'Reading as a way of living.' Six words that I find deeply thought-provoking. Books have traveled with me and have been my constant companion since childhood. They were my only friends when my parents moved their young family from Britain to Australia many years ago. A place that will never be home to me. Books and their infinite stories, wisdom, and beauty became my heart's home and my soul's comfort all these years. I have no words to express the gratitude I feel for them as companion's on my life's journey. I recently and unexpectedly entered hospital with a severe viral infection and in the urgency of getting medical care, I had no books. When I finally came home, it was to my beloved books I turned. I also wanted to catch up with your videos and sub-stack essays and poetry. Tracy, you cannot imagine the joy this has given me. Your statement of reading as a way of living could not have come at a better time. It has allowed me to rethink how I see books in my life and I am excited to put - reading as a way of life - into practice as I now move on. As always, your eloquent, meaningful, and wise words were, yet again, a timely joy. So a heartfelt thank you, Tracy. Wishing you blessings and lovely days.
Your message moved me deeply, Carol! 🤗Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I'm so glad to hear that books are bringing you extra comfort and support in this time of hearing. I think books are mini homes for us — each book/topic like a room, offering just the right place we need to be. And as you hint, some real geographical places don't feel like home. But books are always a place we can turn to and find just what we need. I’m so glad my words resonated with you, especially during such a challenging time. Your journey with books is a testament to their power, and I’m honoured to be a small part of it. 🙏Wishing you continued return to health, comfort, joy, and many more pages turned with purpose and love! Blessings, my friend! 💖
Thank you so much for making the time to create this heartwarming and incredibly encouraging email. Thank you for your kind words. They mean more than you will ever know. I love the idea of books being 'mini-homes' what a lovely way to describe them. I want you to know that you make a difference with your words, essays, poems, and videos. It is truly a privilege to be part of a community of kindred spirits. It was brave of you to start it in the first place, but I am beyond grateful to you for doing so. Thank you for your thoughtful and kind wishes. I look forward, so very much, to this ongoing journey. May all good things find you, Tracy. Blessings and gratitude. my friend!
Thank you, Carol! And yes, it does feel very much like a community of kindred spirits here--and I love that! YouTube is a lot of fun, too, but I'm finding being here on Substack rewarding in different ways. That said, coming to both did take courage... which I still muster every day as a quiet, sensitive introvert... who also has things to say. 😂 It is lovely chatting and getting to know you, Carol. 💖
I have to say, and only in a positive way, I feel the difference in your work on Substack. Its as if you have found your 'special' place to share your deep thoughts, experiences and knowledge. A kind of freedom for your quiet, sensitive introverted soul. It really is a privilege to witness it and benefit from your words and to see you embrace, explore and soar in this very special place. Enjoy every precious moment. I know I will. Its lovely chatting and getting to know you also, Tracy. A real joy. Have a lovely day.
Thank you, Carol! Yes, I’m really finding Substack to be a great creative home… possibly even more than YouTube/BookTube in some ways. But i’s fun to have both platforms to try different things and see how the “love through reading” translates! Hope you’re having a great day! ☺️💖
As always your essays are a subtle but deep treat of discovering, moving close to, and finally merging with the beauty of the world. When I was first discovering the magic of Virginia Woolf I would be so transported by her immersive writings but at the same time would visit my favorite rare book store to gently handle their early Woolf editions with the stunningly lovely and lively dust Jacket's designed by Venessa Bell, and when I started viewing her paintings and photography a whole new visible wonder-world opened up that not only harmonized beautifully with the literary world of Virginia but would overlap with it. Now decades later almost all of Venessa's photographs are available on line from the Tate and National Portrait Gallery and they sweep the viewer up into a wild bohemian world including Virginia that was so deeply celebratory of inner life and sensual life and a life of human depths expressed and turned to art. Then there were Roger Fry's exhibitions which predated the US Armory show and brought the world of the post expressionists and abstract painters to Britain first in 1910. We all know Virginia Woolf's line about the world changing around 1910 but what I never realized is if she weren't so measured she could have written around 1910 my friends and I changed the world for they did. Thank you for your beautiful essay that brings these things flooding up like a beautiful warm enveloping late night tsunami of beauty.
