Each Little World

Flowers in interiors

I splurged on Ngoc Mihn Ngo's new book, "Bringing Nature Home," as a treat for my birthday earlier this month. Though I have been pouring over its pictures, I've yet to actually use any images or techniques to create my own bouquets. Instead her lush little volume sent me to my garden bookshelves to see how my long-time favorite titles in this genre hold up. The answer is surprisingly well; or maybe it's just that they are such old friends they still look good to me and still have lots to say. 

"Flower Arranging," 1979: This book, published by Conran Octopus, features the work of six designers who are from the U.K. Of particular note are the bouquets of the late great British interior designer, David Hicks. I've always been a big fan of HIcks and these images focus on his "tablescapes," little arrangements of art, interesting objects and something from the garden. 

"Madderlake Flowers Rediscovered," 1985: Madderlake was the florist in the 1980s. Their designs featured lots of garden flowers but they also used lots of orchids and other exotics. Like Ngoc Mihn Ngo's book, the interiors where these bouquets appear are as captivating as the floral designs. Madderlake does fall and funk particularly well. The pictures are all as captivating as the flowers with many different photographers credited, including Shelia Metzner whose deco interiors jump off the page. Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang whose art books in the 1980s were all noteworthy.

Alan Boehmer, one of the three talents behind Madderlake, worked at Chris Kerwin Antiques and Interiors in Madison for a time — giving us a link to Madderlake's big city glamour.

"Decorating with Flowers," 1990: This is the only book that concentrates on the work of one floral artist — Ronaldo Maia — with text by Denise Otis who was the editor of House and Garden at the time, and photos by Ernst Beadle. A big format book, even more extravagant than the previous two titles. This is the one book where I can point to floral creations that I copied right down to the containers. (And looking at these pictures makes me regret getting rid of some of those containers). Maia even inspired me enough that I planted specific flowers in my garden so I could replicate his arrangments with them. He is the first person I remember showing how to make a splash with carnations or gladioli. And the book has twenty-one pages of tips and how-to instructions, complete with step-by-step photos, making it a still valuable resource.

All three books are still available through on-line used book resources and I often see them in brick and mortar secondhand book shops as well.

More WWI fiction

The following two books are both titles I found in Sarah L. Johnson's guide to historical fiction.

"The Fox’s Walk" by Annabel Davis-Goff is the tale of a young girl living in the south of Ireland with her Anglo-Irish grandmother and elderly aunt in the months leading up to the 1916 Easter Rising. Everything is seen and told from her viewpoint as she tries to make sense of events inside and outside of her restricted social circle. Her knowledge — and her growing recognition of her privledged life — is based on snatches of overheard conversations, unexplained adult actions and all the unspoken superstitions and rituals of Anglo-Irish behavior. Reminds me a bit of Mary McCarthy’s “Memories of a Catholic Girlhood” in the sense of Davis-Goff commenting as an adult on her childhood experiences. 

The author creates an almost mesmerizing sense of time and place in her slow unfolding of the story amidst the slow unraveling of the familiar world brought on by Irish politics and WWI. An unexpectedly shocking and violent ending that I should perhaps have seen coming; but one that still fits the story. My only criticism would be that some of the interwoven stories of the historical players in the revolutionary events made for confusion at times. And Davis-Goff often structures her sentences in what I found to be a convoluted manner. But those are minor quibbles about a book that manages to take a dispassionate look at Irish history and yet one whose haunting memory will remain with me.

The following quote from "The Fox’s Walk" particularly resonated with me in light of the events in Wisconsin for the last year:

“My nursery diaries and these books show me something that is always true but almost impossible to keep in mind, that our everyday lives — in the main part dull and lacking in important event — are lived in an historical context.”

I read "Hanging on the Wire" by Gillian Linscott in an evening and it was the lone miss after a string of hit titles I found in Johnson's guide. Too many characters and none caught my interest, including the protagonist. It's the middle of WWI and half the population of England wants an end to the slaughter. The other half views the former group as traitors and redoubles their support for the war to counter the protesters. Among the potential victims of this clash are the hospitals and staff treating soldiers who have had mental breakdowns as a result of their experiences; to say nothing of the soldiers themselves.

The ending was a surprise to me — not unusual in a mystery — but seemed to at odds with the whole premise of the story. And Linscott (in my opinion) negated the value of psychoanalysis in general and as an aid to victims of shell shock in WWI by her cavalier treatment of it. An altogether unsatisfactory read, so I won't bother with any of her other titles in this series.

