London is one of the most inspiring cities for me as a writer so I visit it as often as I am able in order to glean inspiration for literary adventures.

Moving through the London literary scene during the fin de siècle was not a comfortable ride. Oscar Wilde is one of the most explosive examples but others who navigated those restrictive streets and who cloistered themselves in the gentleman’s clubs learned what a dicey trip rebellion can be. The lot of them, known as aesthetes and decadents, frequently show up in literature written during the era. In The Cantos of Ezra Pound, for instance, the poet quotes a conversation he had with Aubrey Beardsley, the caveat “beauty is difficult” showing up a number of times in his Pisan Cantos.

I’d be hard-pressed to find a more subjective phrase than this one, an idiom that often pops into my mind as I cover design events and product introductions during which hundreds of manufacturers and tastemakers hope to make their mark on the industry. But my task when I’m in London is generally hours spent tracking down the homes of some of my favorite British writers, including Horace Walpole and Mr. Wilde. My home-base is the Chelsea Arts Club, an affiliate of The National Arts Club, my club in NYC. The location in Chelsea provides me with easy access to many of the parts of London where my literary heroes moved around when they were alive.

You can read about all of my literary adventures in London by clicking on the tag. I hope you enjoy reading about my jaunts as much as I enjoyed writing about them.