Tag: art

Desert Islands by Walter de la Mare

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If any of you would like to read an interesting book (which I’m sure you do), please try Walter de la Mare’s Desert Islands. I have a rule to buy any work of Walter de la Mare’s that I don’t already have; I like him a lot.

Desert Islands is sort of a collection of essays (that’s what I would call it because no two chapters seem to flow together) that not only examine themes of isolation in stories like Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe, but also Mare documents accounts of isolation in stages of Morphine-induced hallucinations from famous writers and letters written by scholars on the subject. It was a wonderful discovery. Every page was like a candle lit in some dark corner of a history forgotten. I can’t imagine there is another book quite like it out there.

This hard cover copy is a 1930 illustrated edition set against an old 1909 postcard and some shells and sand from California.

The book of Leviticus

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

*Disclaimer: Again, I have no authority to teach you, if you disagree with my thinking that’s OK!

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It’s Friday which means I’m sharing our next book of the Bible! I will say Leviticus and Numbers (I will talk about Numbers in two weeks) are two of the hardest books to get through because they, to me, are a bit boring. But the book of Leviticus, written by Moses, shares with us one of the most important and relevant verses. One which speaks profoundly to our present time and political atmosphere:

“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” –Leviticus 19:33-34

Not only can this be applied to our own U.S. border, but also to when you get introduced to your future in-laws, or a newcomer in the neighborhood, workplace, or religious organization. It is one of two important verses I have noted from this book. Most of the book is filled with strict instruction on how to keep the sabbath holy and ourselves holy. It feels very primitive to me. Some might find this interesting, but I was rather bored. Yet I see where it is an incredibly important addition to the Bible itself. Next week I’ll share thoughts on Galatians.

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#bibleverse #bible #biblejournaling #christianity #christians #religion #episcopal #church #episcopalchurch #biblestudy #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #bookreview #booknerdigans #booknerd #bookgeek #bookphotography #bibliophile #library

Proper Mourning by Brianne Turczynski

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ 2 Comments

I can’t do a book review today, but I wanted to share my little work of fiction is up on amazon and Barnes and Noble. http://bit.ly/ProperMourning

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I continue to pursue an agent and publishers for my other fiction and poetry, but a few years ago I felt my first novel should get off my flash drive and come alive on the market, because I come alive every time someone reads it—and I need to be alive!! Self publishing is no joke. It is hard work—you have to learn many new skills—and to be successful you must go all the way with it.

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LOST STORY: 🤫 There were so many grammatical errors that it was impossible to find them all. In my last round, the computer read it aloud to me, but I kept falling asleep—not because I was bored but because I have read it 1,000,000 times!! So if you find a little error it is because I dozed off right there, which makes for a more intimate reading experience for you because you know this fact, don’t you think? Now don’t tell anyone I told you that! Mum’s the word! 🤭😉

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Many authors are ashamed of their first novel, including Stephen King. W. Somerset Maugham actually tried to sue his publisher because he wouldn’t take his first novel off the market. 😂 So, am I ashamed? No. Although my art and skill has advanced, of course, and will continue to do so, this work is very precious to me, because it is where I found myself and my life renewed. I could curl up with this book and sleep with it every night I love it so much!

.Plus—my husband drew the owl and he’s so cute!

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#selfpublish #bookstagram #book #reading #readersofinstagram #booknerdigans #booknerds #bookgeek #writers #writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #amazon #barnesandnoble #literature #literaryfiction #fiction #historicalfiction #writer #amreading #amwriting #literaryagent @ Michigan

The Return by Walter de la Mare

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love Walter de la Mare! Although I gave this a three, it is only because his other work is so fabulous that this one failed to thrill by comparison. Much of his work carries the theme of isolation. In The Return, although not his best work, the protagonist gets possessed by a dead man after falling asleep on his grave. But De la Mare doesn’t seem to know what to do next with this, so the character is caught in a tangle of estrangement with friends, family, and even himself throughout the story. But perhaps that was the point all along—a point which begs one to ask: who are we anyway? .

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This copy is from @aaknopf a 1922 edition. .

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#bibliophile #library #bookshelf #bookstagram #books #bookstagrammer #reading #readersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #writer #read #bookphotography #death #halloween #fall #leaves #flowers #graveyard #dead #alive #booknerd #booknerdigans #bookgeek #isolation #nerd #geek #alfredaknopf

Victory by Joseph Conrad

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Although written in 1915 this suspense novel by Joseph Conrad feels incredibly modern. I couldn’t believe the date myself as it seemed more like a mid-century novel. I liked it once it got rolling. Heyst is a loner who has spent much of his life living on an island, but when he rescues a young musician and brings her to his island he finds his isolation continues in his own mind. Yet he must save the woman again as his island gets “invaded” and in this he is proving his love for her which seems to only have face value, because they never seem to jive really. It’s sort of a disconnected love story between people who don’t really relate to one another. 🤷‍♀️ I liked it though! 😄

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Pictured is the modern library 1921 edition set against an antique acrylic(?) painting. .

