The answer is...

...Inferno, by Dan Brown. Boticelli's work, which I referenced in my last post, figures heavily in the novel. I was so thankful for the internet and how easily I could pull up the work as I read along.

Actually, I have finished reading Inferno but I don't want to discuss it too much. My mom and I read it together and haven't yet met as a book club of 2, so I will keep my comments brief and under the category of "why I liked the book."

Reason 1: The chapters are very short! I love reading before I go to sleep at night but as someone who likes to read full chapters, I often skip reading because I know I can't make it through a chapter before I fall asleep. I never had a problem finishing a chapter.

Reason 2: Compared to Brown's other novels (Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code) this one felt much more focused. Of course, this could be my own perception but I felt I could follow the plot and research works of art and still keep the trajectory of the novel. Angels and Demons, to contrast, made me feel as if I was spiraling out of control.

Reason 3: It exposed me to Dante - I really wish it would have worked for me to take a class on The Divine Comedy in college.

Reason 4: It had quite the thought provoking ending. I still don't know what to think about it, and I like that.

Reason 5: The novel was a quick and easy read. Let's face it, after a long day, sometimes that is all the reading I can handle.

Speaking of thought provoking, I am currently reading Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In. I am finding it as much of a page-turner as Brown's novel. Huh. I'll report back later.

And finally, I have entered the wonderful world of the very smart iphone 5s. I love it! I am hoping it will help me take more pictures and add them to the blog. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the this post but I will hopefully have some wonderful pictures from our vacation and Thanksgiving.

Clara and Mr. Tiffany (and Walt Whitman).

I just finished my first new book of the year: Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland. The novel is based on a recent (2007) discovery that Clara Driscoll invented/designed the first Tiffany lamps (not Louis Comfort Tiffany) for Tiffany studios. I won't go much more into the plot but direct you this New York Times article which broached the issue for the first time. For me, Vreeland's novel was the perfect blend of history, narrative, and entertainment.

The article gives you the nuts and bolts of the historical Clara Driscoll, but the novel is all Clara's perspective which makes it historical fiction. As the reader, you get to live Gilded Age excess through her eyes in a boarding house in lower Manhattan. With Clara, you fall in love with art, flowers, the first skyscrapers, and the subway.

I loved the history and the character development. What made this novel practically perfect was Vreeland's use of poetry, especially Whitman. One of my favorite Whitman lines from "Leaves of Grass" appeared near the end, "And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier." Whitman always leaves me thinking (and hoping).

And, one of my favorite Whitman poems, "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" also made an appearance! This poem holds a special place in my heart. It is the first poem I remember diving into in college. I remember reading it again and again, breaking it down and discussing it in class. It was the first time I felt that I had made it as a college student and as a scholar. I never tire of it and here it is, for your own edification. Please listen - it is how poetry is meant to be enjoyed.

Writing: I think I like to write

You might think that title is obvious, as I voluntarily write a blog. I started this blog, however, as a way to continue to stay a well-rounded human being. As a student, especially a graduate student, writing and reflection are automatic actions. If you can't put your thoughts into words, you are done. Similarly, those thoughts have to show insight, tact, and intelligence. You can't simply scribble on intelligently, you need to show growth and progress. In school this growth and progress was  measured in semesters; where you were at the beginning of the course as compared to where you ended up during finals. (Ending up with finals is never a good place, however.) In short, I felt I need to reflect more, so I started up a blog as I started up a new chapter of my life.

Up until now, I have not had any great epiphanies. As you can see from my blogging, I am not all that interesting. My yoga journal failed dismally. My most recent post was about how I could find nothing to write about. I started thinking: maybe I am not a writer, nor a reflector.

Yesterday, (cue chimes), I was working on an online tutoring script. I have a big meeting coming up next week in which my boss and I are going to present online tutoring to the Online Policy Commission here at UWM. I am responsible for the technical parts of the presentation, as well as the actual demonstration. To prepare, I was writing out a script that we, a fellow tutor and I, could use as a blueprint. Here is the exciting part: I really liked writing this script. I was pulling information from the various scripts I study from sessions every week. I had also written the sample paper and assignment and I felt like I could imagine myself as the tutor and as the writer of the assignment (maybe even the instructor). As odd as it sounds, I actually got lost in writing this script for over an hour. (Of course, I just submitted it to my boss this morning, so we shall see if I remain this giddy about it). I got lost in the dialogue and back-and-forth conversation between the tutor and the tutee.

I truly enjoyed that hour of work. I remembered back to 6th grade, the last time I really got caught up in writing a story with characters and plotlines. Although I dabbled in a few fiction courses in college, I stuck to poetry and to creative non-fiction. Looking back (warning, here I am doing that reflecting I set out to do), I don't think I wanted to lose myself in other characters and so I never wrote short stories. I wanted other writers and classmates to do the work for me, to provide me with stories and novels, but I wanted to remain at a distance writing pretentious poetry and reflecting solely on my (great) life.

Truly, I used to want to be a writer and novelist. I loved reading (I still do) and I loved writing. I really wanted to write the next To Kill a Mockingbird. Now, I think I just want write, something. Maybe this blog will do, or maybe I will fire up a word document and lose myself in a character - perhaps an online tutor! I don't have a new, life-clarifying goal. I am not going to drop everything and become a writer and scribble away at the Great American Novel. I am, however, already a writer and I will try to do it a bit more often.

Yoga journal...not so much

As you can read, I have not done well updating the blogosphere on how yoga is part of my daily life. Overall, I would say this is evidence that I have not incorporated yoga into my life. I am sad, however, that tomorrow is my last yoga class. I am glad that I had this opportunity. I feel like I have a good basis for any further yoga I practice, either on my own or in a class. However, as yoga ends, I am not sure I am going to practice as regularly (in terms of an hour an half at a time), but hopefully I can focus more on strength and conditioning with a bit of yoga everyday.

I have lots of other things that are floating around in my head, but nothing else yet for a coherent blog. For example, I recently reread E.B. White's three children's novels as well as a new biography on White. I have also been further delving into the world of social media, and not only have I created a Twitter account for the Writing Center but I am now tweeting myself. Actually, I don't often tweet, but I do scour other tweets. It is how I filter my news. I am also coming off a wonderful weekend in Door County and am gearing up for another weekend with visiting friends here in Shorewood. Overall, lots to think about, enjoy, and digest. (Speaking of digesting, last week I made both homemade applesauce and homemade apple pie for my first time. Both delicious.)

Here is to a more coherent post next time!