from Douglas Moore’s blog Art of Quotation
“My last refuge, my books: simple pleasures, like finding wild onions by the side of a road, or requited love.”
Tracy Letts, playwright, screenwriter, actor, Pulitzer Prize, Emmy Award
Month: January 2018
Winter Night Farewell by Chia Tao
At first light, you ride
swiftly over the village bridge;
Plum blossoms fall
on the stream and unmelted snow.
With the days short and the weather cold,
it’s sad to see a guest depart;
The Ch’u Mountains are boundless,
and the road, remote.
translated by Mike O’Connor
a new review of my book Istanbul Days, Istanbul Nights
Istanbul Days, Istanbul Nights
Leonard Durso
Austin Macauley Publishers
http://www.austinmacauley.com
9781786937889, $20.95, HC, 290pp, http://www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Leonard Durso’s deftly crafted novel “Istanbul Days, Istanbul Nights” is a contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, Romeo & Juliet, — set in Istanbul. With a cast of characters drawn from across the globe, they struggle to find a way through the trials and tribulations of romantic involvement, hindered by their own unique cultural differences.
Critique: An impressively original take on a classic theme, “Istanbul Days, Istanbul Nights” reveals the author’s genuine flair for narrative driven fiction. An inherently fascinating and entertaining read from beginning to end, “Istanbul Days, Istanbul Nights” is an especially recommended addition to community and academic library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that “Istanbul Days, Istanbul Nights” is also available in a paperback edition (9781786937872, $14.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.51).
linger too long
there’s a tendency
for these old bones
to linger too long
in those dreams
of the night
only because
falling in love
with an actress
in a film
only because
she reminds me
of you
“In life one must decide whether to conjugate the verb to have or the verb to be.”
another from Douglas Moore’s blog Art of Quotation
“In life one must decide whether to conjugate the verb to have or the verb to be.”
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
from Douglas Moore’s blog Art of Quotation
this afternoon in Aliağa in January
on my balcony
I rest to listen
to the call to prayer
as the cat sleeps
on my lap
and my glass sits
half empty
on the table
in front of me
a crow perches
on the railing
we eye each other
tentatively
this afternoon
in Aliağa
in January
from Under the Heaven of Our Holy Ruler by Su Tung-p’o
Bury me anywhere on the green hills
and another year in night rain grieve for me alone.
Let us be brothers in lives and lives to come,
mending then the bonds that this world breaks.
translated by Burton Watson
note: written while in prison for criticizing the empreror.
“Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t you think?”
another appropriate quote from Douglas Moore’s blog Art of Quotation
“Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t you think?”
― L. Frank Baum, writer, from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Leonard Durso 