Aurora Borealis in New York?

Though I'm significantly farther North than I usually find myself these days, I'm still probably not as far North as I'd need to be to see Aurora Borealis tonight-- though some predictions say tonight's projected showing might reach as far South as New York. 

I'm a big fan of the Northern Lights. But seeing them somewhere other than Northern Europe might feel rather alien. As if they aren't alien enough to begin with. 

In case you won't see them, here's a showing from Norway in 2010. 

New BBC Drama - The White Queen

Get ready for a whole 10 episodes of scheming Richard III and the War of the Roses in new BBC/Starz drama, The White Queen. Based on the books by Other Boleyn Girl author, Philippa Gregory, the new series got a nice press bump from the recently discovered remains of Richard--- underneath a car park in Leicester. 

The series stars Aneurin Barnard (of the West End Spring Awakening) as Richard III and (counter-intutively, Swedish) Rebecca Ferguson as the White Queen. I look forwar to disappearing for 10 hours into this one. 

Happy 600th Birthday, St. Andrews

We may not have parted on the best of terms, but I still love St Andrews and am wishing them a Happy 600th Birthday! My friend Caroline sent me this gorgeous photo of the celebrations taking place there. I just want to celebrate EVERYTHING today! I'm so happy. So many good things on the horizon. Man, I love getting what I want :)

And the Readers Said 'Amen'

For a long time now, I've been fascinated with the repurposing of some of the world's most beautiful buildings-- churches. New York is full of elegant old churches, many of which no longer have congregations and have adopted new uses in order to avoid being torn down. 

There's the one on 6th Ave and 19th (20th?) that was a nightclub when I moved here and now fronts as a boutique mall. (I went to the opening.) That sort of makes me sad, actually. But then there's the amazing Novare condos of West 4th, formerly the Methodist "Peace" Church for helping Vietnam protestors in the 60s. This 1860 building is kind of my New York dream building and the living spaces in there are nothing short of heavenly. 

But now, it seems as though the Netherlands has honed in on the exact right repurpose for a once and still grand cathedral. A bookstore. Seleyx hired architects Merkx + Girod to give this Dominican structure in Maastrich, which fell into disuse after Napoleon, a major makeover. Give me 8,000 square feet of books and coffee bar and I'm a happy camper. I could browse in here for daaaaays. Old + New... always my favorite. 

Reflecting in St Peter's Basilica

After the communication onslaught of yesterday (connecting with everyone over Ben has been really moving) I've been kind of quiet today. Packing, thinking, and realizing that what I did when I woke up the next morning after finding out that news was go to the capital of Catholicism: The Vatican and St Peter's Basilica, where the apostle Peter was crucified upside down. I think Ben would have had a chuckle about me heading to the Vatican in a way, in his honor. Many of our discussions were about Buddhism and Catholicism. Though he was pretty cool with Buddhism too. 

Everyone keeps asking if we went to the top of St Peter's and the answer is no, actually. I'll explain more later, but let's just say I had reached my limits of standing in line and sharing stank air in confined spaces with strangers. 

Even without journeying to the top, St Peter's is breathtaking. From the square with its outstretched arms that hug inward-- welcoming you into the fold-- to every golden overlapping angle. Crepuscular rays for days. A scientific word far too ugly for the thing it's describing. 

I love being in churches, cathedrals and chapels-- of any religion even more than I like cemeteries. It easier to hear the stories of what came before in places like that. It's easier to feel still enough to listen. 

There was a mass happening while we were there and singers. It was just a glowing, golden feeling bouncing off every one of those angles. Music. Light. Breeze. I was grateful. 

And Confidentially, She's a Pixie - Roman Holiday

By the time you read this, I should be in Rome. Our flight leaves at Seven. A.M. Ugh. And by 'our' I don't mean Gregory Peck and Me, but Fiona and Me. We've got  a little hotel in the Travastere which is good because we'll be taking advantage of the free Vatican Museum Stuff on Sunday-- also at around Seven AM. That's Fi's request. (Though I'm excited to be going. I mean, Sistine Chapel...) Mine is, of course, the nerdiest: to see where Keats died and where he is buried. He still has the saddest epitaph I've ever heard: Here lies one whose name was writ in water. My poor sweet Keatsy. How I love him. 


