A few more books to shelve.
Bookish
Carolus Linnaeus
Seen at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
More than six years ago, before the world tilted on its axis, I had found the adult equivalent of concert band — a group that meets twice weekly, includes a sectional, and chooses music that is fun but not too challenging. For so many reasons, I was unable to return until now, so I am currently “test-driving” the program, using the shorter summer session to see if I’d like to make a long-term commitment. So far, so good.
The Botanic Garden is not far from where we practice, so on one of the last cool days in the forecast, I grabbed an overpriced coffee and walked a couple of miles. Just lovely.
Currently reading: Septology (Jon Fosse; 2019-2021) with a dear friend; Moby-Dick (Herman Melville; 1851), The New York Trilogy (Paul Auster; 1985-86), and An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter (César Aira; 2000) for Roundtable courses; The Iliad (Homer, translated by by Emily Wilson; 2023) for a seminar; and Hole in the Sky (Daniel H. Wilson; 2025).
A few more
The stack beside my favorite reading (and birdwatching) chair is already leaning, so these have been shelved for now.
Acquisitions
The above are a few gifts to self.
Since my last post, I have celebrated a birthday, performed in the spring recital, and finished a terrific course on Dickinson, Rilke, and Celan given by Ulrich Baer at Roundtable. I have also seen two plays: Out Here at the Court and An Enemy of the People at Timeline. (Enemy is can’t-miss theater.)
This is also the season of mowing, trimming, readying the raised beds (and adding a few), and sowing the wildflower seeds.
Unreal
No filters or edits applied — just so vibrant! Tulips of all sorts and hues are the main attraction at the Chicago Botanic Garden right now.
Oh, and the corpse flower.
Recent acquisitions
New books, already shelved.
Art in Bloom
More books
Today I’m reading The Enigma of Arrival (Naipaul), Mrs. Dalloway (Woolf), and The Right to Oblivion (Pressly) and practicing the first two movements of Suite Antique.
Magical realism
The above are images I captured yesterday at the member preview of “Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World Is a Mystery.”
A few more books
It has been warm enough to do some more spring clean-up in the yards and to continue expanding our grid of raised beds and pollinator pockets. The books pictured above, then, have been shelved for now.
Nerdishly 