a story in gold

I transcribed one of Sean’s goodnight stories onto a gold dress in gold ink: “‘A book? I love books. How delightful.’ Said the Queen.” – so goes Sean’s delightful adult fairy tale. It’s one of my very favorite stories of Sean’s, but the next night he topped it with an even better goodnight story. Like penning gold…

the twig and the tower

Sean wrote me a wonderful goodnight story about a valiant, selfless twig and an oblivious tower. I just love the valiant little twig. He also wrote me a spin-off of the Madeline story, in which I make an appearance. This week I’ve been busy working on my essay about propaganda in the portraits of Queen…

saints, magical pockets, and gold dust

In early April I’ll be traveling to Vienna to research paper talismans in Renaissance and Baroque-era Austrio-Bavarian culture, thanks to a grant from Oxford University’s History of Art Continuing Education department (the Dr. Sue Holman travel grant). I’ll be visiting museums, doing research, and conducting interviews. And looking for kisses, as usual.                …

unwrapping god in vienna

Folded Altars and Parchment Apothecaries: To What Extent Did Text and Image in Sixteenth-Century Paper Amulets Reconcile Christianity and Superstition? I. Introduction This thesis will be the first English-language investigation of sixteenth century paper amulets in Germany, Austria, and Italy; specifically, paper amulets such as Breverl, Esszettel, Chartulas, and Cantigas that were either worn against…

when will the sugar rise boiling against me?

My blood must be part syrup by now.For weeks I’ve cut refined sugar and honey in favor of maple syrup. I don’t know the science but it seems more healthy, more vegan, more LL Bean for chrissake. People who eat maple syrup also eat carob. I’m pretending to worship a healthier god. Bacchus, forgive me….

cream tea, secret grottoes and folded notes

We always visit Waddeston Manor on rainy days or in winter when very few people are there. In winter the stone sculptures are wrapped in white shrouds – I like to think they come to life in the spring. They’re just resting and gathering strength for all the nude posing they’ll have to do in warm…

on the shoulders of poets

I was just watching an interview with Mark Wunderlich (a fine poet who teaches at Bennington, my alma mater) in which he spoke of an early correspondence he had, at age 19 or so, with acclaimed poet Mark Doty. Wunderlich says that when he sent a letter to Doty he felt he may as well…

reading the barefoot path

This is one of the only poems I’ve written in the past four years – it feels like a deep breath, filling my head with poems again…prosodic path 1.  The trail scrolls beneath us. It’s a punched paper ribbon In a player piano, Tines flicking fast into holes. The trail spins ever beneath us. It’s…

my portion of heaven and hell

I recently found my 2005 interview with Li-Young Lee. It was originally published in my (now defunct) online journal Rock Salt Plum Review. I thought I had lost all of my interviews, but this one remains because it is handwritten.  In a recent post about poetic mentors, I wrote:  “My third mentor was Li-Young Lee…I had…