Think, Look, Make

front and back of a pebble- image made with scanner. The pebble is a perfect creature equal to itself mindful of its limits filled exactly with a pebbly meanin g with a scent that does not remind one of anything does not frighten  anything away  does not arouse desire its ardour and coldness are just and full of dignity I feel a heavy remorse  when I hold it in my hand and its noble body is permeated by false warmth  Pebbles cannot be tamed  To the end they will look  at us with a calm and very clear eye.   by Zbigniew Herbert

Today I was thinking about all the beautiful meals I've been served. So many of them...I've been fortunate. I still remember a gigantic "gateau basque" that arrived at my classroom one day, made by my student Gexan's mother: Valerie Arrechea.  She used a recipe from an old Basque woman who knows about such things as putting the right blend of liquors into custard. Good food is often accompanied by a good story.  These two images come from dinner at the Goodbergs and dinner at the Goldstines. Both were arranged by women who have a feeling for flavor and detail- Patricia and Emily. The meal in the top photo was served at the Goldstines, in a house once inhabited by Imogen Cunningham. Before dinner I was treated to viewing original photographs by Manuel Alvarez Bravo of Cartier-Bresson at age 26,  and Diego Rivera with Trotsky and Andre Breton. There were others:  a photo by Hank Wessel of Lee Friedlander and one of Imogen herself with a drawing by Ruth As...