Hi, Thomas! ☺️Thank you so much for your kind words—they truly resonate with me. Your reflection on Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell, and the Bloomsbury Group’s vibrant world is itself a beautiful testament to how art and life intertwine. I have a video going out today with a strong focus on the Bloomsbury Group, including some art, so you might like to stop by for that, too. Very much a Bloomsbury summer for me! I've long LOVED the art of Vanessa Bell! And those first editions of Virginia's book with her sister's artwork on the cover — it all adds to the magic. I’m so glad my essay could spark that connection for you, like a wave carrying you back to those moments of discovery. It’s a joy to share this journey with someone who feels and appreciates things so deeply.🙏 I hope all is well with you, my friend... Happy weekend! 💖
Yes, I do know this! ☺️ Happy place, indeed! And I think it is incredibly generous of the Tate to let us view so many of her photos online. I think Vanessa Bell was as gifted a photographer as she was a painter. She had a real knack for capturing a moment, framing it. I guess I'm just a big fan of everything she did--huge inspiration! 💖
If I can make sure I wouldn’t get flagged for copyright violation I will do a big video on the whole life of Venessa Bell and do it in 4K so the full subtlety of her work is conveyed. It is actually the nudes in front of a gorgeous now lost Venessa Painting that I think speaks most eloquently of the energy and verve and daring of the period but if I use that image the video will get an adult only rating which slashes its visibility. But I love love love love love that whole series of photographs. A gorgeous Duncan Grant painting appears in the epochal 1922 issue of “The Dial” in which “The Wasteland Appears” and I do discuss that painting https://youtu.be/xWuXcRTq3ps?si=83CmoSt-Wf_F8r6y
I know this is not typical of Venessa Bell’s work but the fact that she painted it in 1914 just astounds me. Some of her portraits bring the soul of the sitter alive in ways that make me dizzy. If I can work around the copyright problems I will probably devote a lot of late July to Venessa Belle. I don’t mean to flatter you but your morning essay and video made me so incredibly happy I just don’t have words. At any rate thank you for both treasures.
Oh, that is VERY exciting, Thomas... I will certainly be there for your big video featuring Vanessa Bell! 🤩And what a wonderful thing to think of — us both being in company with these brilliant minds for a few weeks. It's a pity that videos can get flagged, and especially art videos flagged as "adult," when there is already a lot of strange stuff on YouTube. But I hope putting the video together goes well! I find that not many talk as much about Vanessa Bell as they do about her sister, Virginia. So it is great to be able to showcase her to more people and help them discover her extraordinary work. I will stop by to watch the video you linked! Vanessa was so great at portraiture... she really brought the sitter's spirit to life in her unique way of painting. And that is lovely--if I've brought some happiness just through a video, well, then I'm very happy in turn. ☺️ Hope this finds you having a good weekend. We're melting over in the heat over here in Norway, which might surprise most — it's not snow all year...haha! 💖
'Reading as a way of living.' Six words that I find deeply thought-provoking. Books have traveled with me and have been my constant companion since childhood. They were my only friends when my parents moved their young family from Britain to Australia many years ago. A place that will never be home to me. Books and their infinite stories, wisdom, and beauty became my heart's home and my soul's comfort all these years. I have no words to express the gratitude I feel for them as companion's on my life's journey. I recently and unexpectedly entered hospital with a severe viral infection and in the urgency of getting medical care, I had no books. When I finally came home, it was to my beloved books I turned. I also wanted to catch up with your videos and sub-stack essays and poetry. Tracy, you cannot imagine the joy this has given me. Your statement of reading as a way of living could not have come at a better time. It has allowed me to rethink how I see books in my life and I am excited to put - reading as a way of life - into practice as I now move on. As always, your eloquent, meaningful, and wise words were, yet again, a timely joy. So a heartfelt thank you, Tracy. Wishing you blessings and lovely days.
Your message moved me deeply, Carol! 🤗Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I'm so glad to hear that books are bringing you extra comfort and support in this time of hearing. I think books are mini homes for us — each book/topic like a room, offering just the right place we need to be. And as you hint, some real geographical places don't feel like home. But books are always a place we can turn to and find just what we need. I’m so glad my words resonated with you, especially during such a challenging time. Your journey with books is a testament to their power, and I’m honoured to be a small part of it. 🙏Wishing you continued return to health, comfort, joy, and many more pages turned with purpose and love! Blessings, my friend! 💖
Thank you so much for making the time to create this heartwarming and incredibly encouraging email. Thank you for your kind words. They mean more than you will ever know. I love the idea of books being 'mini-homes' what a lovely way to describe them. I want you to know that you make a difference with your words, essays, poems, and videos. It is truly a privilege to be part of a community of kindred spirits. It was brave of you to start it in the first place, but I am beyond grateful to you for doing so. Thank you for your thoughtful and kind wishes. I look forward, so very much, to this ongoing journey. May all good things find you, Tracy. Blessings and gratitude. my friend!
Thank you, Carol! And yes, it does feel very much like a community of kindred spirits here--and I love that! YouTube is a lot of fun, too, but I'm finding being here on Substack rewarding in different ways. That said, coming to both did take courage... which I still muster every day as a quiet, sensitive introvert... who also has things to say. 😂 It is lovely chatting and getting to know you, Carol. 💖
I have to say, and only in a positive way, I feel the difference in your work on Substack. Its as if you have found your 'special' place to share your deep thoughts, experiences and knowledge. A kind of freedom for your quiet, sensitive introverted soul. It really is a privilege to witness it and benefit from your words and to see you embrace, explore and soar in this very special place. Enjoy every precious moment. I know I will. Its lovely chatting and getting to know you also, Tracy. A real joy. Have a lovely day.
