Oscar Wilde was editor of Woman’s World magazine, 1887-89. He also championed conventional attire for men. John Lennon wore white. Fashion magazines will sometimes run his pic. During an interview, a tidily dressed David Bowie did a good rendition of Lennon, voice-wise. It was abrupt but went over well. Allen Ginsberg played finger cymbals andContinue reading “Sporadic notes on cultural icons”
Category Archives: nonfiction
A cypress’ second life (plus a fun finch fact)
There’s a dead cypress tree in our backyard — a diminished-looking thing that one might otherwise consider an eyesore if it were not for the fact that it attracts birds like a magnet. A couple of months ago, I spotted a northern flicker perched on one of the parched branches — pretty exciting, considering thisContinue reading “A cypress’ second life (plus a fun finch fact)”
Thought
I prefer an English garden over a baroque one.
Bach’s spotless image
I just finished a big fat biography on J.S. Bach. I like his music, but one of my primary reasons for reading it was to gain an understanding of why he’s so sanctified as far as how he’s perceived and recalled in the cultural consciousness. He earned his money primarily from composing music for ChristianContinue reading “Bach’s spotless image”
5 Vignettes
The man’s cane made a distinctive tap when he walked, and she always knew it was him without having to look up from her book. The tapping sound had a rattle to it — like there was a broken part. Despite her formidable dry spells, when death was near, she could write. Fear would makeContinue reading “5 Vignettes”
On a cold note
Nonfiction stories dealing with surviving harsh rural winters appeal to me — a peculiar penchant. I also have an affinity for the music of Russian composers, eg. Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich. A parallel? Chopin, too, is a favorite, and he’s from Poland — right up there, along with Schumann, a German.
Starlings make an appearance
European starlings have been harvesting the trove of black olives that grow in batches on nearly every branch of the tree out back. Normally, the olives merely fall to the ground and rot, so it’s nice to see the birds using them for sustenance. They take them and fly to the ground, where they shakeContinue reading “Starlings make an appearance”
Weather notes
At dusk, the clouds had the same pinkish hue as when the sun was coming up that day. Thus, the sky, to her, was indistinguishable. The room was chilly, and her cat made her think of the two pigeons she saw earlier at the park. The pair rested on the ground near the gazebo, theirContinue reading “Weather notes”
Bird Man
The Bird Man is on the move. He’s wearing a sweat jacket and a ball cap because it’s cold. It’s 38 degrees this morning, and typically, such as during summer, the Bird Man will wear only an old white T-shirt that you and I might demote to rag status, as well as jeans that noContinue reading “Bird Man”
