Reading; Books finished.

May:

- Women of the Left Bank
- Creating Colette: Part One
- The Pure and the Impure by Colette
- Mirror Images by Chadwick

June:

- Philosophy: the Basics
- Man Ray: Paris ~ LA
- Sisters of Salome by Toni Bentley
- The Sadeian Woman by Angela Carter
-The Complete Claudine by Colette
*Claudine at School
*Claudine in Paris
*Claudine Married
*Claudine and Annie
-The Life and Work of Djuna Barnes by Philip Herring
-Introducing Foucault by Chris Horrocks

July:

- Heat by Bill Buford
- The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
- Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany edited by Norma Broude and Mary D. Garrard
- Surrealism: desire unbound edited by Jennifer Mundy

August:

- Art Nouveau: An Architectural Indulgence
- Soul Kitchen by Poppy Z. Brite
- A Doll's House by Henrick Ibsen
- L'Amour fou: photography and surrealism by Rosiland Krauss and Jane Livingston

September:
- Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellmann
- Burning Your Boats by Angela Carter

October:
- Dangerous Pleasures by Gail Hershatter

November:
- London the Biography
- The Liar by Stephen Fry

December:
- I capture the castle by Dodie Smith
- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
- Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman

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I'm out on my porch again today. Never thought I'd enjoy being outside as much as I do. It's just so nice. I'd like a slightly comfier chair but this one really isn't too bad. Maybe another table too. We should see about getting a sandbox for the kids. They'd enjoy that. Our house is impressive from the street. People walking by (there are many couples and families out) usually stop to stare up at it especially since the siding was redone and it was painted. Luckily my corner of the porch is slightly tucked into some trees and brush so I am somewhat shielded from their looks and do a little of my own looking.

I've been alternating between playing WoW, watching the second season of Nip/Tuck and reading various books about art history from a feminist perspective. It's an interesting combination. WoW lets me shut off for a while, Nip/Tuck contrasts nicely with the books both of which cover the topics of self representation and the voyeur to some degree.

(There's a beautiful little hummingbird in the tree above me and now I hear one of the lions roaring.)

This afternoon I was commenting to J about how interesting it would be to view things through the eyes of a 1920's woman. Specifically the art I am interested in or am reading about right now. Many of the photographs and montages look dated to me at this point (so used to manipulated photos these days) and gender-bending, cross dressing, effeminate men, butch women and general androgyny barely raise an eyebrow anymore. It would be curious to see/feel my reactions. Then I realized that a woman in my station at that time would have little opportunity or access the sorts of things I was talking about. I would have had almost no hope of even being aware that these things existed. Most of the women in that circle (or those associated with them) came from either upper middle class or upper class backgrounds.

What would I have done with all of my restlessness? I know most people looking at my current life who don't know me very well probably see little difference between me and my homemaker ancestors but I can't express clearly enough how important it has been for me (for my sanity, whatever of it there is) to be able to access information about most anything. The internet has changed the course of my Inner Life in remarkable ways. I'm not sure how I would have coped had I been born 100 years ago in a smaller town to a lower middle class family with the same expectations mine had.

(no subject)

Removed from historical context I find this man's work incredibly disturbing and jarring but very interesting. I'll have to read more about him. Also finding Claude Cahun fascinating. I knew I would, this is why I've avoided her thus far.