Famous Love Letters

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From The Writer's Almanac, and just in time for Valentine's Day:


Poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning carried out one of the most famous romantic correspondences in literary history. They first introduced themselves by epistolary means, and fell in love even before they had met in person. The letter that began their relationship was written by Robert in January 1845; it was essentially a piece of fan mail to esteemed poet Elizabeth Barrett. He wrote:

"I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett — and this is no offhand complimentary letter that I shall write — whatever else, no prompt matter-of-course recognition of your genius and there a graceful and natural end of the thing: since the day last week when I first read your poems, I quite laugh to remember how I have been turning and turning again in my mind what I should be able to tell you of their effect upon me ..."

Barrett responded right away: "I thank you, dear Mr Browning, from the bottom of my heart. ... Such a letter from such a hand!"

They continued writing to each other, clandestinely, for a year and a half, and then they secretly got married in 1846. Right before the wedding, Robert mailed off to Elizabeth a letter that said: "Words can never tell you, however, — form them, transform them anyway, — how perfectly dear you are to me — perfectly dear to my heart and soul. I look back, and in every one point, every word and gesture, every letter, every silence — you have been entirely perfect to me — I would not change one word, one look. I am all gratitude — and all pride (under the proper feeling which ascribes pride to the right source) all pride that my life has been so crowned by you."

And then, the day after the wedding, she wrote to him:

"What could be better than [your] lifting me from the ground and carrying me into life and the sunshine? ... All that I am, I owe you — if I enjoy anything now and henceforth, it is through you."

During their courtship, she was composing sonnets for him, which she presented to him as a wedding gift. The sonnets were published in 1850 and include one of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's most famous love poems ever:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Have you written a love letter today?

Tuesday Intro: Savage Beauty by Nancy Milford

"Camden, with its ring of mountains rising behind the white clapboard houses facing Penobscot Bay, made the most of its view. Nowhere else on the coast of Maine was there such dramatic natural beauty. The houses were like weathered faces turned to watch the sea. The upland meadows of ox-eyed daisies, timothy, and sweet fern, the dark green woods of balsam and fir swept to the gentle summit of Mount Megunticook, and the rock face of Mount Battie rose from the edge of the sea as if to hold it. But it was a far less generous time than the early days of shipbuilding, upon which the town's wealth had been founded. Now even the great woodsheds along the wharves were mostly abandoned, permanent reminders of the long death of shipbuilding. The wool mills looming behind the town offered scant wages and long hours. Later in her life Edna St. Vincent Millay would say she was "a girl  who had lived all her life at the very tide-line of the sea," but in the fall of 1904, she moved with her family into 100 Washington Street on the far edge of town, in a section called Millville because it was near the mills. It was the smallest house in the poorest part of town, but it was one their mother could afford when she brought her girls to Camden after her divorce."

Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay
by Nancy Milford

I've long appreciated Edna St. Vincent Millay's poetry, but only became curious about her life after discovering this marker on Mount Battie during a family trip to Camden, Maine in 2010.

Now, almost three years later, I've finally started her biography. My plan is to read it slowly over the next couple of months.

Our view of Camden from Mount Battie:

Have you read Millay's poetry? What do you think of the intro?

Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening paragraph(s). Feel free to grab the banner and play along.

The Sunday Salon: Current Reading, A Read-Along, and the TBR Double Dog Dare

Good morning! It's a sunny winter wonderland in Central New York. We received just under a foot of snow from Nemo but, since wind was not a factor here, it was business as usual by Saturday morning. I hope all my east coast friends came through the storm unscathed.

February is off to a great start, especially when it comes to reading. I finished Mudbound by Hillary Jordan earlier this week and absolutely loved it. It's my first 5 star read of the year and will likely end up a 2013 favorite. My book club will discuss it later this month, so I'll post my thoughts and meeting notes together.

Now I'm enjoying Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford. Warning - a literary biography binge could be starting!

Have you heard about the Vanity Fair Read-along hosted by Trish and Melissa? Not only is the book is on my Classics Club list, it's also part of a personal bonus challenge. The month-long project officially begins on the 15th and I'm planning on a read/listen combination. If you're even vaguely interested, check out Melissa's Ten Reasons Why You Should Do It. The twitter hashtag #YoureSoVain convinced me!