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#bookish #bookstagram #bookshop #book #reading #readersofinstagram #writing #writersofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookphotography #bibliophile #island #josephconrad #victory #bookshelf #library #amreading #amwriting #read #readingnook #booknerdigans #booknerd #bookgeek #suspense #thriller #literary #novel

The Gospel of Matthew

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

Disclaimer: I have no authority to teach you about any of these wonderful books, so if you read on, please take what I say lightly. As a writer I find the Bible an interesting home for allegory, I could decipher every line for a lifetime of endless fun for me, but for you, I can only communicate what I learned. Perhaps you disagree and that’s OK!*

“‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” He said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, so he cried out, ‘Lord, Save me.'”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand & caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why doubt?'”
-Matthew 14:28-31

Doubt is a very dangerous emotion, and can indeed make us sink. We can feel on top of everything, then if we allow doubt to enter our minds, our moral sinks like a stone in water. The wind here can represent persecutors in any form–people at work attacking us, our friends, our family. It could be an obstacle in the way of our success, addiction, or our own phobias. Peter took his eyes off Christ for a moment and noticed the wind–his body began to react (a fight or flight scenario), and he began to doubt. But if he had total faith, he would have stayed afloat. Sort of like Peter Pan which could have very well been written based on this story from the gospels. “PETER” needed a happy thought to fly. If you are a Christian that happy thought is Jesus and his perpetual guiding hand of comfort and safety.

Amen.

Just me and my day

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

Got my haircut this morning by @luminariessalonboutique, and so I’m out and about early to meet my mother for coffee. She says she misses me because I’ve been in Detroit at various library archives doing research for weeks; I will give her my day. I’m waiting for her while I write contemplate and read. Nina Simone is playing in the background—my baby just cares for me. Tomorrow I will be visiting the archives at U of M—Back to work! 💕

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Pictured is one fancy latte, St. Teresa de Avila’s memoir, the Climate Justice issue of @geezmagazine, and my notebook with a new story in the works. 😄

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#bookish #bibliophile #bookshelf #bookphotography #library #coffee #bookstagram #book #readersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #journal #climatechange #socialjustice

Adam Bede by George Elliot

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Today, if an agent were presented a query letter and the manuscript of Adam Bede, they would have rejected it over and over again and society would have lost a fabulous story. But I doubt that many people today would have the patience for this book. It took 100+ pages for me to get into it where I didn’t want to put it down. It was like a really innocent pastoral soup opera. Every sentence is delicious and every character is well developed to the point that you are sad when your journey with them is over. .

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Pictured is a 1909 edition set against a 1972 sketch of a cobbler. This print was originally hanging in the shoe department in the old Hudson’s in Downtown Detroit, which has since been demolished.

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#bookish #booknerd #booknerdigans #library #vintage #edwardian #reading #writing #writersofinstagram #readersofinstagram #writingcommunity #bookreviews #bookshelf #bookstagram #bookstagramer #farm #methodist #love #bibliophile #bookphotography #nerd #geek #vintageprints

Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

It’s time for me to share some spooky reads! .

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I enjoyed this a lot though it was a bit dark. It seems to lose color as one progresses into the story, which is a result of Wilde’s genius. It seemed, in my memory, to begin with pink gardens in the light of day with light and jolly conversation and ended in a dark room, leaving behind a sinister residue of death. It gradually smudged away gaiety until Dorian’s soul was completely void of life. .

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Pictured is a 2000 edition Penguin Classic hard cover against a vintage framed print and some nasturtiums I recused from the frost last night. 😄

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#bookish #bookshelf #reading #readersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #bibliophile #bookphotography #library #faulknerhousebooks #booksandloststories #book #amreading #amwriting #death #pictures #flowers #booknerd #bookgeek #booknerdigans #museum #halloween #spooky #change #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

Bible Book Reviews! EXODUS today!

~ Brianne Turczynski ~ Leave a comment

I have no authority to teach you about any of these wonderful books, so if you read on, please take what I say lightly. As a writer I find the Bible an interesting home for allegory, I could decipher every line for a lifetime of endless fun for me, but for you, I can only communicate what I learned. Perhaps you disagree and that’s OK!

Exodus is the story of Moses trying to convince the Pharaoh to release the Israelites so they can worship in the wilderness for three days. The word ‘wilderness’ to me is very significant, but I won’t talk about that today. My first notes on this book are below… “Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” -Exodus 5:2 *First, you should understand my thinking that there are two lives we live. One life we live in the world (as a consumer for ourselves), one life we live in the spirit (a giver to others). We can choose to live in one life more than the other.* “To me Pharaoh represents the ‘world’ which constantly distracts us & pulls us away from God (life in the spirit) in every news report, in every advertisement, in every new ‘this’ and new ‘that’. We are perpetually distracted by a world that asks with blatant indifference, ‘who is the Lord?’. Moses here wants to ‘free’ the people who wish to live in the spirit, today we might think of this freedom as a freedom from addiction, freedom from selfishness, freedom from guilt, from arrogance, from pride and cynicism. The world perpetuates all of these qualities by making us blind to what is TRUTH & LOVE. 💕💕💕