Anne Perry's WWI novels were so superb, as was "The Fox’s Walk," that I plan to continue to use Sarah Johnson's book as a guide to my reading. All of the books that I've referenced, including Johson's guide are all available through the Wisconsin South Central Library System.

Anne Perry's WWI novels

"Dedicated to my grandfather,

Captain Joseph Reavley,

who served as chaplain

in the trenches during the Great War."

So begins the initial novel in Anne Perry's five volume series set during the First World War. Four of the five mystery novels begin with similar dedications to family members who served in the military: Perry's stepfather was one of the last officers to leave the beaches of Dunkirk in June, 1940; her father was a scientific advisor to the admiralty during WWII; and her brother's an army surgeon.

Canadian stretcher bearers carry wounded through the mud at Passchendaele (aka Third Battle of Ypres, 31 July-10 November 1917). Copyright permission: This item is from The First World War Poetry Digital Archive or the Great War Archive, University of Oxford (www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa).

 

Family background alone would qualify Perry as knowledgeable about the sacrifices members of the military — and their families — make. Add that to a long and successful career as a mystery novelist and you've got the makings of a superb series of wartime stories. In fact, Perry makes her grandfather, Joseph Reavley, the protagonist in the opening book of the series, "No Graves As Yet." The title, like the titles of all the books in the series, are taken from poems of the era and are quoted at the opening of earch volume.

VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) fitters at work on a car at Etaples. Copyright permission: This item is from The First World War Poetry Digital Archive or the Great War Archive, University of Oxford (www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa).

 

"No Graves As Yet" opens with that quintessential English scene: a game of cricket on a summer afternoon. But the golden moment is shattered with the announcement of the death of Joseph Reavley's parents in an automobile accident. But when Joseph gathers with his siblings to mourn their parents, his brother Matthew — who works in British intelligence — suggests their deaths may not have been an accident. A cryptic phone message to Matthew from their father the day before his death suggests he had found an incendiary document that could bring down the British government and even destroy the nation's honor and reputation. 

The story follows the two brothers as they search for the document their father referenced, try to determine who's behind it, who can be trusted and what should they do with this information. 

German factory workers in 1917. The original caption says that the munitions are made with 'heart and hand for the Fatherland'. Copyright permission: This item is from The First World War Poetry Digital Archive or the Great War Archive, University of Oxford (www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa).

 

The five books move among the four fictional Reavley siblings, who also include Judith, an ambulance dirver on the Western Front, and Hannah, living with her young children in the family home; Hannah's husband who's in the British navy also appears. There's a cast of recurring characters, mostly townspeople and soldiers in the ranks, who are as well-drawn and real as the main figures, and who allow us to follow people at all levels of society at the front and at home. 

The books scan a wide range of subjects and locations, ranging from family relationships, university and small town life, to the struggle for Irish independence; from Ypres to Gallipoli to the Battle of Jutland. They are totally satisfying stories that never seem false. Though Perry always catches you up on the characters and the prior action in each book, there is a richness of detail and association that accumulates by reading them in order: "No Graves as Yet," "Angels in the Gloom, "Shoulder the Sky," "At Some Disputed Barricade," and "We Shall Not Sleep." 

Andre Kertesz: Latrine. Poland, 1915. (When I was trying to find this Kertesz image, I discovered this poem based on the photo). Click on the photo to enlarge it which will give you a graphic idea of a soldier's life in the Great War.

. . .

Since Perry's books all began with a quote from WWI-era poetry, I visited the Great War Archive, an amazing on-line resource which includes photos and The First World War Digital Poetry Archive, among its categories. Many of the items in the archive were submitted digitally by individuals who had retained family items from WWI, thus providing much more material to scholars. According to the archive: 

"Over four months in 2008 the public were invited to submit digital images of items originating from the First World War. This proved a powerful means of building the archive and making use of the Internet’s ability to tap into amateur digitisation and bring together unknown collections. Because of the chronological proximity of the First World War, many people hold personal items to do with the war that they have been happy to share via a straightforward licence. All submissions required basic metadata, copyright clearance, limited in file size, and have been vetted before release. In total over 6,500 items were submitted to the archive, all of which are now freely available online in the Great War Archive."

These items came from people from different countries and different sides of the conflict, like the German factory photo (2nd from the bottom).

Grow it forward

To celebrate Spring, Timber Press is having an "Edibles Contest" which closes this Friday. They are giving away a great gardening package that includes organic heirloom vegetable seeds, a bare root fruit tree and an "edibles library" of wonderful Timber Press books. I rarely enter contests and I don't have enough sun or space to grow food in my garden.

