Fotografaire - Blog and Photography

Remembering

September 11, 2001…a day that most of us remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news that the U.S. had been attacked.

My thoughts and prayers go out to each and every one of those individuals who died on this day, and left loved ones behind. To all the survivors, and the loved ones, my thoughts and prayers go out to you. Words are inadequate in articulating the sadness and grief over the profoundness of this day.

Blessings to you all…

The Counterlife, by Philip Roth

Philip Roth has long been one of my favorite male authors, and in his novel, The Counterlife, I am reminded of his ability to blend the bizarre twists and turns that life throws us into a work of art that resounds with his full range and depth of literary intensity.

Nathan and Henry Zuckerman are estranged brothers, so very different, yet unaware how much alike they actually are. Nathan is an author, Henry is a dentist. For one of them, the reason for living borders on being able to be sexually active. In this respect, he decides to undergo surgery in order to counteract that problem. Even though the surgery could kill him, he elects to take that chance, all in the name of sexual identity. It is his counter life, to fit a desired outcome, a longing for what many of us want, a home, a family, marriage, and the “idealized” life.

Nathan, has long been estranged from Henry, and as an author, seems to live through his brother, writing novels whose characters include Henry. He has a counterlife through his stories, his fantasies and fiction, and his identity is one that is alive due to Henry. Although he is a prolific author in his own right, his works are derived from Henry’s life.

Therein lies the clue in this well written novel. The issue of identity, and what it means to us, is at the core of the story line. What one will do, in order to preserve identity, to create the life we long for, and what we view as our Self, our essence, is the soul of the book. The reader is exposed to the characters fears and how they choose to rewrite their own histories. We are confronted with our own questions of identity, who we are, what we believe, and, finally the question of whether the end result is our own creation of ourselves?

Roth writes with humor, with seriousness, and with a profound and intense insight into the humanity, the insecurities, the deep fears, and the identity crises that exists within all of us. Roth’s strong words and strong theme, shows us how a counter life is not always productive, but could produce undesirable effects, in the end. We might not always receive what we wish for, but then again, we might receive it, but it could turn out that our counter life is actually counter-productive. Philip Roth’s The Counterlife is excellent, and his writing is masterful and brilliant, encapsulating the full range of emotions, and writing down to the bare bones, as only he knows how.

The Garden Grows

The garden grows, the flowers are still popping out all over.

My rose bushes are alive with buds and blooms. From yellows to lavenders, from reds to whites, from peach tones to multi-colors, the gorgeous beauties nod their heads with pure beauty with their splendid tones.

My hibiscus plants are thriving and showing off, their full blouses billowing out in the yard, and on the steps of my porch. From whites to vibrant pinkish-reds, they are divas, resounding in color.

From the minute they begin to uncurl, the hibiscus plants are showoffs.

That is my garden glory, my garden grows and grows in beauty.

~~Notes From the Garden