To Get the Full Sound................

“I am reading six books at once, the only way of reading; since, as you will agree, one book is only a single unaccompanied note, and to get the full sound, one needs ten others at the same time.”
                                                                                                                                                    Virginia Woolf

 In August, it seems there is less to do in the garden; and the strong sun and heat of the day drives one indoors.  This respite though, provides an opportunity to focus on other projects. 

In an effort to continue my research on Vanessa Bell,  I am reading (and for several, re-reading) six books at once---Selected Letters of Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant a Biography, The Art of Bloomsbury, Vanessa Bell: Sketches in Pen and Ink, and the Letters of Virginia Woolf Vols I and II.  My current research involves seeking out letters, diaries, memoirs, and reminiscences that provide details about Bell's experiences, impressions, and insights while traveling and painting in Italy.  Indeed, in order to avoid "a single unaccompanied note, and to get the full sound" will require reading materials far beyond my own Bloomsbury library. A trip to the the Sussex University Library, and the Modern Archives at King's College Cambridge to access Bell's original letters, seems in order, doesn't it?

Time Alone..........

    “The truth is I like it when people actually come but I love it when they go.”
                                                                                           Virginia Woolf

   

   Like Virginia, I like it when people.....friends, family, grandchildren..... come by, visit, stay awhile.  But I also love it when they go.  Quiet mornings inspire, tending the garden energizes, and having time alone to write is absolute joy.