Another gracious, lovely man is Gregory Peck, star of Roman Holiday, (and my birthday twin) who insisted that relative newcomer, Audrey Hepburn get upgraded to equal star billing with him. That's a gentleman, folks. More on my own personal Roman Holiday when I'm back. In the meantime, let's recall a more chivalrous (**with qualifications) age. At least, a more chivalrous era in Hollywood, eh? 


Two days, a tiny backpack and a guidebook from the 70's... Italian sun, here I come!

Simon Armitage's Stanza Stone Trail

Simon Armitage is like a walking hug. I love everything about him. The lumbering way he stands, the way his hair flops around, the only Yorkshire accent I've ever heard so soothing. 


When he read "Mist" at Poetry Parnassus on Friday, and talked about his Stanza Stone Trail project through the hills of West Yorkshire, my mind just kept repeating, thank you thank you thank you, and wishing I could carry him around in my pocket. Somewhere near Oxenhope, this is carved on a large series of stones. Beautiful. 

Mist

Who does it mourn?

What does it mean- such nearness?

Gathering here on high ground 

while your back was turned

drawing its net curtains around

featureless silver screen

mist is water in its ghost state

all inwardness

holding its milky breath

veiling the pulsing machines 

of great cities under your feet

walling you into these moments 

into this anti-garden of gritstone and peat

given time, the edge of your being

will seep into its fibreless fur

you are lost

adrift in hung water and blurred air

but you are here

Listen to Simon read it here.
For a guide to the Stanza Stone project, check out here.
Photo by Paul Wolfgang Webster

Let's Wrap It Up, Jubilee

Due to a spot of illness (hey, at least it's not a bladder infection like Prince Philip. I love that they keep having to say that in all the press coverage.) I've been sidelined from my Jubilee enthusiasm to my couch today. So I'm watching all the pomp and circumstance on a high def television. In one sense, I love that two longest reigning monarchs of Great Britain have been women. On the other hand, as I've gone about the city and been looking at some of the coverage, I can't help but notice a few things.

1. How bored everyone looks. Especially the Queen herself. But everyone, really. The Queen definitely looks the most bored-- like completely zoned out during the toast to her-- followed closely in boredom by Harry. 

2. They can't show the Queen eating, but they're giving us a complete rundown of what literally everyone is eating and drinking and where said food came from. The tee-totalers will have Apple Juice from Sandringham. The vegetarians will have this, the gluten intolerant will have this, etc etc. Time-filling in event coverage is force-fed with inane minutia no matter where you go and what the event is. 

3. I love that the coverage swings between commentary from ultimate man of pretension, David Starkey (who takes the pronunciation of the word "year" past just your typical "gap yah" "yah" to a full-on yuhhhhhhh) and atonal drags queens singing Kylie Minogue in the rain in Anglesey. This. Is. Britain, ladies and gentlemen. 

4. MERCH! I think the entire point of this event is to sell merch. Looks like it's working. The Guardian estimates 823 million pounds in merch sales for this event. I mean, listen, I'm all about merch, but I found it rather fascinating. If I was purchasing any mementos, I think I'd splurge on this. 

5. THIS.

6. The color coronation footage from 1953 is genuinely gorgeous. Nothing dazzles the eye like those primary colors and jewel tones. If you haven't seen it, check it out. I'm guessing the remastered footage will be up on youtube soon. In the meantime, here is what's already available. 

Some Thoughts on Juxtaposition on Tony Nomination Day

Happy Tony Nomination Day, everyone! I couldn't be happier for the folks from Once, who racked up 10 nominations, for Celia Keenan-Bolger, and most especially for the wonderful Jeremy Jordan on his Best Actor nomination for Newsies. Couldn't happen to a nicer or more talented guy. (Check him out singing in one of my favorite recordings of our songs ever, right here #3.)


The Tonys are a nice yearly reminder of why we're still in this game. Why we struggle on. Another set of folks who have a real knack for reminding us all where the inspiration is are the title of show folks, seen below singing about their "First Time" at a Broadway Show. Susan & Hunter's first shows are two of my favorites-- two shows that never fail to make me cry, but for very different reasons. 


The below is also an amazing lesson in juxtaposition. And how the right juxtaposition creates a kind of really special synergy. Anymore, it's hard to create something completely new that makes people feel something. But that is the point and always will be. To make people feel something. The real feeling of what it means to be alive-- which, let's be real: equal parts Annie & Angels in America is about as close a metaphorical cocktail for that as I can think of. 


