Joseph Marini opens his book Mastering the Art of Entertaining with this declaration: “I have always had an innate love for cooking, from home economics in middle…
View More Masterful EntertainingTag: nonfiction writers
Nonfiction writers serve as the mainstay of most of my reading. I love fictioin but because my time for reading is limited, I generally choose reality over make-believe.
Historical nonfiction is my favorite genre, though I am also drawn to authors who explore their own lives in an effort to pass on valuable lessons they’ve learned. One of my favorites in this vein is Alexandra Stoddard, whose book Living a Beautiful Life I found in the mid-1980s when I was struggling to discover my own sense of self in my life. I learned so much from her about celebrating life every single day, as she proposes in this quote from her book:
“Creating daily rituals—making daily tasks into times of enrichment through planning and special personal details—is a way to live a richer, more satisfying life.” Sprinkled throughout the book are gracious line drawings by Pat Stewart and inspiring quotes. There are “Grace Notes” at the end of each chapter summing up the text, which make for grounding reminders when life becomes too hectic to spend time with the chapters themselves. After 25 years of use, my book remains one of the treasures in my bag of ticks for managing a fast-paced existence. I feature a wide array of books by nonfiction writers here on The Diary of an Improvateur; you can find which authors fascinate me the most by clicking on the tag.
Winslow Homer In Situ
This essay examining the pragmatic attitudes of Winslow Homer is included in my most recent book The Modern Salonnière. The 34 other essays in the book…
View More Winslow Homer In SituLeigh Hunt Avid Decorator
This essay about the decorating exploits of Leigh Hunt is included in my most recent book The Modern Salonnière. The 34 other essays in the…
View More Leigh Hunt Avid DecoratorA Decadently Yellow London
This essay channeling the Decadents and Aesthetes in London when it was decadently yellow is included in my most recent book The Modern Salonnière. The 34…
View More A Decadently Yellow LondonA Passion for Paestum
This essay featuring three important perceptions of the archaeological site in Paestum, Italy, is included in my new book The Modern Salonnière. The 34 other…
View More A Passion for PaestumCafé Society as Cultural Interpreter
What do the Paris and New York City cafés that served as historical backdrops for some of the world’s most brilliant creatives say about the…
View More Café Society as Cultural InterpreterA Backward Glance on rue de Varenne
The narrow sidewalks push their black iron batons up out of the ground to protect the buildings hemming them; the rain turns the cobblestones to…
View More A Backward Glance on rue de VarenneTouching Literary History
I will once again be touching literary history soon, as the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University reopened yesterday following a 16-month…
View More Touching Literary HistoryThe Soul of Great Leaders
Whenever I see a photograph of a Native American, I can’t help but think of Crazy Horse, and I’ve seen a fair number of them…
View More The Soul of Great LeadersThe Built Legacy of Henry VIII
The 2016 Academy Awards are handed out this coming Sunday so I’m celebrating a film that showcases the built legacy of Henry VIII to delve back into…
View More The Built Legacy of Henry VIII