CROCUSES

Crocuses that appeared in the yard three weeks ago decided to open up today in the late-winter (but feels like early-spring) sun.

ART BOT

A sketch by Troy's Work Table made with The Child's art bot science project.

TELETTROFONO

Illustration from Telettronfono by Matthea Harvey. 

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Telettrofono by Matthea Harvey is a fascinating fantasia from the pages of  Poetry Magazine.

I'm not quite sure what it is, but I have been reading and re-reading it. Based in historical fact, but filled with imaginings. In my hard copy it is in the "Portfolio" section; online it is listed as "Prose from Poetry Magazine." It contains prose pieces that are rather lyrical, yet many of its sections are short poems in their own right. It includes photo illustrations of hand-stitched representations of patents that Antonio Meucci actually applied for, some of which were approved, some not.

Plus, you can listen to the piece, if you so desire. The audio is slightly different than the text, which adds to the mystery and intrigue.

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Read and/or listen to Telettronfono HERE.

TAVERN BOOKS

Screenshot of the Tavern Books home page.

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There are organizations that demand our attention and support. They tend to be filled with people who are fierce and full of passion for their work. I've never met anyone from Tavern Books in person, but I imagine each and every one of them this way.

They publish poetry. They write about poets and poetry. They collect and redistribute books of poetry to Oregon libraries, especially those libraries serving populations of less than 5,000 people and tribal libraries. They host readings of poetry.

So, give them some attention and support. Visit their website at http://tavernbooks.com Visit them in person when you are in Portland, Oregon. Subscribe to The Honest Pint. Order books from The Living Library. Provide them a tax-deductible donation.

BIRD PRINTS

Bird prints on the front steps. Hop! Hop! Hop! about in the snow.

CROCUS IN SNOW

Crocus in snow. Puyallup River Valley. Friday 07 February 2014.

MOBY COLLAGE

"Moby Collage" by The Child.

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The Child read an abridged version of Moby-Dick for a book talk at school. The project had to have a visual element, in addition to the oral presentation. The "Moby Collage" has words pertinent to the narrative cut out of old newspapers and magazines and pasted onto posterboard cut into the shape of a sperm whale.

(The Child received a grade of 4 out of 4.)

Today, my heart sings!

DARK AND LIGHT

Clouds, dark and light. North Hill of Puyallup, Washington, looking toward Sumner.

BLACK WALNUT

Black walnut tree. Puyallup River Valley. Puyallup, Washington.

THE OTHER CAPTAIN: AMASA DELANO

There is a book that I hope to acquire soon—The Empire of Necessity: Slavery, Freedom, and Deception in the New World by Greg Grandin, a professor of history at New York University. Grandin's book examines the historical event that is also the basis of Herman Melville's novel Benito Cereno, the latter of which I recently read again this summer while on vacation.

Grandin has been writing companion pieces in various newspapers and magazines, which is keeping his book on my horizon, as well as building interest for me (and hopefully others).

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"Ahab is certainly one face of American power. In the course of writing a book on the history that inspired Benito Cereno, I’ve come to think of it as not the most frightening—or even the most destructive of American faces. Consider Amasa."
—Greg Grandin

Read "The Two Faces of Empire: Melville Knew Them, We Still Live With Them" at billmoyers.com

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"Barack Obama may have avoided the fate of the protagonist of “Invisible Man,” but he hasn’t been able to escape the shadow of Babo. He is Babo, or at least he is to a significant part of the American population—including many of the white rank and file of the Republican Party and the Tea Party politicians they help elect."
—Greg Grandin

Read "Obama, Melville and the Tea Party" at nytimes.com

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Order Grandin's book from Powell's City of Books.