treasure trove of literary gifts and inspiring people
Is there anything more wonderful than receiving a parcel with a lovely literary gift? I’ve been fortunate to have had a few such parcels arrive at my door over the years. These gifts are little treasures that I pull off the shelf from time to time, to read or browse through the images. And, it’s not just the books themselves. They are all, of course, beautiful and have words and/or pictures that are delightful, inspiring, thought provoking, comforting. It’s also about who sent them. Friends who share my interests, who’ve shared some life experiences with me, who ‘get me’. The act of sending the gift tells me they value our friendship, they think about me, want to share something meaningful to them and something they think might be meaningful to me. It’s thoughtful, deeply personal, and heartwarming.
My book shelves are overflowing, collected over many decades. The books have travelled around the globe with me, accompanied me like old friends, like the shell on the back of a turtle; a staple feature in the interior design of wherever I’ve lived. Almost every book has meaning for me. They are reminders, memories and souvenirs of times and places in my life. Is that weird? The ones gifted to me have a special place in my heart.
A couple of years ago an old friend, Lyndsey, introduced me to Donna Ashworth, a Scottish poet and writer. Lyndsey had two slim volumes of Donna’s works sent to me after my stroke. Something to uplift me during the healing process. I was so touched by the gesture and the words of Donna really resonated. I love ‘to the women’. I’ve been following Donna on social media ever since. She posts some of her words online, usually accompanied by a piece of art. I find her inspiring and, through her, I’ve also encountered some very interesting female artists.
This next one didn’t arrive through the post but was given to me in person. Zio Mario is our neighbour at the farm and a very feisty fun fellow at the grand old age of 85. He’s a farmer but also a poet, known locally as the ‘farmer-poet’ and often does poetry readings at our festive gatherings. Most days he’s up at the crack of dawn and out on his tractor before coming back for a full lunch, a nap, and then heads out again to mend fences or chop wood or work on some creative project. His brother, 92, often stops in for lunch along with a few other neighbours and friends. They natter on about this and that from politics to philosophical debates to practical farm-related problem solving to a bit of local gossip… and get through a few course together, usually pasta followed by a meat dish of some kind and then fruit, a few glasses of the local Canonau and a little grappa to finish off. Poetry is his passion and his claim to fame is a published work he produced translating Alessandro Manzoni’s ‘i promessi sposi’ into poetry. I helped him out with editing another poetry project and, as a thank you, he gifted me his published work. A treasure and forever reminder of the fabulous Zio Mario – such an inspiration for how to age well. There’s an Interview here with Mario, the farmer-poet of l’Eremitu if you’re curious.
I met Richard in 2001, I think, at a corporate marketing event and we bonded over our Germanic heritage and love of marketing and literature. We’ve stayed in touch off and on over the years and, after a bit of a lull in recent years, reconnected last Christmas. How lovely it was to catch up on each others’ lives and share a few laughs. I was in the early days of picking up my paintbrush and asked him to give me some honest feedback about my ‘art’. He said some of it reminded him of Sylvia Plath’s art, that I reminded him of Plath who also apparently had German heritage. I confessed, to his horror I think being a Plath fan, that I’d never really read anything much by or about her and had no idea that she painted as well as wrote; in fact, from the few brief forays I’d made, I found her a bit gloomy. He decided to remedy this and for Christmas sent me this wonderful book ‘Eye Rhymes: Sylvia Plath’s Art of the Visual.’ Although I can’t say I’ve warmed to her work that much more, it is a fascinating book and feel so grateful to have friends who like to share and help open your mind to new things or at least see old things in new ways.
This final one is extra special and the most recent parcel to arrive at my door. I had a German teacher in High School called Astrid Brunner. She was colourful, eclectic, bohemian. A highly creative free spirit with a fierce intellect, sage advice, and a marvelous laugh. A wonderful and wonderfully inspiring woman. I had never met anyone like her. She became a friend and mentor. I lost touch with her for some years after leaving Halifax in my mid-twenties and briefly reconnected shortly after I had my daughter. At the time, she was just completing her PhD and had started a little independent publishing company. I was thrilled when she sent me a little collection of poetry volumes she’d published. Life got busy and we lost touch again. I recently came across a news item about a documentary which featured her as the photographer’s muse. She was always so interesting and always engaged in some fascinating creative project or other, collaborating with other writers, artists, photographers, filmmakers. I decided to look for her. We’ve begun a delightful exchange, full of writings and photos. She shared with me that she’s been included in a book of 100 photo portraits of Nova Scotians called ‘We are Nova Scotia’. It arrived a few weeks ago in an envelope covered in an amazing array of colourful stamps worthy of a picture frame itself. The book is just lovely! A beautiful reminder of my childhood home and its people. And of her!
Life is lived in the moments and it’s often the people in those moments that really make them special, for me at least. Literary treasures and lovely humans make my heart sing.
Well, that’s me. Your turn! What makes your heart sing? And, if you feel like sharing, I’d be delighted to hear about any literary gifts that have delighted and inspired you! Drop me a note in the comments below. Would love to hear your thoughts…
ciao per ora bellissime sorelle
F ox
PS This post was written on 09/11/23 for my Substack ‘The Blue Stockings Society – 21st C Edition’. Check it out here and subscribe if interested. I’m also hedging my bets on community building with a Facebook community group of the same name where there is more space for people to initiate discussion. Search Facebook for @bluestockings or go directly using this link on Facebook The Blue Stockings Society – women who think, write, create
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