Whether I’m going somewhere or reading a book, I constantly research the things going on in my life. I read a stack of gallery reviews, author interviews, and recipes every week. This week, I thought I would share with you the things I’ve come across while preparing for my first book club meeting (more on that later!), a pot luck I’m attending tonight, and two exhibits I visited. I arranged this week’s links by event.
Book Club – First, let me tell you that our first book was All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, so you’ll understand all of the Doerr related links.
- I found this gem of an eBook while preparing for our first meeting. #ThisBookClub: The Brilliant Woman’s Guide to a Very Modern Book Club. Have you read this before? What are your book club tips?
- Powell’s does a really lovely series of author interviews. The Anthony Doerr interview shed a lot of light (ha!) and really helped our book club discussion move along.
- St. Malo is picture-perfect. Especially St. Vincent Cathedral – wow!
Potluck – I’m meeting a few girlfriends for a potluck dinner tonight. As you may know, it’s Ramadan, so I will be breaking fast and celebrating with one of my friends. I’m so excited to get to spend this very special time with her!
- How to Make Any Savory Galette without a Recipe – I think this would be perfect for a picnic and am planning on trying to make this very soon!
- My very favorite food blogger, Molly Yeh, posted a new recipe today – Roasted Grapes with Sweet Labneh. I love the thought of roasting grapes! (If you are like me and had no idea what labneh is, it’s essentially greek yogurt.)
- However, I have picked a crustless mushroom cheese quiche for the pot luck. I’ve never made quiche before, so wish me luck!
Exhibits – I visited the Dominique Levy gallery last week, as well as the Museum of Biblical Arts (on the very last day it was open!)
Cafritz Fountain, Alexander Calder, 1966
- The Dominique Levy gallery had an Alexander Calder exhibit that I visited on my lunch break last week. It was a very well put-together show and I have been thinking a lot about it. Read more about it here: Multum in Parvo
For me, Calder is the only artist who’s been able, over and over again, to go from the miniature to the monumental, and the monumental to the miniature, to the point of wondering, “is miniature not monumental”? – Levy on the Calder exhibit
Prophet, Donatello, 1435
What is considered one of Donatello’s most famous sculptures, Prophet was on view at the Museum of Biblical Arts in a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the United States! I tried my best to find a picture of this sculpture dressed as the Statue of Liberty and was sadly disappointed. Come on, Internet!
- Prophet was nicknamed “Lo Zuccone” because his head looks like a pumpkin! The prophet is widely thought to be Habakkuk from the Old Testament.
- There is a famous story that Donatello kept yelling ‘speak, damn you, speak!’ to Lo Zuccone as he sculpted it. Read more about Donatello’s life here.
- The New Yorker’s Peter Schjeldahl is Entranced by Donatello. He writes about how Habakkuk warned against worshiping idols in the Old Testament:
“Woe betide him who says to the wood, ‘Wake up,’ / to the dead stone, ‘Bestir yourself’.
How ironic is it then (or brilliant?) for Donatello to do the very thing that his Prophet warned him against?
PS – I know all I’ve posted recently are This Week in Reviews, but we have a great batch of new posts and series coming to you starting next Monday! I’m so excited to work all weekend to show you!
