scene in my novel.  It’s a pivotal scene and needs memorable description.  I didn’t know where to turn for inspiration until I found an old book of literary short stories on my bookshelf.  The book hadn’t been read in a while–I could smell its age.  I opened to the table of contents and flipped through the names of writing legends: William Faulkner, Joyce Carol Oates, John Steinbeck.  For some inexplicable reason out of all these great writers, I was drawn to Eudora Welty and her classic short A Worn Path.

Let me share with you the paragraph that inspired me:

The woods were deep and still.  The sun made the pine needles almost too bright too look at, up where the wind rocked.  The cones dropped as light as feathers.  Down in the hollow was the mourning dove–it was not too late for him.

I was amazed (and still am) at how a writer can be so in scene, so in the moment.  Welty describes nature as if she’s looking right at what she’s describing.  These words are so carefully scripted and thought-out, I realized what a wordsmith she really was.  It’s not just the beauty of her descriptions, but how original they are and how Welty views nature as a sacred topic.  That’s what makes her one of the greats.

We applaud all of Eudora Welty’s literary contributions today, on her birthday April 13th.  Please continue reading our archived article entitled Eudora Welty: A Woman of Southern Charm & Dark Solitude.

Scott Turow

When you become a best-selling author who has sold more than 25 million copies of your books worldwide, you quit your day job, right?  Not Scott Turow.  The mystery-suspense novelist has had his books translated into over 25 languages, but he still works as a partner in a Chicago law firm.  Turow, born April 12, 1949, seems happy to wear both hats as writer and lawyer.  In his spare time, he contributes opinion pieces and essays to a plethora of literary magazines, including The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Playboy and The Atlantic.

Turow has been developing his other creative side: music.  He plays in the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band of bestselling authors, which includes heavy hitters such as Stephen King, Mitch Albom and Amy Tan.  Their motto is simple: “The more people drink, the better we sound.”  Even though it sounds like a comedy, the band seriously donates all their proceeds to literary causes.  They’ve raised $2 million so far, and in 2010, they played their “Wordstock” tour to support the victims of the Haitian earthquake.

Scott Turow is a man of many talents.  We celebrate his birthday today, April 12, as his new novel Innocent hits the shelves.  Happy Birthday, Mr. Turow!

Book Cover by Janet Shaw © 1986, Courtesy of American Girl

American Girl Dolls is a little girl phenomenon.  The dolls are not of my generation, so I never played with them; however, the generation after me has fond memories of American Girl.  (I’m from the Cabbage Patch Kid generation.)  I found out about the dolls last Christmas when my fiance’s little cousins were playing with them.  They showed me the books that come with each doll.  I was shocked to see that one doll, Molly, was growing up in World War II.  Kit was another doll in crisis; she watches her father lose his job during the Great Depression and she must save the family’s home.  These are pretty heavy subjects for little girls.  I remember playing in a worry-less wonderland with my vapid Barbies.

I like that these dolls have a back story and that children are encouraged to read and learn about history.  I find it even more fascinating in this world of the Wii, X-box, Internet and a thousand channels of brain-rotting TV, the dolls seem to be thriving.  Writer Katy Kelleher reminisces about her childhood with her American Girl Doll named Kirsten in our latest feature article: Of Dreams and Dolls: American Girls and the Spirit of Exploration.

Dove Cottage, Photo by Sourav Niyogi CCA

April 7th is the birthday of the famous Romantic poet William Wordsworth.  Instead of happy birthday news of the long-deceased writer, we have some bad news.  On March 24, 2011, The Guardian reported: “One of the Lake District homes of the English romantic poet William Wordsworth was severely damaged by fire in the early hours of yesterday morning.”

The house is situated in Grasmere, Cumbria.  The poet lived in the house from 1808 to 1813.  The fire was most likely caused by a faulty electric wire in the roof.  The National Trust owns the property; however, it is not open to the general public.  We wonder about Wordsworth’s reaction beyond the grave, if the fire would have left a scar on his invisible heart.

The good news is two of the poet’s other houses, Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount, are open to the public, so when traveling to the Lake District, a literary traveler can still get her/his fill of Wordsworth.  As the poet wrote so succinctly in his poem “The Farewell”:

FAREWELL, thou little Nook of mountain-ground,
Thou rocky corner in the lowest stair
Of that magnificent temple which doth bound
One side of our whole vale with grandeur rare;
Sweet garden-orchard, eminently fair,
The loveliest spot that man hath ever found,
Farewell!–we leave thee to Heaven’s peaceful care,
Thee, and the Cottage which thou dost surround.