Now, about the TBR Double Dog Dare...  I slipped up while on vacation last month. A copy of Fall of Giants was on the condo bookshelf and, because it was on my wish list, I started reading. (At that point, I could still rationalize that it was on somebody's tbr shelf.)  The story drew me in immediately, but the 1000 page hardcover was just too heavy and bulky to read comfortably. So, what was a new kindle owner to do? I downloaded the ebook and finished reading. It was so easy!

Having a kindle makes it pretty hard to concentrate on my 'to be read' shelves, especially when amazon keeps emailing me their daily deals, but I'm determined to put this transgression behind me and continue to read from my shelves until April. Wish me luck.

I doubt there will be time for reading today. We're going to see Syracuse Opera's production of Sweeney Todd  this afternoon (hope I can catch the end of the SU basketball game), and I understand there is a two-hour episode of Downton Abbey  tonight. I plan to catch up with my blog reading before it begins.

What are you up to today?

Saturday Snapshot: One Last Christmas Gift

...or possibly an early Valentine? These lovely greyhound bookends, on back order during the holiday season, arrived Thursday. Somebody knows me very well!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by:
Alyce from At Home With Books


Find details and more photos here.

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy #1)
by Ken Follett
1008 pages
Penguin Group USA, 2010

Set in the early years of the 20th century, this sweeping saga carries us from battlefields to bedrooms across three continents. The characters, both historic and fictional, come from different countries, classes, and backgrounds, yet their lives intersect in the most plausible ways.

Fall of Giants had been on my wish list for some time when I discovered a copy on the condo bookshelf during our recent trip to Florida. Although I'd packed several vacation books, this seemed like a sign. I was immediately swept up in the drama of a tiny Welsh mining community and, before really deciding to 'commit', I'd read 100 pages. The 1000 page hardcover was far too heavy and bulky to read comfortably, so I ended up downloading the kindle version to my new paperwhite and breezed through the next 900 pages. {Unfortunately this means I have failed the TBR Double Dog Dare, but I'm still in until April.}

Fall of Giants turned out to be a perfect vacation book. Even though the character list is several pages long (and I referred to it frequently in the beginning), it's a fairly quick and easy read that held my interest for the entire thousand pages. I do enjoy a healthy dose of soap opera with my history!

Now the question is whether to download book 2 (Winter of the World) of the trilogy immediately or save it for my next vacation...

My rating:

Tuesday Intro: Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

"Henry and I dug the hole seven feet deep. Any shallower and the corpse was liable to come rising up during the next big flood: Howdy boys! Remember me?  The thought of it kept us digging even after the blisters on our palms had burst, re-formed and burst again. Every shovelful was an agony - the old man, getting his last licks. Still, I was glad of the pain. It shoved away thought and memory."

Mudbound
by Hillary Jordan

Mudbound  by Hillary Jordan is my book club's February selection. I had a chance to read the first chapter over the weekend and, from the opening paragraph, the writing has totally captivated me. I can't wait to read more!

Have you read this book? What do you think of the opening?

Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening paragraph(s). Feel free to grab the banner and play along.

Those Fabulous Beekman Boys

While Beekman mania seems to be sweeping the county, my own personal Beekman obsession surfaced last Saturday when I had the opportunity to meet Josh and Brent at a local tasting/book signing event.

Before I get to that, let me back up a little. Early last fall Sandy (my ultimate audiobook recommendation source) posted a review of Josh Kilmer-Purcell's memoir The Bucolic Plague. Since Sandy is never wrong, I downloaded the title to my iPod and began listening.  I loved it just as much as Sandy and when I raved about it to my book club, they chose The Bucolic Plague for our December selection. After a lively discussion, we even made tentative plans for a spring road trip to Sharon Springs

However, thanks to a blogger debacle (I hit the "delete" button by mistake and could not recover my post), the review never published. I can't face writing it again, but I will tell you that I actually considered converting the garden shed to a barn and raising a few goats! My husband nixed that idea.

Fast forward to last Saturday. Josh, Brent, and over two hundred of their fans (including six members of my book club) gathered at a local Inn for a tasting event which featured five recipes from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook. Stations were scattered throughout the main rooms and displayed the recipe, along with a gorgeous floral arrangement, next to each dish. It was a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Both books were available to purchase and, at one point, the signing line extended out of the main dining room and into the lobby. Josh and Brent were wonderful, as expected... very friendly and witty. The Macaroni and Cheese with Mushrooms and Kale was pretty amazing, too.  I also have it on good authority that the recipe for Butternut Squash-filled Lasagna Rolls is excellent. I can't wait to try a few of these recipes for myself.

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has a food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up over the weekend.