Snow squalls continue to swirl around my house on the hill this afternoon. Whiteout conditions on April 22, 2021. An Instagram post told the story of a local driver grateful to have missed two trees as he slid off an icy road early this morning. The daffodils in my front garden are drowning in snow. Again. Down for the count. Even Sugar Ray Leonard would have reconsidered his chances of winning this boxing match with nature. Our first April snowstorm a week or so ago was recoverable, but this second hit has me worried. Where is their incentive? How many chances will the daffodils give “spring “in Vermont?
A stale brownie for breakfast looked appealing this morning. I don’t even like chocolate. I too felt a shortage of drive early this day. My giddy up and go was grazing elsewhere. 7 a.m. and I was all pandemically dressed up with no place to go. When Harry Met Sally played in the background as I made my way through the daily chores. I couldn’t muster up the courage to watch the news. The struggle was real. I needed to go for a run…
I must confess. I have been bingeing. No, not on brownies. Most evenings I have been indulging my want to learn more of the great creative minds in our recent American history. This journey began with Ken Burns’ exceptional new documentary about Ernest Hemingway. The author that inspired me to become a literature major in college. Hemingway is arguably the literary master. Yes, a very complicated man however Hemingway’s writing is unparalleled by most if not all standards. Ken Burns exquisitely tells the story of both the man and the writer…
American Masters on PBS has become a nightly go to. While it is no Schitt’s Creek there is great merit in the programming. Yes, I am being snowbound playful, as I feel certain we will one day view a documentary about the creative genius of Dan Levy. The PBS documentaries are beautifully done. Informative. Rich in details and insights. Artists, Andrew Wyeth and Mark Rothko. Authors Philip Roth and Margaret Mitchell. Conductor Robert Shaw. Comic Mel Brooks. A sampling of the artists I have watched to date. A host of seasons yet to view. I have hung on every word and profile with great interest. The artistic quest was all encompassing and consuming for each of the artists mentioned. Suffer the rest. The world has benefited from their artistic greatness but that wasn’t always the case for those close to them. There certainly were some exceptions but I was struck by the common thread exhibited by most. I wonder if maybe that is how it has to be for those that possess such genius. The awareness of aging and the impact of their personally believed limitations on their art was a stunning and dark realization for some and Hemingway in particular. It was simply all about the work. The struggle was real…
Genius…is the capacity to see ten things where the ordinary man sees one. Ezra Pound
