As we read through this book - again - I realized something. I had no idea who most of the people Kalman is talking about are. All those Russian names. What is a pogrom? I had loved the idea of this book. The handwritten text. The illustrations. The exploration of how one thing leads to another. The appreciation of ideas that are world changing and details that only she notices. But I had no time to appreciate the richness and depth of the ideads and the people she included. I just read the little bit of information she provided and moved on. I think the only thing I looked up the first time we read was the Dodo and Spinoza and Wittgenstein and Kitty Carlisle Hart. And this lady, she is smart. She is well read. She loves people and time and places and the details that made their lives worth living. Worth noting. It's inspiring.
Thus, I have started to do a little research. Vita Sackville-West is fascinating. I really want to read Virginia's Woolfe's diaries now. Or a biography about her many affairs with women in early 20th century Britain.
I stumbled upon this project that includes a entry from Alex & Lulu Kalman.
Just to name a few...
As I research, I find myself looking up new things completely.
And "one thing leads to another" rings in my ears.
And here is something just for fun: teacup pig
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pogrom
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing about this dictionary entry? That you can "comment" on it and they ask why you looked it up. I commented. Check it out.
I also perked my ears more than previously about all the words and people I didn't investigate last time around. What a rich text!