Dear Reader,
I’m about a third of the way through The Historian. I’m taking my time with it. Word Raccoon read eagerly beside me today. When we arrived in Istanbul in the novel and she read the description of Hagia Sophia, she jumped up and down and begged me to look for photos online.
I found a Rick Steves video, but that wasn’t enough for her. We read about the Hippodrome, and the city’s history. (We knew some, but not as much as WR wanted to know.)
So she ate history along with her breakfast, not only of Istanbul, but also videos of Bulgaria (also portrayed in the book).
She and a group of her writing/teaching friends applied for a grant to teach there for a couple of weeks for the summer a few years ago, but alas, it did not work out. Maybe another time. One friend in particular is kinda a grant wizard.
When WR saw footage of the interior of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque in a video, she wept. The blue-and-red tiles remind her of those she put in the kitchen just months ago, and they are so beautiful.
Naturally, WR now wants to visit Istanbul.
I guess she kinda is visiting, via The Historian.
We have Reaccessioned open and are going in soon for some revising. I’m reminding myself to write what I would like to read.
WR clears her throat and says she needs to be included, too.
Fine, wee beastie.
Before I was truly up for the day, I read more Allende. In her craft book she mentions taking a fencing class so she could more accurately portray it in a novel she was writing. In the end, however, she ended up just jousting in front of the mirror with a feather duster before writing the scenes.
WR believes there needs to be a poem about that.
This afternoon WR watched The Masterplan starring Stanley Tucci who plots to steal the Mona Lisa. She doesn’t think it deserves the low marks many gave it. In fact, she rather enjoyed it, even if she did figure out a plot twist or two ahead of time.
And Tucci’s character mentioned the painting’s pentimenti in the movie, which made WR swivel her head and smile at me.
The novel awaits.
Drema