What starts as comedy here, as something so light-hearted, something that takes itself so lightly becomes the reason. The reason why we do this. The life and death, and the life and art juxtaposition. 


I dare you to watch them hold up Annie next to Angels in America-- talk about Summer & Fall, the sun will come out "Tomorrow" and the light in Central Park at Bethesda Fountain and living with and dying from AIDS-- and not feel what they want you to feel. And not feel what you felt the first time you ever hoped to make a difference by working anywhere in the arts in a modern society that increasingly doesn't take what we do seriously or lightly. I dare you to do this-- the moment at 6:41 when Heidi's voice cracks after what Jeff just said, the moment just after that when "ice in the pipes" has the double force of both Jeff and Susan, and how the key change happens on "but in the Summer..." 


I was not prepared to feel what I felt at this juxtaposition. That's why it works. The silly art folks willing to try anything to throw us off our carefully guarded balance, to get in there and make us feel something. 


We are not going away. The World only spins forward. The sun will come out tomorrow. The great work begins. Leapin' Lizards. 

Scotland { the } Brave

As much as I love media for young people, somehow, I mostly manage to miss the animated films of today. I still haven't seen Up. All the Happy Feets...nope. (How many of those are there?) It took me ages to finally see Finding Nemo. But I really do have a lot of respect for Pixar and especially what seems to be the trend away from "villain" based plots. (This revelation came courtesy of an insightful conversation with my friend-- Dad & filmmaker, Trevor Banks.) 


With Pixar's newest release, Brave, the lack of an obvious "villain" is just one of many reasons to celebrate it. It's probably obvious, but Brave takes place in Scotland. So, right there, it is already The Best. (Perhaps Pixar wants some of that Scottish Brogue fairy dust that made DreamWorks so much $$.) It's also Pixar's first film to feature a female protagonist. Way to finally get on that train, you guys. 


Our heroine, Merida, also has wild curly red hair. Bonus. Points. Her dad's name is Fergus. Super plus plus bonus points. The premise looks cool. The humor seems right up my alley. And while people have joked about "yeah, this is exactly what Scotland is like," ... I mean, it is supposed to be ancient Scotland. It does capitalize on some actual Scottish folklore (or fairy tales. Pixar is marketing this as their first 'fairy tale.') and! they've thrown over Reese Witherspoon (or maybe she dropped out, but let's just run with it, shall we?) for Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald. And she's not even the only Scot they've got working on this flick! So what I'm saying is, for a corporate cartoon, there's something that feels authentic here. 


They even used Gaelic singer, Julie Fowlis's (she's from North Uist, no less!) tune Tha Mo Ghaol Air Àird A' Chuan in the trailer. So, kudos, Pixar for making the effort. I'll be checking out Brave when it comes out in June (or August in the UK). Will you guys?

It's the last Friday of my Twenties Links

Farewell, twenties. This is the last weekend I'll have have to contemplate my activities as a twenty-something. As for this final Friday, I'm having a "birthday party" at my house. I use quotes because almost no one can come and also, it's not technically my birthday. I shouldn't complain because I'm having two parties in the US, but I'm prepared to hit the eject button on the house party and go out dancing with G and whoever else might show up. Let's hit the button for the links. 


- Even Gwyneth knows the wonders of the British pharmacy. Oh, goop.
- Look at my sweet, handsome cousin modeling on The Love List.
- Beautiful Alexis Russell jewelry
- Frank Rich's article about the GOP's woman problem
- Dena made me this sweet video for my birthday
- In case you magically missed all this, but Sally Draper is still my fave. 
- I love the movie Twins. I think it should be a musical. Now, it gets a sequel. Boom. 
- Getting ready for Game of Thrones Season 2. We caught G up this week. Also this. Damn, it feels good be a Lannister. 

Timorous Beasties + Scottish National Portrait Gallery

During the eight hour stint I had on Friday in Edinburgh between when my sleeper rolled in and when Iona arrived to begin the great car packing extravaganza, I made use of the day by really getting to know the museum at the top of my old neighborhood. For most of the time I was living in Edinburgh, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery was closed for repairs/renovations. (Apparently those Victorians weren't great at building roofs that didn't leak.)

