Is It Possible...?

"Can a man or woman fulfill sacred devotion to thought, or music, or art, or literature, while fulfilling a proper devotion to spouses or children?"

- James Wood

New Yorker

 July 22, 2013 

Sins of the Father

One Was Maurice

Maurice Sendak with his German shepherd, Herman in 2005.
Photograph by Mariana Cook.



In my ongoing quest to catch up on New Yorkers, I recently came across an article about one of my favorite children’s book authors; Maurice Sendak. Mr. Sendak is best known for his classic Where the Wild Things Are but I thought I’d share three of my favorite slightly less famous Sendak treasures as a belated tribute.





 

I bought Outside Over There from a used bookstore in Raleigh, NC when I was in college. I didn’t have children but I immediately adored it. The story is whimsical and sweet and full of family love and devotion. Not to mention beautiful. Although I couldn’t know at the time, my future little family would fall in love with it as completely as I did.

 

 

When I gave In the Night Kitchen to my younger brother as a Christmas gift almost fifteen years ago, my mom was pretty dubious because of the little naked boy running through the story. But even then, I thought it was so charming and special. I love the image of the boy floating through the kitchen at night. It is so dreamlike and visually striking at the same time that I still regret not keeping that book for myself.

 

 

This one is a cheat because it is four teeny books in one set: The Nutshell Library consists of Pierre: A Cautionary Tale, One Was Johnny: A Counting Book, Alligators All Around: An Alphabet, and Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months. I found this when I was a new mother and although my daughter couldn’t read (or even roll over), it seemed perfect for our family. I love how Mr. Sendak merged his quirky and distinctive sense of humor with traditional children’s subjects (alphabets, counting) and created something original and hilarious.



Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak with a self portrait in 1991.
Photograph by Patrick Downs



 I never wrote to Maurice Sendak to express my appreciation for his work and I think I’ll always wish that I had. But luckily, I still have his books and I can continue to enjoy them with my kids on an almost daily basis. This, I suppose, is the best way to show my admiration anyway. I hope you’ve read all these before but if not, now you’ve got an easy, beautiful weekend project all set up for you, courtesy of Swings and Arrows.

 

Happy Weekend!

-Alissa

Who Wants to Get Cozy?

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Backyard Cabin

Have you heard about the Tiny House movement? I just read about it in one of my (very) backlogged New Yorkers and I'm intrigued. Apparently, there is an entire movement, albeit small, of people opting to live in extremely diminished spaces.

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

Members of the Tiny House movement have varied motivation: some are passionate about the environment and wanted to reduce their living footprint, some are reacting against an overly consumerist culture, others want to live an unfettered lifestyle (most tiny houses are mounted on wheels and therefore mobile) and still others just want to save money. Personally, I like the idea of significantly less space to keep clean.

Fishing Cabin

I definitely prefer smaller, more intimate houses but this might be pushing it for even me.

Cavco Cabin

And yet, some of them look so warm and inviting that it makes me think it might be nice to be cuddled so close together with the people that you love. But maybe I’m just reacting to the frigid weather lately. Regardless, here’s to a cozy weekend whatever size house you spend it in!

-Alissa

Drawing Parallels: Paul Gauguin

The most recent issue of the New Yorker (Febraury 6, 2012. Vol. LXXXVII) had the following cartoon featured. 

The caption reads: "I need to leave you and the children and go to Tahiti if I'm ever going to be a truly great accountant."

Reminds me of a certain artist. 

Below: Paul Gauguin. 

It's impossible to talk about Gauguin without mentioning the scandal he left behind him. In 1873 Gauguin married a Danish woman and over the next ten years they had five children together. During this time he worked as a stockbroker in Paris. Gauguin began painting as a hobby. However Gauguin always harbored a nostalgia for exotic places and finally in 1893 he abandoned his wife and children and set sail for Tahiti never to return. In Tahiti he hoped to gain inspiration and pursue art full-time. 

Here are some of the pieces he created. 

I have never heard anyone, professionals, scholars, etc... ever speak of Gauguin without disdain in their voice.

- Grace