Do you remember turning the pages of your books when you were a child? Each was to be savored and the choice of when to touch the corners and pull was a weighted one, met with a springing delight of discovery slipping down the spine. “Frederick” by Leo Lionni had this effect on me like no other. Do you know the story?
The introduction describes it well: While the other field mice work to gather grain and nuts for winter, Frederick sits on a sunny rock by himself. “I gather sun rays for the cold dark winter days,” he tells them. Another day he gathers “colors,” and then “words.” And when the food runs out, it is Frederick, the dreamer and poet, whose endless store of supplies warms the hearts of his fellow mice, and feeds their spirits during the darkest winter days.
While trying to lasso my thoughts and photos this morning, I stared at the screen, this screen, until my glassy eyes latched on to a figure dangling from a side column. “Number of posts published: 400.” Four-hundred? Four-hundred. After the initial bounce subsided, I was pleased as punch to realize that I had passed that benchmark while writing about the serious joys of a simple rose.
And so this post is number four-oh-one.
A few months ago, my friend Judith Ross asked about interviewing me for a column in Talking Writing magazine. I enjoyed the exchange that followed tremendously and I hope that you will appreciate Judith’s wonderful perspective as well. Living in France, where the word blogueuse (the feminine version of ‘blogger’) is pronounced with a sneer, I am absolutely delighted to have been featured as a writer in a magazine for writers. Thank you, Judith.
My life, while full of good things, is unusual. My future is so open-ended as to be not exactly secure. Sans filet, they say in French. Without a net. At times, my worries of “what if and what then?” threaten to overwhelm me. But perhaps, like Frederick, I am doing something helpful in making this blog, in storing up colors and words for the unknown path that is spooling out in front of my feet. Lost in Arles just might be my 401k plan.
To read Judith’s column “When Blogging Becomes Art”– please click here.
And to discover her own beautiful blog, Shifting Gears — please click here.
Some of my photography has also been featured in the Fall Issue of Talking Writing, to see them and discover a fine magazine — please click here.
To listen:
PS. James Vincent Mcmorrow’s cover of “Higher Love” is on the album “Silver Lining” — all of the proceeds of which go to Headstrong, an Irish charity for youth mental health.
As always, thank you so much for being here…
Congratulations on 401 beautiful posts!
Love this tale of Frederick. Just gorgeous.
Clare x
Congrats on the great featureI think not always knowing what may be around the bend is part of the fun! Enjoy!
Visiting here is always like stepping into some other world where time slows, the eye focuses, the hear can pick out individual strains of music in so many registers.
Lovely.
And thank you for bringing the concept of "gathering rays of sun for the cold dark winter days" is delicious.
Loved the piece by Judith about your work!
xo
I thank you for that, Mr. Laoch as I do believe that you have a quiet vision of both sides of said coin.
Dear Heather, I could play skoolmarm and cough up a little explication de texte of the Yeats poem for you,but I won't (I used to be underpaid to teach, and I don't, at this stage of the game, intend to begin doing so again for free…particularly for folks who haven't asked that I do so).
Suffice it to say that the poem's much like the following song, to which a longtime, older friend (he taught at Yale Darama, but you seemed tohave missed his tenure there) introduced me.
The central, invaluable lesson that the father taught the daughter in the song was:
"…But you stand right up there;/That's the Business of Art."
go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85IxNVwpKrs
Recall the lyrics to Sondheim's "Putting it Together"…."bit by bit, piece by piece, part by part….and THAT'S the 'state of the art'….." (I'm sure there's a version available on youtube).
fondly as ever,
Uncle David
http://www.davidterryart.com
David, I think that you know that I love Yeats and yet did not know that poem (even with my swiss cheese memory, that is not the sort of thing that one forgets). I keep reading it over and over and am not certain yet that I understand it all but from what I do understand, I can respond that I am gathering strength that I once so completely took for granted.
And hooray! I am so glad that you appreciated this beautiful version as I do. And yes, I danced to the original as well but this is just serene. I have been listening to it over and over…
Thank you Gina, I really appreciate that!
It is true! Blogger sounds like "logger" and we aren't chopping wood around these parts now are we? 😉 And I remember the film too. So sweet. We need sweetness for sweetness sakes these days.
That made me smile so, thank you Mumbai.
Being featured is very cool: well done. I think security is mostly an illusion, sadly, but I have faith in your talent.