Things to write about in April

I. glittering dew and candied fruit

II. a rain-soaked dress

III. magnolia petals, browning at the edges

IV. the taste of sea foam

V. a window fogged up with warm breath

VI. hair interwoven with pearls

VII. the echo of tuberose and sandalwood in a cool room

VIII. Botticelli’s cool sensuality

IX. kisses on shimmering eyelids

X. a blossoming metamorphosis

I being committed to an insane asylum.

Suggestions to celebrate William Shakespeare’s birthday

• read Ovid’s Metamorphoses for inspiration
• crossdress flamboyantly OR -
• - go a step further by dressing in a manner that is completely incomprehensible and/or fantastical (suggestions: include a wild variety of fabrics such as velvet, thin and billowy cotton, linen, and use embellishments like feathers, pearls, gold and wooden ornaments.)
• In lieu of going to the theatre: learn a piece of monologue to recite in front of the mirror, in costume
• additionally: learn a sonnet by heart, in case you’re ever stuck in a boring lecture with an empty notebook
• disappear for years without trace. Reappear in a different city with a new career (Warning: this might be a long-term commitment)
• write love letters to a mysterious, unnamed lover - a cruel mistress or a lovely young man of higher standing
• wear a gold hoop earring in your left ear
• should the demand for plays be low (due to, say, a plague), write poetry to pass the time
• Interrupt your serious business with episodes of humorous, magic-drenched spectacles
• dream violently, intensely, passionately - be thankful that you can
• surround yourself with an air of mystery - don’t tell anyone your age or birthday, don’t mention your hobbies and aspirations, misspell your own name in a number of creative ways, make people question whether they met you at all
• enjoy the intimacy of Thou/Thee
• take inspiration from a variety of places and don’t limit yourself to a genre. Ignore rules of fashion, gender and common decency.
• look at the stars. Contemplate your place in the cosmos.

Debra Shaw at Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 1996 "Dante"

murano perfume bottle

Félix Vallotton