William Wordsworth b. April 7, 1770

Please continue reading our archived article entitled Wordsworth’s Lake District.

Painting by Edward Hopper, Inspiration for Bates Motel

I know you hear the theme music, the vicious stabbing of the shower scene.  And, of course, you can hear the crazy talk of creepy Norman Bates and his equally creepy mother Norma.  If you haven’t seen the classic film, Psycho, it’s time to put it on your Netflix queue.  Most people know it’s directed by Alfred Hitchcock, but do you know who wrote the novel Psycho, which was the basis for the film?

Robert Bloch (born April 5, 1917) was the inventive and innovative writer of Pyscho.  Bloch loved the elements of horror and all its nuances, thus adding horror to his genres of writing.  In the 1930s, as a youngster, he was an avid reader of the horror magazine Weird Tales.  A frequent contributor to the publication was H.P. Lovecraft, now considered the father of modern horror.  He and Bloch wrote to each other and Lovecraft generously offered his writing advice.  Therefore, Lovecraft became Bloch’s mentor.  Bloch learned from the best.

Psycho was published in 1959.  Bloch based the character of Norman Bates on serial killer Ed Gein.  By 1960, Psycho was adapted into a screenplay and director Alfred Hitchcock took it on as his next project.  Bloch, however, was not involved in the film-making process–which is normal for writers.  Though the movie Psycho became a major success and a classic film, Bloch received less than $7000 for the screen rights.  His agent and publisher Simon & Schuster each took their percentages, leaving Bloch with a notoriously bad film deal.  Bloch received no more direct compensation for the film despite its immense profits of the day.

Bloch died from cancer on September 23, 1994.  He wrote a plethora of novels and short stories, but none was bigger than Psycho.  It will always be Bloch’s horror legacy.

Bayon Buffalo, Photo by Simon Glassock

In my house, my fiance must say “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” at least once a week.  It’s always referring to something guy-like, maybe not as guy-like as the infamous John Mayer quote, but it’s always in guy terms.  When writer Simon Glassock proposed his idea for an Apocalypse Now article, I knew I’d immediately have a male audience.  War movie, men hunting, men in their most primal state.

But after reading Glassock’s article, I realized there’s a lot more to Apocalypse Now (and Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, which the movie was based on) then just being a “guy” film.  Glassock details the history of the film, including Marlon Brando’s diva-like behavior and Francis Ford Coppola’s struggles on set.  Glassock also discusses the infamous water buffalo sacrifice scene and where the idea originated.

Literary Traveler: You write about the history of Apocalypse Now.  But when you were in the Cambodian jungle, what was your visceral experience?

Simon Glassock: Being in a jungle, or in any wild place, makes me feel pleasantly empty and inconsequential. I say ‘pleasantly’ because it is not a negative sensation. I find being reminded that the natural world is oblivious to us quite refreshing and the jungle-encroached ruins of past civilisations such as those at Angkor are a striking example how small and transient we really are.

LT: Why do you think Apocalypse Now resonates with a male audience (more so than with a female audience)?

SG: I hadn’t thought about the film specifically in gender terms but now that you prompt me I think it may partly be because there are no females in it. Apocalypse Now shows how a flawed man can be the agent of his own redemption. It also presents a homosocial (not homosexual) world in which men form relationships that can be, are permitted to be,  perhaps because of the proximity of death, close and intimate in a way that men seldom experience. War films often suggest a sense of belonging, purpose and even moral growth which can elude men in civilian society.

LT: Do you think with current animal rights restrictions, would the water buffalo scene still have been done if filmed today?

SG: It is worth reiterating that the water buffalo sacrifice was a cultural event that was recorded and incorporated in the film rather than a scripted scene. I strongly suspect that liberal intolerance of substantive difference and the threat of real violence from some quarters would prevent the scene from being included today. Respect for diversity and multi-culturalism, anyone?

Please continue reading Apocalypse Now, A Film History & the Sacrificial Water Buffalo.

Dead Souls postcard by Pyotr Sokolov

Anyone who yearns for literature with dark and satisfying twists reads the Russian greats.  Russian writers are known to take their history of long suffering and somehow morph all this into humorous stories filled with satire and social commentary.  Nikolai Gogol, the Ukrainian-Russian writer who is considered the father of modern Russian realism, did exactly this in the novel Dead Souls and again in the classic short story, “The Overcoat.”