But while reading about this contest, I discovered the fantastic garden poster below (from a different heirloom seed contest). The poster — by Joe Wirtheim — is from the Victory Garden of Tomorrow which offers a whole series of great garden images as offset prints, screen prints, postcards and on t-shirts. Check them out; I think you will fall in love with their retro design style!

I am receiving no remuneration for this announcement; just love the art and want to spread the word.

A taste of Nepal (and elsewhere)

Mark arrived home from the grocery store late Friday morning just in time to beat the snow storm. He then spent the afternoon cooking spicy Nepalese dishes which he proceeded to serve in courses spread out over a couple of hours. He cooked, we ate, we read by the fire and then he cooked some more.

Strange as it may seem, Madison has a wealth of fabulous Nepalese restaurants. We've been going to the grandmother of them all, Himal Chuli, for more than twenty years. We finally decided we needed to learn how to cook some of our favorite dishes at home, which is how Mark wound up buying Taste of Nepal by Jyoti Pathak.

We began our meal with Taareko Alu or Spicy Sauteed Potatoes from that cookbook. Mark had made these before and this time decided to cut them like chunky French fries and to serve them as an hors d'oeuvre with a glass of Guinness Black Lager. They are fabulous and would work well as a starch with any number of grilled or roasted meats.

This was followed by bowls of Dal a la Himal Chuli. There is nothing more comforting, more warming, more sustaining than Himal's Dal. We'd tried to replicate it at home without much success. I decided to look on-line to see if the restaurant had ever published the recipe; no such luck. But local blogger Jessie Bluejay experimented until she came up with her own recipe to recreate Himal Chuli's Dal at home.

We tried it and thought it was a match. This time Mark served us leftover Dal that we had frozen when we made it after discovering Bluejay's recipe not long ago. De-frosted, and heated up, it still held up quite well both in texture and flavor. Mark served the Dal with Capital Brewery's Winter Skal. We emptied our bowls before I thought to have Mark snap a photo.

(Note that Bluejay's recipe has a couple of visual glitches in it; they appear to be related to accent marks and do not affect the recipe itself or ingredient amounts).

The Dal was followed by Tsak Sha Momos or Tibetan Beef Dumplings, a recipe that appeared in the New York Times not long ago. Momos are a staple at Himal Chuli and these were close enough to their version to satisfy us. Mark served them with Potosi Brewery's Cave Ale and a No Cook Tomato Chutney from the Taste of Nepal cookbook, similar to the way they are presented at Himal. The Tibetan Hot Sauce in the NYTimes sounded too hot for the subtle flavor of Momos. 

He was going to also make a stir-fried Ramechhap-style cabbage (from Taste of Nepal), but we ate so many potatoes that we decided to forego that dish.

Huma Siddiqui is a native of Pakistan who has lived in Wisconsin for quite a number of years. She's well-known locally for her televised cooking show, spice blends, and her evocative book, "Jasmine in her Hair." Part-memoir, part-cookbook, this little volume focuses on "culture and cuisine from Pakistan." It is a touching family saga filled with fabulous recipes.

Here you can find more versions of Dal, as well as a recipe for Saag Aloo (spinach with potatoes), one of Mark's favorite dishes from Himal Chuli; though they add black-eyed peas. And Huma also has a recipe for Samosas: pastry stuffed with spiced potatoes. Huma deep-fries hers while they are baked at Himal Chuli. Either way, another great dish winter or summer.

Here's a little video of Huma cooking. Having worked as her assistant during some of the cooking classes she taught at Orange Tree Imports, I want to point out that — though you can't tell from this video — Huma is always wearing heels and never wears an apron. You will also notice that she never seems rushed or tense when she cooks. Being in a kitchen with Huma is an almost meditative experience. If you live in Dane County, consider taking one of her classes or sitting in on the TV tapings. At the very least you will want to add her lovely book to your cooking library.

 

Editor's note: Just caught up with last week's edition of Isthmus where I read that Himal Chuli was the first Nepali restaurant in the country when it opened in Madison in 1986.

Historical Fiction

When I was growing up, I read a lot of historical fiction like the novels about the American Revolution by the great Kenneth Roberts. Those led me to non-fiction and biography as a way to learn more about, and to appreciate, history. It's a love that continues to this day. And I also continue to veer back and forth between reading the serious views of the history of an era and the novels that describe the same period.

I'm not sure how I discovered "Historical Fiction: A Guide to the Genre" by Sarah L. Johnson but it is a great find, tailor-made for readers like me. The book is one of the titles in the "Genreflecting Advisory Series" geared to library staff. Locally it is part of the South Central Library System's "professional collection," which includes a circulating copy of the book. No matter what type of fiction you're interested in — teen romance, Jewish-American, African-American, horror, sci-fi — there is a Genreflecting guide. 

