Book Crush: Persephone Press

I have a new book crush {do you get book crushes?}. Persephone Press is a London-based press that specializes in neglected and relatively unknown female prose and fiction writers from the 19th and 20th centuries. Their selection of titles is like a treasure chest of forgotten literary jewels. And each book is like a little piece of art work unto itself. The jackets are all the same from the outside -- a lovely understated gray, with classic cream labels. But, the interior of each title features a design that evokes the time and place of the words inside: Victorian, Art Nouveau, modern, etc. I want to read every single book in their catalog, from beginning to end...you know, in all my spare time...*wink*

::Check out their lovely online shop here. They provide a brief biography for each of their fascinating authors, as well!

An Ode to Frida's Eyebrows

{by Iris Schwarz}

One of Frida Kahlo's most striking features was -- without a doubt -- her full and fearless eyebrows. It always bothers me when I hear people say: "Oh, she would have been pretty if she had done something about those brows." What??? No way. Her eyebrows were a part of unique beauty, and honestly, I've been feeling a little jealous of her thick mane of of eye-hair lately. Alright, I would never have the confidence to pull off a full-on monobrow {nor does my hair even grow between my eyes}, but I could really use a little oomph in the eyebrow area these days. During my many years of plucking, waxing, and torturous string treatments, I never once stopped to consider the fact that one day thick brows would be back in fashion...and that all that hair pulling would eventually make them stop growing. I don't care about any of these new-fangled eyelash growth treatments, I want something that will make my eyebrows come back!

::Where do you stand on the eyebrow issue? Is anyone having this dilemma?? What I wouldn't give to have this America's Next Top Model contestant's brows! Oh well, Here is a bit of Frida to make you smile...

A War to Remember?

Until recently, I always found war re-enactors to be a bit...well, strange. They confounded my sense of living for the moment: why would you want to pretend to live through something horrible and traumatic from the past? After coming across artist Jim Naughten's moving portrait series of WWI and WWII re-enactors, I now feel I can relate a bit more sympathetically. These men and women step out of their daily lives to briefly become characters from a time long gone -- people who committed brave deeds and became a part of history in a tangible way. They give great attention to the details and nuances of costume and character. In a way, this is not so very different from what I do every day: it is the job of people who study and teach literature to keep the characters of the past alive. I guess I am more like a war re-enactor than I initially would have admitted!

And on the topic of fascinating characters {or real-life people with novel-worthy lives}, I was completely overwhelmed with pride and inspiration after watching the story of the WWII women fighter pilots {WASPS} on the national news last night. President Obama signed a bill to award them the gold medal of honor this week -- more than a decade after their service. It's about time!! I have officially decided that if I ever have a chance to participate in a WWII re-enactment, I will definitely be invoking the spirit of the classy, sassy dames from the U.S. Army Air Forces. See their amazing stories here.

Blog it Forward: What Inspires Me?

French fashion bloggers! Pandora and The Cherry Blossom Girl use fashion as an expression of their love of history, art, and their beautiful city -- Paris.

It's time for the "Blog it Foward Mashup." This project was started by the talented San Francisco Girl by the Bay as a way for bloggers to share what inspires them. It's a bit like a chain letter for blogs, and today it's my turn. Check out the links at the end of this post to see who is coming up next...I'm pretty sure you'll be addicted {like I am!}. Or, you can find your favorite bloggers on the full schedule here.

Traveling to strange, out-of-the-way destinations. I've visited some bizarre places, like the Surrealist Folly Gardens in Xilitla, Mexico, and the desert art communes in Marfa, Texas, but there are so many unusual spots I'm dying to explore: the Absinthe Museum in New Orleans and the Seti satellites in Puerto Rico are at the top of my list.

Strong, eccentric women with a flare for the dramatic. Tilda Swinton is always unflinchingly original {left, dressed as the Marchessa Casati}, and Anais Nin lived a life more fascinating than even her books reveal.

Art, both new and old. The brilliant Hayv Kahraman is a recent discovery {left} and decadent artist Aubrey Beardsley is an obsession that will never fade...

Books that move, challenge, disgust, and inspire in equal parts... these are two books that changed my perception of literature forever.

Eating...and cooking: the ultimate creative act. It inspires and nourishes. Since discovering my love for cooking, I have come to realize that making food can be as fulfilling {and filling} as making art...corny but true. {Images via Canelle et Vanille}.

Vintage magazines and vintage advertising. I would wallpaper my apartment with vintage ads if I could! I think vintage ad designers are truly forgotten artistic geniuses...

What inspires you, dear readers??

And coming up in the Blog it Forward Mash-up:

• not your average ordinary 3/3 • occupation housewife 3/4 • oh hello! 3/5

• oh, hey great 3/8 • oh, mishka 3/9 • oh so beautiful paper 3/10

• old sweet song 3/11

The List: Erotic Poetry

And down his mouth comes to my mouth! and down
His bright dark eyes come over me, like a hood
Upon my mind! his lips meet mine, and a flood
Of sweet fire sweeps across me, so I drown
Against him, die, and find death good.

~D.H. Lawrence

What better time to indulge in a bit of erotic-love poetry than Valentine's Day? I've always been drawn to poets who are able to turn the most carnal, bodily aspects of love into something utterly transcendent. Historically, erotic poetry has been able to stay under-the-radar and escape censorship in the western world, even when its contents were graphically sexual. Unlike the novel, which has seen its fair share of censoring, poetry seems to quietly evade accusations of pornography. I recently learned that beat poet Allen Ginsberg's 1956 poem "Howl" was one of the only poems brought to trial in the U.S. for obscenity. The charges were dropped, because the judge decided the poem had "redeeming social importance." How fascinating to think that what one person considers smut, another person considers an important expression of very human experiences...

