I remembering playing " Cut The Pie" (a game of tag) at night in our back yard, the only light we had was the glow of the kitchen window. When we were too tired, we would fall on our backs in the snow, which felt like a huge bed, I would look up at the stars and tried to count them all. Brings a smile to my face right now just writing about it.
Wonderful! This is so full of gems, I'll come back to it. Pamuk's 'Snow' is a superb novel, one of my favourites of his. I remember epic snowfalls in Turkey. And weird but great to see Pamuk in the same essay as Henry James. Thank you so much for putting all this together. It feels like a public service!
Reading this I was thinking that you should have a snow scrap book, but actually, this is it!
The quote by Joyce was stunning, and I enjoyed the others, too. I imagine you will have been to the Musee d'Orsay: have you seen "La Pie" by Monet? I had a postcard of that on my wall - still got it framed somewhere. Snow is a dazzling subject for art - a gorgeous phenomenon. Your joy and connection with it is palpable. When it falls in huge quantities and immobilizes us it's as if it is forcing us to stop what we are doing and look at its beauty. In turn this allows us to marvel, connect with nature and see that we are part of a much bigger picture. Maybe this is what your son instinctively feels when he rolls in the snow. He is experiencing the riches around him and thinking "this is all mine!!" Delightful. A spiritual awakening where he is identifying with his environment and realising that he owns it and it owns him. (Either that or he just wants to build a snow man!)
Thanks for this lovely post. I will be returning to it as there is so much to enjoy in it.
I've saved this post in order to have a more considered read later, as it's so rich. But just to say, I read The Dead again recently in the context of a lit course called Great British Short Stories. Even after several readings that ending causes goosebumps. Actually, the whole story is brilliantly written.
Fantastic and thorough investigation of all things snowy! I have mixed feelings about snow: nothing is more beautiful to look at as an unspoilt snowfall, especially as it drops dark in the early evening. I think we are all sold on the idea of a New England winter and the idea of a white Christmas, which we rarely get here in the UK. But I also agree with your mum - it IS a total pain in the butt if you have to work or get anywhere! This last week we have had snow and ice and several pre-Christmas things had to be cancelled. My teenager also says they hate that they no longer get snow days with online learning!!
What a kaleidoscopic look at all things snow, Kate! Always a New Englander at heart, I enjoyed every moment of this. 💙
Also, your opening quite has inspired me to pick up Dubliners again after several years! (Reading Araby in my favorite English teacher’s class in high school changed my life.)
And on the musical side of things, I very much recommend Schubert’s Winterreise song cycle. With just voice and a piano, he's able to evoke so many sounds of winter: the crunch of snow underfoot, the wind whipping against a creaky weather vane, ice collecting on windows conjure mirage-like visions of spring flowers ... So much to enjoy!
"as if the ghosts are among the living and the living exist also among the dead". I love that and feel that at times. There's something about a thick, quite snow fall.
I remembering playing " Cut The Pie" (a game of tag) at night in our back yard, the only light we had was the glow of the kitchen window. When we were too tired, we would fall on our backs in the snow, which felt like a huge bed, I would look up at the stars and tried to count them all. Brings a smile to my face right now just writing about it.
Wonderful! This is so full of gems, I'll come back to it. Pamuk's 'Snow' is a superb novel, one of my favourites of his. I remember epic snowfalls in Turkey. And weird but great to see Pamuk in the same essay as Henry James. Thank you so much for putting all this together. It feels like a public service!
Reading this I was thinking that you should have a snow scrap book, but actually, this is it!
The quote by Joyce was stunning, and I enjoyed the others, too. I imagine you will have been to the Musee d'Orsay: have you seen "La Pie" by Monet? I had a postcard of that on my wall - still got it framed somewhere. Snow is a dazzling subject for art - a gorgeous phenomenon. Your joy and connection with it is palpable. When it falls in huge quantities and immobilizes us it's as if it is forcing us to stop what we are doing and look at its beauty. In turn this allows us to marvel, connect with nature and see that we are part of a much bigger picture. Maybe this is what your son instinctively feels when he rolls in the snow. He is experiencing the riches around him and thinking "this is all mine!!" Delightful. A spiritual awakening where he is identifying with his environment and realising that he owns it and it owns him. (Either that or he just wants to build a snow man!)
Thanks for this lovely post. I will be returning to it as there is so much to enjoy in it.
I've saved this post in order to have a more considered read later, as it's so rich. But just to say, I read The Dead again recently in the context of a lit course called Great British Short Stories. Even after several readings that ending causes goosebumps. Actually, the whole story is brilliantly written.
Fantastic and thorough investigation of all things snowy! I have mixed feelings about snow: nothing is more beautiful to look at as an unspoilt snowfall, especially as it drops dark in the early evening. I think we are all sold on the idea of a New England winter and the idea of a white Christmas, which we rarely get here in the UK. But I also agree with your mum - it IS a total pain in the butt if you have to work or get anywhere! This last week we have had snow and ice and several pre-Christmas things had to be cancelled. My teenager also says they hate that they no longer get snow days with online learning!!
What a kaleidoscopic look at all things snow, Kate! Always a New Englander at heart, I enjoyed every moment of this. 💙
Also, your opening quite has inspired me to pick up Dubliners again after several years! (Reading Araby in my favorite English teacher’s class in high school changed my life.)
And on the musical side of things, I very much recommend Schubert’s Winterreise song cycle. With just voice and a piano, he's able to evoke so many sounds of winter: the crunch of snow underfoot, the wind whipping against a creaky weather vane, ice collecting on windows conjure mirage-like visions of spring flowers ... So much to enjoy!
"as if the ghosts are among the living and the living exist also among the dead". I love that and feel that at times. There's something about a thick, quite snow fall.
From one of my favorite winter-themed songs (and a lovely tribute to a wonderful late musician):
"When winter falls
Next year, I'll be holding on
To anything nailed down
As for being patient with fate and all, it's getting old
And my mind is slowly changing
I'm calling all my oldest friends
Saying, "Sorry for this mess we're in"
And I'm waiting, waiting
For the sun to come and melt this snow
Wash away the pain and give me back control, control..."
"Winter" by Bayside
Thank you for another fantastic late night read.
🔥❄️♥️