Then the hearthstone, which was a fairy hearthstone, spoke:

—Cinderello, why do you sigh?
—The wind outside makes moan and my heart mourns.
—Cinderello, the wind is silent and stirs not a leaf. Why do you sigh?
—The blood of all the animals I’ve killed glows red in my memory.
—Cinderello, in your memory is naught but the cool breeze on your cheeks, the crisp dawn grass beneath your feet, and the pond’s misty mirror. What is your sorrow?
—The loss of my beloved mother surrounds me with lament.
—The loss of your beloved mother never drives you from the books you both so cherished. Cinderello, you are lying.
~ Pierrette Fleutiaux, “Cinderello”

September Readings

I’ll be making two appearances in September:

• The first under the auspices of Words Without Borders at Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, NY, September 19, in honor of their September 2009 issue “Walking the World,” the second installment of a two-month focus on international nature writing. I’m honored to be joining the astute, humane, and contemplative Israeli author Agur Schiff as he discusses his story, “How Old Is the Queen of England?” expertly rendered from Hebrew by Jessica Cohen. Schiff’s writing is cogent and urgent; his characters fully perceived and capable of unexpected gestures. His endings show a deft, light hand, striking off almost at a tangent from the tale into poetry. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Agur here at Ledig House, and in that short time my appreciation for the layers in his work has only deepened through our fascinating conversations. If you like his stuff–and Jessica’s!–be sure to read more here. My own contribution to the issue is an excerpt from Paradise… Kind Of, a gentle, dreamy travelogue by the artist Troub’s, who has made a name for himself in France with graphic travel memoirs. His fundamental amiability and the fresh-faced, wide-eyed curiosity he turns on the world around him come through amply in these meanderings around Balikpapan, Borneo. Of interest primarily for the pictures: Troub’s loose and cheerful linework. I’m not sure what Agur and I will be discussing… probably something to do with words, pictures, and Israeli politics.
• The second: a community reading has been scheduled for Saturday, September 26th, at 5pm. It will be in the Charles B. Benenson Visitors Center at the Omi International Arts Center. (Off of Route 22 in Ghent. Between 9H and Route 21; adjacent to Letter S Road.) Ledig House residents will read from their work and there will be a BBQ to follow.

See y’all there!