After it reopened, I somehow never made it around--- though I could tell from gift shop that I was going to have a good time. And boy did I. It's a small, comfortable museum. The kind you don't mind spending hours and hours in. I checked my backpack in a locker and partook of the cafe as well as my favorite, the gift shop. 


Because even though they have one of my favorite portraits ever at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the gift shop is really where it's at. Here's why: Timorous Beasties. My favorite cheeky design company has paired up with the portrait gallery to do some limited edition home wares featuring  the famous faces of Mary, Queen of Scots, James VI & I, Robert Burns, etc. I was in love with the pillows and china. But as per usual, they came at Timorous Beastie prices. In another tax bracket, I would have bought ALL of it. 


The other amazing thing-- which I first discovered at the Prado when we were in Madrid--- is the art on demand feature museums are implementing where you can get your favorite painting reproduced on canvas and delivered to your door. God, I love modern technology. And with a massive gallery wall to fill in my new room, I'm plotting which of my favorite portraits to recreate. Perhaps John Singer Sargent's Lady Agnew. Which would you choose?

The Fairy Pools on Isle of Skye

When you have to do something sort of scuzzy (like, say, cram all your belongings into a small estate vehicle and drive them South to London on an ugly sort of scuzzy Scottish morning) I find it's best to mentally project yourself somewhere else. Today, I choose the Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle by the Cuilins on the Isle of Skye. 

As you dear readers will know, Skye is a special place to me-- homeland of my friends, spot for good times, and setting of my novel. But I think it's easy to see why pretty much everyone is a bit in awe of the Fairy Pools. There's not a lot of modern day magic left in the world, which is why these little glittering things seem like a little portal to some more medieval time. In fact, they probably are, if you swam deep enough into one of the caverns. 

I'm about to wade in pretty heavily into Skye folklore and fairytales, so I'll let you know what magical stories about the Fairy Pools and the white witches I think you need to know about. Hope you're having a dreamy Saturday!

Imagined Lives: Portraits of Unknown People

Yesterday, my Canadian pal Heather was in town on a layover before embarking for a whirlwind month in Spain and Morocco. I'm feeling pretty excited about my own current adventure, but I must say, I'm jealous. We did some London sights and she was gracious enough to accompany me on some general life organization missions re: flat leases and enjoying the cheap Turkish cuisine of my new neighborhood. 


We also swung by the National Portrait Gallery so she could pre-purchase her ticket to the amazing Lucien Freud portrait exhibit. While we were there, I was taken with the idea of one of their projects, Imagined Lives. It's really right up my alley. Fourteen un-identified and formerly mis-identified portraits with fictional backstories cooked up by some of Britain's finest authors including Julian Fellowes, Joanna Trollope, Alexander McCall Smith & John Banville. 


Incidentally, a lot of the portraits are of Scots. One was believed to be of Mary Stuart (later disproved) and one of Lady Arabella Stuart. 


Anyhow, you can purchase the collection of stories surrounding the mysterious portraits in the gallery's gift shop or online. Check it out. They're even welcoming visitor's own imaginings as part of a story competition. You can send in your stories to the Gallery and they've posted one winner per month in the gallery. It's going on until July. Perhaps if I weren't in the middle of one of the busiest times of my life, I'd be tempted to send something in. You know I love to imagine the lives of others. 


If you're interested in submitting, send your 300 word story to 
Imagined Lives Story Competition
Marketing Dept.
National Portrait Gallery
St Martin's Place
London WC2H OHE

The Moon at 2:30 Over the Cuillin

The upside of how cold it was in Skye this weekend was the amazing fog and snow we saw not only around the Cuillin as we headed back towards mainland, but also on the mountains throughout the highlands. I just loved seeing the moon over the Red Cuillin. 


The Cuillin made headlines most recently over this little business. Selling mountain ranges, gifting them, etc. For the record, I don't think most what this article talks about re: Dunvegan Castle actually happened, considering the MacLeods are definitely still there. 

Masters with Distinction

Hey, I graduate today! I'm trying to remind myself that it's actually a pretty big deal and I haven't had one of these since 2004. It's nice to be part of traditions-- both the 600 year old kind, and the more recent kind, created by my friends I've made since I moved here. It's a silly little thing, but I'm really excited to be wearing the same white dress shirt as three of my friends wore to their St Andrews graduations. And delighted to be sharing the day with my dad and so many of my Edinburgh & St Andrews friends. 


