St. Patrick's Day 2010

Vintage 1914 postcard

The luck of the Irish to you! Although, if you read history, the Irish weren't particularly lucky.

If you really want to get in the Irish spirit, (whatever that means), head to your local bookstore and pick up The Law of Dreams by Peter Behrens. It's a brilliant book that retraces the great famine, but definitely draws outside of the lines. There is an overwhelming representation of novels and films about the exodus from Ireland and the Irish diaspora, but Behrens novel travels familiar territory in such an original manner that you'll tell yourself that this is the first you've read of this bleak period in history, and may even wish you had such noble and tragic heritage. I love this book!

I'll have to google Irish traditions and St. Patrick's Day to refresh my memory. I am heading to MacCool's Pub tonight for traditional corned beef and cabbage , though. In any case, I'm wearing green, not that I'm in danger of being pinched.

This vintage postcard is from the February/March issue of Reminisce. My father gives the magazine to me after he's read it. I love the photographs, images, and articles, which are an invaluable resource for my novel.


Saints necklace - Virgin Mary, Our Lady of San Juan De Los Lagos, St, Therese, Sacred Heart flipside of Infant of Prague, Nuestra Senora De Guadelupe

I was in Phoenix, Arizona recently for a conference, and directly across the street from the conference center was the oldest Catholic church in the state. I wasn't able to go inside the cathedral but I spent a great deal of time in the contemplative garden and took a lot of pictures, which I plan to post. One picture I didn't take, even though I really wanted to was of an old woman in a red shawl, who was bent over intently holding the verdigris hands of a statue of St. Francis of Assisi. Taking a photo, even looking at her felt invasive.

I found these beautiful saint medals in the little shop under the church stairs. The shopkeeper gave me a St. Francis pin and the way he pressed it into my hand felt meaningful, as if there were a subtext to the gift. I have no idea other than my hand was still in its splint and I looked like I needed a little extra help. I also picked up a few milagros, and saint medals for friends and family. I've always been drawn to the ritual and icons of Catholicism. The history is fascinating, but oh man, is it bloody!

Next to the hotel where I was staying is the ALAC Galeria 147: Arizona Latino Arts & Cultural Center. I had the great fortune of meeting artist Santiago Jim Covarrubias. In the back room of the gallery there was a stunning Virgin de Guadelupe room that featured numerous Virgin paintings and altars. I had the impulse to kneel and weep profusely. I did neither. If you're in Phoenix, check out this gallery.