Though "Historical Fiction" was only published in 2005, there is already a Vol. II to this particular subject. According to the author's website, Vol. I covers over 3,800 historical novels, 1995-2004, arranged by subgenre. Vol. II — published in March 2009 — is a  guide to over 2,700 historical novels, 2004-present, plus info on the latest trends. Mind boggling, huh?

The thing that makes this such a useful tool for librarians and readers alike, is that the book begins with a discussion about the appeal of the past, what readers are looking for, and the various "appeal factors" in this subject, such as type of character, pacing, level of realism. Then the titles are arranged by a finely-calibrated subgenre categorization with sections on traditional historical novels, multi-period epics, Westerns, historical mysteries, literary historical novels and so forth. And then those categories are further broken down by period (ancient civilizations, Victorian) and country or geographic region.

So that means you can hone in on a very specific group of titles that will appeal to you. Or you can find a whole new area to explore. I began by looking for titles and authors that I had already read in a particular category to see what Johnson said about them. Then I went to the library looking for my list of suggested new authors and titles. I currently have home a selection of books by three authors dealing with the WWI era, both straight-out mystery novels and literary titles. The first book I started was so compelling that I am about to finish the fifth and final book in the series (which I will write about another time). 

If you like to read in a particular area, I would suggest looking for the Genreflecting guide that fits your taste. Johnson's volume on Historial Fiction has proved so immediately rewarding that I could imagine using it as a guide for a long time. Johson also has her own blog: Reading the Past, where she reviews books including titles that are out of print. Another bonus for someone like me who is already a fan of publishers of out of print lit like Persephone Books.  

The storefront of Persephone Books in London. 

The Journal of Japanese Gardening

When we moved to this house more than 17 years ago, we turned mainly to books for ideas and information about designing the garden we envisioned. We quickly came to the realization that most garden magazines focused on traditional European style ornamental gardens, with a nod to American prairies and vegetable gardens. But we were interested in Asian, especially Japanese, gardens. Until we discovered The Journal of Japanese Gardening — now known as  Sukiya Living — we just assumed there was no publication directed entirely at folks who want a garden based on a different cultural model than the typical British or American landscape. 

We've been getting Sukiya Living since late 2005 (Issue No. 47), and we find it fascinating and frustrating in equal measure. Because it is the creation of a small staff with a highly opinionated publisher, the magazine can be didactic, dismissive or delightful from issue to issue and page to page. We're never sure what to expect when it arrives in the mail. It comes out 6 times a year and costs $35.00 in the U.S. We subscribe since it is not a publication you'll find on the newsstand.

 Sukiya Living publisher Douglas M. Roth has very specific ideas about the magazine and the subject of Japanese gardens. He's not one to mince words if readers' attitudes or preferences don't fit his definition of Sukiya Living. One time the magazine published a long letter (Issue No. 72) from a reader critical of a story and the attitudes it expressed. The letter writer wrote, "I really don't like your attitude of intolerance and your snotty lambasting of those that don't meet your ridiculous and self codified standards of authenticity." The Editor's comment was "It's nice to hear that you enjoy your garden so much."

While that letter writer was an unknown garden designer from Louisianna, I had previously noted an even more critical letter from Douglas Dawson of Chicago (Issue No. 54). Dawson owns a prestigious art gallery specializing in "ancient and historic art from Africa, Asia and the Americas." So he knows what he is talking about when he criticizes Sukiya LIving, saying that like Mark and I, he is "often both humored and entertained by the vituperative opinions expressed . . ." But he went on to censor the writer of the particular article for "her narrow and borderline racist attitude" directed at all of us gaijin gardeners.

The attitudes and writing style by the staff of the magazine seem to be less strident in tone these days. But I would like to have a better sense that they recognize that the mere fact that we're trying to learn about this subject — and paying for this education with a subscription to the magazine — is a praiseworthy endeavor in and of itself. Not everyone has access to the same materials, skilled craftsmen and budget to create the kind of garden we might admire and aspire to.

Despite my criticism and that of other readers, I must admit that Sukiya Living is filled with informative articles, tips and directions for everything from pruning to concrete work, book reviews and assorted commercial and public resources. If Japanese gardens are your passion, definitely subscribe to Sukiya Living. Just remember to keep some grains of salt at the ready while you're reading.

Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History

It is an article of faith with me that a place consists of everything that has happened there; it is a reservoir of memories, and understanding those memories is not a trap but a liberation, a menu of possibilities. The richer the knowledge, the wider the options. Multiplicity is all. The only enemy is narrow, singular definition. And Sissinghurst, perhaps like any place that people have loved, is layered with these multiplicities. 

— Adam Nicolson

Is there a gardener anywhere, no matter the size, style or location of their garden, who does not know of Sissinghurst? Who cannot mentally envison the white garden or the view from the Tower? If you can do that, imagine what it would be like to spend your childhood roaming the landscape at Sissinghurst and then wake up one morning and know it's yours. And yet it's not.

That's the predicament of Adam Nicolson whose grandparents — Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson — restored the Elizabethan buildings to create a home at Sissinghurst and designed and built the famed gardens surrounding it. Nicolson inherited it from his father who assured its continuity by giving it to Britain's National Trust. Sissinghurst is one of the few Trust properties that has been a successful tourist attraction from the get-go.

But to Adam it is missing its heart: the working farm that existed as part of Sissinghurst for hundreds of years. Nicolson wants Sissinghurst to have that working center again. To put it in simple terms, he wants to "grow lunch," believeing "a good lunch would make a good landscape." How he tries to go about making changes at Sissinghurst — and whether he can or should do so — is an engrossing story no matter what way you look at it.

"Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History" is a must-read for anyone who loves Sissinghurst in order to understand not only its long and complex story but the larger implications of becoming a Trust propery. But Nicolson gives us so much more than that; it's  a story about family, history, ecology, change, tradition, consensus, individuality, and, of course, creating a garden. All of it so beautifully and thoughtfully written that I found myself reading phrases and paragraphs a second time, and though you can't tell it from this review, I compiled five pages of notes by the time I finished the book! 

Nicolson in the Rose Garden at Sissinghurst. NTPL/Penny Tweedie 

Something sweet for Valentine's Day

Sophie Blackall's "Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found" is a sweet but not sugary small confection. Blackall, an artist, blogger and reader of on-line postings of "missed connections" has turned these sometimes silly, often wistful messages — very short short stories — into a book of arresting images. Each tale is told in a single image illustrated with Blackall's watercolors and calligraphy. Sometimes the words are all part of the picture; sometimes the full text is only readable on the page facing the picture.

The book — at only $14.00 — would make a much longer lasting impression than flowers or candy at a fraction of the cost. In this time of continuing economic worries, nobody wants a gift that strains someone else's budget. If you're looking for a memento of the occasion that is both quirky and tender, Blackall's book is perfect. If you want to splurge, she has an Etsy shop where she sells prints of her charming illustrations. And if the budget is terribly tight, "Missed Connections" is available through the South Central Wisconsin Library System. Or you can read and enjoy her blog posts about her father's adventures.

Illustrations by Sophie Blackall from her Etsy shop.

Understanding Garden Design

Over the years I have read so many garden books that I am always surprised when I discover something new. In this case it's something I've thought about but rarely seen discussed: why design a garden at all? Vanessa Gardner Nagel doesn't pull any punches in "Understanding Garden Design," another great new title avialable from Timber Press. Nagel worked as a commercial interior designer before she switched gears and moved outdoors. How to talk to clients and break down a project from initial questions through concepts to finished projects is her forte. While this book is inteded as "The Complete Handbook for Aspiring Designers" it is useful for those of us trying to design our gardens on our own.

Among the very useful topics Nagel (pictured below) details are the critical practicalities that must be attended to if your garden is to succeed: how to measure your slope, how to calculate how many gallons of water come off your roof for harvesting, how high and deep outdoor steps should be to name a few.

She also suggests that one make a "scope statement" which describes and ennumerates all the things you want your garden to be and do. This is a generalized list of items like creating a space for evening activities or allowing room for pets. Nagel creates a "scope statement" for a hypothetical property and then uses that imaginary home as an on-going example as she goes through the design process step-by-step. 

Nagel also includes a section on plants, considering them from a structural perspective and cataloging them as "thrillers, spillers and fillers." You get the picture. Once you've created your plan, she gives advice on working with contractors, including how to find and screen candidates.

And lastly she deals with post-construction issues: adding furniture and art and dealing with guests. This may be the first garden design book I've ever read that squarely offers "crowd control techniques" and strategies for having a successful garden party and open garden events. Nagel brilliantly ends with a list of protocals she calls "garden etiquette for the unintitiated." The question is, would it be rude to hand out this list to the next group that visits the garden?

. . . 

Vanessa Gardner Nagel's "Understanding Garden Design" is available through the Wisconsin South Central Library System.