I’m on the Acela to Washington, D.C., my favorite way to reach the capital from New York City. The dining car is so crowded there is only one seat left—the one across from me. A man approaches to ask if he can take it and I answer, “Of course!” As he settles himself, he […]
Tag: poetry
Writing is my brain but poetry is my heart. I not only love to read it; I am relieved when I have the space in my life to write it.
A number of diary entries on The Diary of an Improvateur contain poetry, some written by others and some written by me. I’ll share an example of a post that includes one of my poems in case that entices you to stop by my blog and click on the poetry tag to see others. In the post, titled “God’s Articulate Finger,” I shared “Art:History” from Anywhere But Here, my first book of poetry published this year by Sharktooth Press. I was inspired to write the poem after studying the Sistine Chapel vault and the The Last Judgment, both envisioned and produced by Michelangelo.
The idea for the poem came to me when I saw how differently Adam and Eve are perceived in the ceiling frescoes—God’s articulate finger pointing to Adam as the chosen one a sign. I weave into the post anecdotes about Michelangelo’s life from The Letters of Michelangelo edited by E.H. Ramsden. It’s a slipcovered two-volume set—volume one covering 1496 to 1534 (which includes the four years he worked on the vaulted ceiling) and volume two highlighting the six years he was struggling to realize the altar wall.
Proving that he didn’t believe himself worthy of painting the elaborate project, Michelangelo told his father that the Pope had not paid him for the work on the Sistine Chapel in a timely manner but perhaps it was apropos: “I am still in a great quandary, because it is now a year since I had a grosso from this Pope and I do not ask for anything because my work does not seem to me to go ahead in a way to merit it. This is due to the difficulty of the work and also because it is not my profession. In consequence, I lose my time fruitlessly. May God help me.” I hope you’ll stop by the blog and read my poem inspired by his remarkable work. It’s one of my favorites.
The Personality of Place
So, this is how it feels to experience a medieval Tuscan village that has existed on a hillside in some form for almost 1000 years! My view from the courtyard of Castel Monastero encompasses a string of buildings that meander along the edge of a quaint piazza. The bricked courtyard is paved in a […]
Taking a Train with Edna St Vincent Millay
One summer not long ago, I caught a Metro North train bound for Croton-on-Hudson where I hoped to glean sensory details for a book I’m writing. I decided to take the local so I could linger and write as I trundled along the watery vein of the Hudson River. I was following a path […]
Touching 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 renovation to upgrade the 50-year-old building’s climate-control system, expand its classroom space, and restore the landmark to its original luster. The building’s architectural features—an exterior grid of granite and […]
Stalking Petrarch in Parma
Human suffering. Unrequited Love. Not likely the first two descriptions you’d think of when identifying the Italian town lauded for the best prosciutto and Parmesan cheese in the world, I bet! Though I enjoyed more than my fair share of these gastronomic marvels during a trip to Parma, one of my greatest pleasures was […]
Celebrating Shakespeare
Celebrating Shakespeare The 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death is April 23rd, the date he passed in 1616 at the age of 52 believed to be his birthday. It’s a milestone for which the UK in particular has been prepping for quite some time so celebrating Shakespeare in England has never been easier. But […]
The Palette of Van Gogh
You can see the passion in Vincent’s stare. Is there a hint of malice or is it a touch of despair? He was certainly a tortured man, though such a talented one. I stood and stared at this self-portrait hanging in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, for quite some time one […]
Reading Dante in Milan
“I’d like that sunny table near the windows under the beautiful mirror,” he says to the hostess at Le Vrai, pointing to the niche set with two café tables, perfect for reading Dante all afternoon. Only a few decades earlier, the waistcoat and watch fob dangling from its pocket would have been out of […]
Find Your Red Carpet Style
“Find Your Red Carpet Style,” urged Currey & Company’s Brand Ambassador Denise McGaha during a presentation in the company’s Manhattan showroom last week. The point of her talk, When Worlds Collide, was to inspire her audience of design professionals to consider the attitudes that make the fashion industry so dynamic—a timely topic given New […]
God’s Articulate Finger
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel In this last entry of the year, I wanted to share a piece of my own creative writing to say ciao to 2015. I’ve chosen “Art:History” from Anywhere But Here, my first book of poetry published this year by Sharktooth Press. I was inspired to write the poem after studying […]