The older traditions sound, well a bit medieval to be honest. Hoods, kneeling, apparently being bopped on the shoulder with John Knox's pants (or something like that? Says Sophie? Ps- It's her birthday! Happy Birthday!) walking backwards, bowing....


Anyhow, apparently you can watch a live feed of the thing here-- most likely if you are related to me or just want to see me in a hood. (I don't get the squishy hat until next time.)

Restoration Manor Mania

We've been dejectedly asking ourselves what to do on Sunday nights to fill the void left behind by Downton Abbey. This Sunday, we obviously tried tons of food, party games & winning pub quiz night. But I think I've found something that will coast us past the holidays. 


Basically, The Manor Reborn takes a group of enthusiastic experts to work with the National Trust to re-envision Elizabethan Avebury Hall into a publicly viewed space minus all those annoying ropes. All the interiors will be sturdy enough to withstand use. I like it. Because part of why I love manor houses in the first place is to envision that I live there. If you can't touch anything, it kind of kills the affect. 


That's why I also quite loved this show, Restoration Home, that aired earlier this year. Even after watching all 6 episodes of Restoration Home and the premiere of The Manor Reborn, where all the people said they'd never buy another listed property, it's still kind of a dream of mine to restore an old manor home somewhere... 

Problem of Miracles - The Grave of David Hume

Edinburgh's been a bit bleak lately, so it was a pleasant surprise to be awakened early yesterday morning with a phone call from Sophie. Surprise visitors are the best and we spent the afternoon catching up and tooling around Edinburgh's museums, speaker stores, and since it's so bleak (duh) cemeteries. I've always had a bit of a thing for old cemeteries, and you can't do much better than the old Calton Hill Cemetery. I mean, David Hume is there. Fave philosopher. 'Nuff said. Also it was gorgeous. Check out that fading sun behind (yes!) good old Abe Lincoln. 


Finally, I literally can't stop listening to this song. I love that one of the comments when I went to post this is as follows: "I'm so drunk I randomly typed Gotye on youtube and came to this song and it's completely changed my life." Happy Saturday. 

Tucked Away Castles

Prestonpans has a bit of a split personality. As you exit the motorway and head through town, you first encounter faux-American housing developments, but right after that, bam!, historic Prestonpans with towers, 16th and 17th century castle strongholds and wonderful wonderful Northfield House: home to our  friends and our young charges for the day, Jamie & Alice.


Iona and I both agree that babysitting is better with two people: you don't have to do baby talk ALL day, and when one is having a meltdown & needs a nap, the other can tend to the sane child. Basically keeping the one to one small human to large human ratio = good. 


We had a blast running around the garden, jumping on the trampoline, watching Alice's plushy cheeks and big toothless grin and exploring on a sunny Autumn day. 


And since I was lucky enough to most frequently be in charge of the more low-maintenance kiddo (it alternated) I also got to check out some of the amazing art at Northfield House and architecture on our walks-- including Hamilton House, Preston Tower (also once home to the Hamilton Family) and Preston Cross. Preston derives from Priest Town and has been home to monks, salt mills and the site of 1745 Jacobite victory at the Battle of Prestonpans. It's only 8 miles outside of Edinburgh-- take a spin past it!

Searching for Leaving Lismore

So...many...adorable...children...in kilts. The Colonel Jock MacDonald Memorial was awesome this year. There were so many talented kids. I sort of wanted to steal some of them. It was cool to recognize so many of them from last year and see how they've grown as performers. A lot of them were (to use an old speech & debate term) double entered in more than one event. I got to see a lot more piping this year. Adorbs. Sadly, the piper we thought should have won did not. However! There was this girl piper (who we missed seeing-- she must have been amazing) who swept most of the categories. Girl power. 


My favorite event though I think will always be the clarsach. The celtic harp is so gorgeous it makes my heart hurt. Last year, I recorded the clarsach final on my phone and I listen to it all the time. Sadly, I recorded it on a program that wouldn't let me email it off my phone, so I can't really show you. And I've been looking for what tune it was ever since. No one could tell me. Turns out, it's because the girl had done a really amazing, elaborated arrangement of this song, "Leaving Lismore." I finally figured it out while looking for some good clarsach to share with you. So here is a slightly simpler version of what might be my favorite Gaelic song: 

And... a Bonus Video...

PS- if you really wanna be freaked out, click here.