Structured procrastination

In college it used to be that I’d go on cleaning frenzies during finals week. Not because I actually had to clean (although I probably did, and badly), but because it was a stress relief and a way to put off worrying about or even studying for finals. Does that make sense? I didn’t think […]

“The Hill” by Rupert Brooke

The bravado of this poem makes the last line all the more poignant. Breathless, we flung us on the windy hill, Laughed in the sun, and kissed the lovely grass. You said, “Through glory and ecstasy we pass; Wind, sun, and earth remain, the birds sing still, When we are old, are old … ” […]

The Rape of Europa

I had never heard of the 2008 documentary The Rape of Europa until one of my supervisors stopped by my desk one day, handed me the DVD, and said simply, “I think you’ll like this.” (He knows I’m writing my thesis on Schiele.) So I said, “Sure!”—not realizing then just how harrowing and dramatic and […]

Stranded

Amen. Though I’m not sure what the green “Trying God’s Patience” in the upper left corner means, I like the rest of the sentiment! Apparently this is a shot of Shakespeare & Company in Paris. (via Inklings Bookshop)

motivation.

I once promised myself that I’d do something new every day, even if it were as small as trying a different menu item or a new route to work, just so that each day of my life could have a little adventure in it. And if I put all I can into today—this one day […]

“I Will Not Die An Unlived Life” by Dawna Markova

Joy and exuberance personified. I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible; to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. […]

Egon Schiele and David Bowie

One of the most exciting things about writing my master’s thesis on the contemporary relevance of fin-de-siècle Viennese artist Egon Schiele’s portraits is scouting the works of artists, photographers, performers, and fashion designers today whose aesthetic reflects his influence. I love making those tangible connections between past and present. In the nascent stages of my research, […]