Excited to read about forthcoming Marianne Faithfull film
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ivan Terestchenko’s mythic and watery artwork reminded me of Shelley Winters in Night of the Hunter
from The Hundreds - Kathleen Stewart and Lauren Berlant
Frank & Peggy being congenial.
Kim Gordon ‘Play Me’
I enjoyed reading ‘A visit to Villa Mauresque’ by Ann Fleming (Sir Ian’s wife!) in the 1969 House and Garden Weekend Book:
The Villa Mauresque is built against a hill and the garden is steeply sloped - a long triangle of woodland, flowers and terraced paths sloping down the road, rising above to merge with rocky hillside and wild flowers. In the garden are oleanders and orange trees, and, slightly below roof level, a swimming pool - not the usual dull oblong, but twice as long, rounded at each end, with giant lead pineapples at the curves. Carved out of rock is an alcove strewn with beige linen mattresses. Lying there one smells the pines, looks down on a view of garden and sea and recalls these words from The Summing Up: ‘It is unnatural for the artist to live in a semi-detached villa and eat cottage pie cooked by a maid of all work. It shows, not disinterestedness but an arid, petty soul.
A look at the Villa & its queer history here. And an excellent gossipy piece by Sam Kashner here
Very into this book on topiary and ornamental pruning for when I buy my country estate.
Topiary by A.M Clevely
Sharing a writing prompt from my non-fic class:
Many thanks for introducing me to Le Guinn and the complicated & fabulous & storied history of the Villa.