::Here are some of my favorite erotic poems/poets, and while they certainly seem tame to us today, they still manage to speak to us in a beautifully carnal way!

• Charles Algernon Swinburne's decadent "Love and Sleep."
• The erotic lyrics of the ancient Greek poetess Sappho.
• Walt Whitman's virile "I Sing the Body Electric."
• D.H. Lawrence's sexy, rustic "Love on the Farm" {one of my all-time favorites}.
• ee cumming's ode to the act of love: "i like my body when it is with your body."
• The lesbian lyrics of {two women lovers with one name} Michael Field.
• The desperate longing of the late Victorian poet Charlotte Mew.

**What are some of your favorite love/erotic poems?? Why not have a private poetry reading...just you and your honey??

Happy Weekend of Love, my Dears!

I Wanna Be a Gibson Girl, and You Can Be My Gibson Guy

My hair is finally growing out {it's almost past my shoulders now}! My layers are practically gone, and my hair feels so thick. I'm recalling all of the fun things you can do when you actually have hair to play with. I have recently been experimenting with Edwardian/Gibson Girl styles: big, soft, feminine, and pouffy. Though I need to figure out how to get even MORE volume. I love the idea of offsetting this old-fashioned hairstyle with some very modern-looking clothes. Do you know who is an expert at the neo-Edwardian look {and insanely beautiful, to boot}? The lovely Harps from House of Harps blog. I don't even begin to do her justice, but her style is SO inspiring! And speaking of inspiration, here is some more Gibson goodness for your Monday...

{via Style Alchemy [left]}

Girl Crush: Uma Thurman

I originally saw the incredible series of Polaroids by Hollywood casting director Bonnie Timmermann on Model's Own blog, and I was literally left breathless by this photo of Uma. This shot was taken at the very beginning of her career! I have always loved her -- lanky, sensual, and beautiful without being overly perfect. She is so sexy in her early films: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Henry & June, and Dangerous Liaisons are some of my favorites {probably because I saw them when I was young and impressionable}. And Quentin Tarantino was certainly justified in making her his muse: Pulp Fiction is incredibly memorable, in part because of her quirky character; but, her role as "The Bride" in Kill Bill is just...well, killer. Have you heard there's a third Kill Bill in the works??

Enough gushing for now...

A Little "Ta-Ra--Ra-Boom De-Ay" for Your Mon-De-Ay

Tell me this fun little ditty doesn't get stuck in your head the rest of the day! I've been envisioning myself Cancan dancing in a big pink dress ever since I found this on Youtube. Here's what the historian Holbrook Jackson had to say about this all-too-catchy tune:

"In the 1890's the chorus song "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay" spread like a dancing flame through the land, obsessing the minds of young and old, gay and sedate until it became a veritable song-pest, provoking satires upon itself, even in the music halls of its origins. No song ever took a people in quite the same way: from 1892 to 1896 it affected the country {England} like an epidemic..."

The version above is from the 1940's film "Happy Go Lucky," but the original songstress that took the popular American song and turned it into a hit in England, was singer/dancer Lottle Collins. While touring in vaudeville in the United States in 1891, she heard the song "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay!" After she sang it at the Tivoli Music Hall in London in November 1891, it became her signature piece {source}. And isn't she divine!? No wonder the song was such a hit...

::More about the lovely Lottie Collins here.

Discipline Me!

Let's talk about discipline. No, not that kind of discipline you naughty monkeys! I'm talking about self-discipline: an evil little hyphenated word with seriously un-fun connotations {and no Bettie Page in sight to make the pain seem like a party!}...

Here is my question: how can you improve self-discipline without turning into a gloomy workaholic?? I have a ton of stuff on my plate: teaching, researching, "writing" a dissertation, volunteering, blogging...and still trying to have a life, keep my toilets clean, and pay attention to my pets {oh, and my and boyfriend}. There are just some days when I have a hard time prioritizing all of this and keeping my projects in perspective. For example, my dissertation seems so huge and overwhelming right now that I find myself ignoring it and putting it on the backburner, rather than facing it head-on.

::Do you have any tips for getting motivated on big projects? Training yourself to manage time more wisely? Stopping the excuses and just doing the work that needs to be done?

Where is beautiful Bettie and her whip when you need them most??

Current Obsession: Mustard and Red

Let's just ignore any immediate associations with McDonald's golden arches, because I am really feeling this mustard/red color combination right now...in an incredibly chic, non-McDonald's-cheeseburger kind of way. If you've been following my blog for a while, you might remember me obsessing about my attraction to mustard yellow some time ago. Now I am dying to rock a mustard frock with some bright red lips and red ruby earrings ala Diane Kruger at the SAG awards [dress by designer Jason Wu].

And while we're here, can we just give Miss Diane K. a nod for always being interesting and edgy, without ever really seeming like she's trying to be either. I mean, who wears this color to an award's show? I love her!

{:Photos via StyleFrizz}.

Fur the Love of Bundling Up...

Screw the Snuggie! Women in the 20's knew how to stay warm. Baby, it's cold...

::Images from The Roaring Twenties.