In both Dead Souls and “The Overcoat” silliness and misunderstanding are common themes.  The characters are so over-the-top, they seem like caricatures of themselves.  Gogol pokes fun at serious social problems at the time, including serfdom and communist values.  “The Overcoat” in particular is written with such humorous flair, wit and brilliance, it is considered by many one of the greatest short stories ever written.  And to that, we can say thank you (spaseeba in Russian) to Nikolai Gogol, who was born on this very day March 31st in the year 1809.

Na zdorovie to you, Nikolai Gogol, we celebrate your life, your writing and your indelible mark on literary history!

Francisco Goya, Saturn Devouring His Son, 1819-1823

Van Gogh, Self Potrait, 1889

by Katie Davis

Francisco Goya and Vincent Van Gogh had a lot in common; not only were they two of the greatest artistic innovators of 18th and 19th centuries, but they were both a bit bonkers. Though Van Gogh is known for lopping off a piece of his own ear lobe with a razor blade after an attempted attack on Paul Guaguin, this outburst is not entirely surprising when we take a look at Van Gogh’s history of mental illness and substance abuse.

Throughout his life Van Gogh suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy which probably wasn’t helped by his fondness for absinthe. Many believe he also suffered from bipolar disorder and mania, which would explain his spells of extreme enthusiasm and artistic creation followed by bouts of depression and his eventual suicide in 1890 at a young 37.

Though Goya lived a long life, he also had his fair share of personal struggles, especially as he grew older. After fighting an unknown illness, Goya become completely deaf at age 47 and in his later years he sunk into depression and isolated himself from Spanish society in a country house called Quinta del Sordo, the Deaf Man’s House.

Obviously these artists suffered significantly from their illnesses, yet it seems more than coincidence that some of their most famous and thought-provoking work emerged from periods of madness. Van Gogh produced his celebrated, Starry Night, while staying in Saint-Rémy-de Provence, an asylum for the mentally ill, and some say the painting was influenced by his use of digitalis, a drug used to quell epileptic seizures and mania.  The substance can cause patients to find their surroundings tinted yellow and green and to see halos around sources of light, visual traits clearly present in Starry Night and much of Van Gogh’s work.

Though perhaps they are not his most famous pieces, “The Black Paintings,” frescos which Goya completed privately on the walls of his country house during periods of isolation, are extremely intriguing and provocative. They depict scenes of witches, darkness, and gore that truly convey the raw emotion of a deeply troubled man, yet they also force us to confront the evil that resides within all humankind.

In the end, it is a pity that Van Gogh and Goya were forced to wrestle with the demons of mental illness throughout their lives; however, in appreciation we can value the work of these geniuses not only as artistic masterpieces, but also as windows into the human psyche.

Francisco Goya – b. March 30, 1746

Vincent Van Gogh – b. March 30, 1853

Photo by Idea Go

by Katie Davis

We all know Flannery O’Connor: the mastermind behind “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” a devout Roman Catholic from Georgia, and of course, one of the greatest American writers of the 20th Century. As I read “A Good Man is Hard to Find” for the first time in a beginner’s fiction workshop, I was completely gripped by O’Connor’s prose and after the complex, haunting finale I couldn’t help but wonder: “How did she do that?” Though O’Connor is no longer alive to give us writing tips in person, it isn’t hard to glean advice from her biography, letters, and fiction. So if you find yourself wondering, “What would Flannery O’Connor do?” here are a few suggestions:

1.    Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite
O’Connor believed that writing was hard work. Famously she remarked, “Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair falls out and the teeth decay.” In her letters, compiled in Habit of Being, she reveals that she was often frustrated by how long it took her to finish a piece because of her constant rewriting. However, her hard work clearly paid off since her stories seem to have flown seamlessly from her mind to the page. So, when in doubt, rewrite! You may be pleasantly surprised by the results.

