Herzog

Moses Herzog: Self-absorbed middle aged intellectual goes through mid-life crisis. Hey—that’s me!...with the exception of the intellectual part. No, really, this is a modern classic and a great book to discuss with friends (self-absorbed middle aged pseudo-intellectuals like myself...you know...birds of a feather etc). Anyway...Herzog ponders at length such weighty topics as 'how should a man live his life in the modern world'. Fair enough question, don’t you think?

Moshe spends his time writing letters he never sends, tries to exorcize the demon of a disastrous marriage to a beautiful, but uh…difficult woman, and finally finds himself (yea!) while at his wonderful, but semi-abandoned and derelict house in the country.

Wow! I think it’s time for a retreat, of sorts.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Once you tire of the ‘coffee shops’ etc, try the Van Gogh Museum. When I used to think of Van Gogh, it was of his out of this world mature style-the sunflower series, Starry Night, self portraits. Until I visited the Van Gogh Museum, I had no idea how much effort went into developing the style that we’re all familiar with. This man was not just a nutty creative savant who whipped this stuff out …he worked his ass off! The process of how he arrived at his highly articulated creative vision is fascinating and all on display in more or less chronological order in the museum. In the span of 8 years of intense labor, he progressed through a multitude of differing styles, until arriving at Arles primed to create the masterpieces he is known for, just 2 years before the end of his life.

Started painting at 27, dead at 37. Perhaps prozac would have helped, then again, Starry Night may then have looked like something done by Thomas Kinkade.

Another monkey story

I look at this and ask myself…what were you thinking of? My normally discriminating taste in objets d’art was apparently absent the day I spied it. Well, the artist was a cool guy who was really putting it out there, something that should be encouraged, right? So, I wanted to support him in his quest and thought I should get something and the monkey pic was the least expensive painting he had on display. At the time I thought it was great...oy vey!

I suppose I’ll put it next to the family portraits at the lake place.