Thank you, Carol! Yes, I’m really finding Substack to be a great creative home… possibly even more than YouTube/BookTube in some ways. But i’s fun to have both platforms to try different things and see how the “love through reading” translates! Hope you’re having a great day! ☺️💖
As always your essays are a subtle but deep treat of discovering, moving close to, and finally merging with the beauty of the world. When I was first discovering the magic of Virginia Woolf I would be so transported by her immersive writings but at the same time would visit my favorite rare book store to gently handle their early Woolf editions with the stunningly lovely and lively dust Jacket's designed by Venessa Bell, and when I started viewing her paintings and photography a whole new visible wonder-world opened up that not only harmonized beautifully with the literary world of Virginia but would overlap with it. Now decades later almost all of Venessa's photographs are available on line from the Tate and National Portrait Gallery and they sweep the viewer up into a wild bohemian world including Virginia that was so deeply celebratory of inner life and sensual life and a life of human depths expressed and turned to art. Then there were Roger Fry's exhibitions which predated the US Armory show and brought the world of the post expressionists and abstract painters to Britain first in 1910. We all know Virginia Woolf's line about the world changing around 1910 but what I never realized is if she weren't so measured she could have written around 1910 my friends and I changed the world for they did. Thank you for your beautiful essay that brings these things flooding up like a beautiful warm enveloping late night tsunami of beauty.
Hi, Thomas! ☺️Thank you so much for your kind words—they truly resonate with me. Your reflection on Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell, and the Bloomsbury Group’s vibrant world is itself a beautiful testament to how art and life intertwine. I have a video going out today with a strong focus on the Bloomsbury Group, including some art, so you might like to stop by for that, too. Very much a Bloomsbury summer for me! I've long LOVED the art of Vanessa Bell! And those first editions of Virginia's book with her sister's artwork on the cover — it all adds to the magic. I’m so glad my essay could spark that connection for you, like a wave carrying you back to those moments of discovery. It’s a joy to share this journey with someone who feels and appreciates things so deeply.🙏 I hope all is well with you, my friend... Happy weekend! 💖
I am so thrilled it has been a Bloomsbury summer for you. You do beautiful justice to that world. I am pretty sure you know this collection but if you don’t it is a very, very, very happy place for me. Venessa was AMAZING. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/archive/tga-9020/photograph-albums-and-negatives-by-vanessa-bell
Yes, I do know this! ☺️ Happy place, indeed! And I think it is incredibly generous of the Tate to let us view so many of her photos online. I think Vanessa Bell was as gifted a photographer as she was a painter. She had a real knack for capturing a moment, framing it. I guess I'm just a big fan of everything she did--huge inspiration! 💖
If I can make sure I wouldn’t get flagged for copyright violation I will do a big video on the whole life of Venessa Bell and do it in 4K so the full subtlety of her work is conveyed. It is actually the nudes in front of a gorgeous now lost Venessa Painting that I think speaks most eloquently of the energy and verve and daring of the period but if I use that image the video will get an adult only rating which slashes its visibility. But I love love love love love that whole series of photographs. A gorgeous Duncan Grant painting appears in the epochal 1922 issue of “The Dial” in which “The Wasteland Appears” and I do discuss that painting https://youtu.be/xWuXcRTq3ps?si=83CmoSt-Wf_F8r6y
I know this is not typical of Venessa Bell’s work but the fact that she painted it in 1914 just astounds me. Some of her portraits bring the soul of the sitter alive in ways that make me dizzy. If I can work around the copyright problems I will probably devote a lot of late July to Venessa Belle. I don’t mean to flatter you but your morning essay and video made me so incredibly happy I just don’t have words. At any rate thank you for both treasures.
Oh, that is VERY exciting, Thomas... I will certainly be there for your big video featuring Vanessa Bell! 🤩And what a wonderful thing to think of — us both being in company with these brilliant minds for a few weeks. It's a pity that videos can get flagged, and especially art videos flagged as "adult," when there is already a lot of strange stuff on YouTube. But I hope putting the video together goes well! I find that not many talk as much about Vanessa Bell as they do about her sister, Virginia. So it is great to be able to showcase her to more people and help them discover her extraordinary work. I will stop by to watch the video you linked! Vanessa was so great at portraiture... she really brought the sitter's spirit to life in her unique way of painting. And that is lovely--if I've brought some happiness just through a video, well, then I'm very happy in turn. ☺️ Hope this finds you having a good weekend. We're melting over in the heat over here in Norway, which might surprise most — it's not snow all year...haha! 💖
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