2.    Don’t be afraid of the dark.
It seems beginning writers (myself included) are often tentative to describe controversial events or issues in their work for fear of a negative response. O’Connor took the opposite tack. “I am not afraid that the book will be controversial, I’m afraid it will not be controversial,” she remarks in one of her letters. The ending of “A Good Man is Hard to Find” certainly does not fit the cookie cutter “happily ever after,” but this is what makes the story so powerful and memorable. So, don’t be afraid to face the sinister or perverse in your writing, but keep in mind O’Connor’s final word of advice…

3.    Seek truth.
This suggestion may appear the most obvious, but it can also be the most difficult to follow. O’Connor states “The basis of art is truth, both in matter and in mode,” but what exactly does “truth” mean in this context? For me, writing truthfully means pursuing your artistic purposes with conviction while tuning out (to some extent) the mutterings of critics.  It is evident that O’Connor believed in the truth of her writing, as she defended her “not conventional” novel, Wise Blood, to an editor, stating that if he didn’t like it she would take it elsewhere. Though it may be difficult to write truthfully at times, O’Connor shows us that this search for truth can be one of the most essential and beautiful things about creating art.

To learn more about Flannery O’Connor and her places of origin/inspiration watch the Flannery O’Connor Literary Tour Video from LiteraryTraveler.tv.

Curtis Hall

Even after his death, everyone still wants a piece of J.D. Salinger.  As the New York Times reports Ursinus College has attempted many times to lure its most famous alum back to the college.  A literary festival, an honorary degree.  And all to no avail.  While Salinger was still alive, the college made one last attempt: a J.D. Salinger creative writing scholarship.

Not a shock to anyone who knows Salinger’s reclusive ways, the author’s literary representatives wrote to Ursinus, instructing them to remove their client’s name.  Again, the university was out of luck.  Then they came up with the name the Ursinus College Creative Writing Award, but it’s unofficially called “Not the J.D. Salinger Scholarship.”

The award recipient (an incoming freshman) sleeps in 300 Curtis Hall, Salinger’s old dorm room, her/his freshman year.  The room is pretty small, but a great honor.

Find out if the award winners enjoy the room, what they do in the room and if they are Salinger fans in J.D. Salinger Slept Here (But Don’t Tell Anyone).

For more reading on J.D. Salinger, please read Holden Caulfield in Winter Manhattan.

Photo by Kerry Lee

Bali.  It’s beautiful, it’s exotic.  It’s probably your dream honeymoon (or at least mine).  A couple I’m friends with (who are well-traveled) have told me it’s “the most romantic place they’ve ever been.”  But what do we know about Bali, really?  That it’s near Australia.  Or maybe it’s an island.

There’s much more to Bali than you think.  For example, did you know film legend Charlie Chaplin lived there?  Writer Kerry Lee takes us literary travelers into the strange, exquisite world of Bali, which Colin McPhee wrote about in A House in Bali.  Lee’s article explores the music, storytelling and unique mix of people on the island.

Literary Traveler: You mention the women ex-pats of Bali.  Did you feel you fit into their group and the ex-pat community as a whole?

Kerry Lee: The women expats and I came from a pretty similar background, so in that respect I fit into the group.  Same education, same social and economic upbringing, though the women were from Europe, South Africa, as well as the United States.   The similarities ended there, however.  Though they lived in this foreign country, they clung to each other for most of their social life, and didn’t spend a lot of time with native Balinese.  Their children attended international schools, like The Green School.  Because foreigners cannot own property or business in Bali, each of them had married Indonesian men, and then started their various enterprises.  There was also a suggestion of “runaway” about them.  On their own, they had moved halfway around the world and started a whole new life, leaving friends and family behind.  While I am a traveler, it is always good to come home.  I didn’t get this feeling from them.

LT: How do you think a big personality like Charlie Chaplin would’ve fit in when he lived in Bali?

KL: Apparently Charlie was loved in Bali, though the Balinese hadn’t seen his films prior to his visit.  From what I have read, the crowds, especially children, loved him wherever he went.  They thought he was very funny!  An article in the New York Herald on June 12, 1932 said, “There were no mobs making frenzied efforts to see them (Chaplin and brother Syd), no newspaper reporters to ask if they liked this or that, and no cameramen attempting to get intimate portraits.”

Noel Coward was also Chaplin’s traveling companion, and he wrote this verse while they were there:

As I said this morning to Charlie,
There is far too much music in Bali.
And although as a place it’s entrancing,
There is also a thought too much dancing.
It appears that each Balinese native
From the womb to the tomb is creative,
And although the results are quite clever,
There is too much artistic endeavor.

Which leads to your next question …

LT: Bali is also known for its beautiful art, especially its wood carvings and paintings.  Did you immerse yourself in the art of Bali as you did with the music and oral literary tradition?

