On Treasure Palaces and Drawing Cute Birds

So many museums, so little time. 

That's why I was thrilled to read about a newly published book, Treasure Palaces: Great Writers Visit Great Museums. I quickly reserved it from my library and picked it up on Wednesday. I think I must be the first to check it out - the date stamped on the top edge (the date it was processed) is December 16. 

I was a little taken aback as I was expecting a book with photos that accompanied the essays, but no, it is simply a quality paperback. I guess I will be doing some Googling for images. There are however, to introduce each selection, small black and white illustrations that represent some aspect of the museum - an entrance, an object, a courtyard.

Lack of photos aside, what a wonderful way to visit museums that I might never get a chance to see. And what a joy to be introduced to them by such writers as Ann Patchett (The Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, Massachusetts); Ali Smith (Villa San Michele, Capri); and Julian Barnes (Jean Sibelius's home in Helsinki).

I determined that I have visited only two of the twenty-four museums included (Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence and Musée Rodin, Paris) so the book promises to be a heady reading experience. I am especially intrigued by The Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, William Wordsworth's Dove Cottage in Grasmere, and the exhibit of shrunken heads at Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.

And just think, my feet won't get tired.

Dove Cottage

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Because I can't simply pick up one book and leave the library, I took a look at the new non-fiction shelf and my eye was caught by the colorful cover of Drawing Cute Birds by Japanese artist Ai Akikusa. She uses colored pencils to render the sweetest feathered fellows. I am forever dissatisfied with my bird drawings and since I have many (it seems like thousands) of colored pencils, this is just the instruction book I need. 

The drawings are not too complex. She offers a very short lesson, (how to render the shape of the head, the feet, the feathers), the color palette she used, and information about each bird - the species order and family, where it lives, what it eats, its size, and any unusual habits. I love this book already and can hardly wait to get started.

Her drawings run the gamut from the small sparrow to the powerful eagle to plumy parrots and peaceful penguins. The hummingbird and the peacock are outstanding. 

Now these are 'tweets' I can wrap my head around.

Proud as a peacock.

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Wishing you all safe and happy holidays!

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A Gift from The Professor

My neighbor The Professor dropped in the other evening. He had a book he wanted to give me and which I was delighted to accept.

Levels of Life by Julian Barnes is a non-fiction offering from the Man Booker Prize-winning author. It is a small book, only 125 pages, and is divided into three sections: "The Sin of Height" about the daring balloonists of the 1800s; "On the Level" about a balloonist's love affair with Sarah Bernhardt; and "The Loss of Depth" about his grief upon the death of his wife, Pat Kavanagh, in 2008. In each section, Mr. Barnes reflects on putting together "two things that have not been put together before." 

I am always happy to receive a recommendation from The Professor. We have lovely conversations in which he quotes lines from his favorite books. (He has many.)

The Writer's Room

Jonathan Lethen in his Writer's Room
Photo by John Spinks

A friend who subscribes to the Sunday New York Times brought me a copy of the August 25 Style Magazine. It is a 252-page glossy full of advertisements - incredibly 78 pages of them before I could even get to the Table of Contents!

My friend knew I wouldn't be interested in the fashions but at the very end of the magazine there is a feature called "The Writer's Room". Now we are getting somewhere.

Five places where writers work are featured along with text by each one giving a bit of information about the room, the desk, the piles of papers, the art, or the history of the house.

Jonathan Lethem lives in a historic farmhouse that belonged to Maine writer Esther Wood whose grandfather built the house. His study contains a desk looking out over a field populated by deer and fox. He had the bookshelves built in and they look like they have always been there. Lethem is also co-owner of the used book shop Red Gap in Blue Hill, Maine. (I love his green canvas shoes.)

Julian Barnes writes at a custom-made desk in London. The room he has worked in for 30 years is Chinese yellow and overlooks the tops of two flowering trees. He still uses his I.B.M. electric typewriter and finds its hum to be encouraging. The room and desk are both very untidy.

Jhumpa Lahiri's room overlooking Rome is perhaps my favorite. It is very spare containing only an antique desk with deep drawers, a purple couch, a chandelier, and a lovely wooden herringbone floor. She moves out onto the terrace to watch the sun set. How great is that!

It is always fascinating to me to see where writers work and I was delighted to find that this feature is online here so I could share it with you.  There is a sixth room in the online piece that is not featured in the magazine. Enjoy!