KL: The most incredible art museum in Bali is the Agung Rai Museum of Art (more commonly referred to as ARMA).  The museum grounds are immense, with perfectly coiffed gardens and in the morning, the museum is virtually empty.  The permanent collection includes works by such well-known artists as Ida Bagus Made, Walter Spies (another interesting story), and many other Indonesian artists.   Balinese art is extraordinarily beautiful and divine, and I spend quite a bit of time at this museum.  With an entrance fee of $2.50, one couldn’t go wrong.

LT: Is Balinese gamelan music visceral?  How did you feel hearing it?

KL: The gamelan is so outside of what music means or sounds like in the West.  Visceral would be a good way to describe it – I felt a little on edge listening to it, because it was impossible to know where the sounds were going. The music was always an accompaniment to a dance, a play, or a puppet show, and was an integral part of the show.   It set up a tension, an edgy anticipation, and always resulted in a surprise, both visual and auditory.

Please continue reading the article Colin McPhee’s Musical Life in Bali.

Chicago St. Patty's Day

by Katie Davis

Every March 17th, Chicagoans dump 40 pounds of vegetable dye into the Chicago River until the entire waterway glows an electric, shamrock green. New Yorkers celebrate the day with the “oldest, biggest, and best” St. Patty’s Day parade in the world, which originated in 1762. But no matter how popular the holiday has become for Irish-Americans (or those who wish they were), I always wonder: What happens on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland?

Why, St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, of course!

This festival, founded by the Government of Ireland in 1995, seems to be a way for the Irish people to claim ownership of a holiday that is rightfully theirs and showcase a wide range of Irish traditions and talent. The five-day celebration, which drew crowds of 90,000 people last year, holds whimsical parades, fireworks, and other grand-scale spectacles, as well as music, dance, film, visual art, and comedy displays and performances.

Interestingly enough, this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival will focus on the rich Irish literary tradition. There will be a literary-themed scavenger hunt, in addition to readings and discussions with many of Ireland’s most talented writers, including Nobel Prize-winning poet, Seamus Heaney. As a recently designated UNESCO City of Literature, Dublin has always been home to many big name authors like James Joyce, WB Yeats, and Oscar Wilde, yet this year’s Festival Parade will gather inspiration from a contemporary short story, composed by Booker prize-winning novelist, Roddy Doyle, especially for the event.

The piece, entitled “Brilliant,” is a surreal and playful tale that illustrates the quest of a group of children as they seek to rid Dublin of the “Black Dog,” who has stolen Dublin’s “funny bone” and thrust the city into a state of gloom and depression. By repeating the word “brilliant,” which Doyle describes as “the city’s favourite word,” the children destroy the Black Dog and bring positivity and light back to Dublin.

The story is very much a celebration of the city’s character as it employs many elements of the Dubliner dialect and personifies various city streets and monuments who quirkily assist the children. All in all, the story seems to truthfully reflect the happy purpose of St. Patrick’s Festival: a jubilant celebration of the talent, culture, and resilience of the Irish people that seeks to inspire and entertain the locals, as well as Irish-admirers from around the world.

Literature buffs and adventure-seekers alike should check out the St. Patrick’s Festival home page for event dates, further info, and photos.

Aran Isles by Pixie, CCA

Since this week is all about Irish literature, I went back through our archives to read old Irish articles.  Joyce, Yeats, Beckett, and of course, John Millington Synge.  Originally, I wanted to write a blog post that focused solely on J.M. Synge, but then I started reading John Millington Synge and the Aran Isles by Gary Lehmann.  And my focus completely shifted.

I found myself reading crazy tidbits about the Aran Isles and how the islanders firmly believe in old world thoughts and traditions.  For a modern person, these beliefs are downright strange and at times, a bit dangerous. I won’t spoil the danger for you; you should read the article to see what I’m talking about.  But I’ll give you a hint: never fall out of a boat in front of an Aran islander!

Then there are the islands themselves.  The Aran Isles are unspoiled, Irish beauty.  They have everything you could imagine: the sea breaking over rocks, small cliff faces, lush greenery and stone cottages.  But what they don’t have is electricity, running water or vehicles of any kind on the roads.

J.M. Synge went to the islands in 1904 to seek inspiration to write.  W.B. Yeats suggested that Synge would find inspiration there.  He certainly did.  And he also found a pattern of strange behavior–at least to us outsiders–and people who did not encourage tourism by any means.  Writer Gary Lehmann reports the same types of findings as Synge, nearly a century later.  This shows that time, literally, stands still in the Aran Isles.

Please continue reading this quirky and strange article entitled John Millington Synge and the Aran Isles.