St Peter’s Basillica – M J Mallon YA Author and Poet

A key. Just a simple word yet it holds a multitude of possibilities in its grasp, a twist of the wrist enables us to discover a multitude of hidden, secret, mysterious, places.

key-hole-253457__180 — The Keyhole St Peter’s Basillica, Rome

st-peters-basilica-96577_640 — St Peters Basilica Rome

A key to someone’s heart? Or a chest of hidden secrets, or a forbidden journey? The Idea of Order at Key West Have you read The Idea of Order at Key West? A poem by Wallace Stevens. It begins like this:

She sang beyond the genius of the sea.

The water never formed to mind or voice,

Like a body wholly body, fluttering

Its empty sleeves; and yet its mimic motion

Made constant cry, caused constantly a cry,

That was not ours although we understood,

Inhuman, of the veritable ocean.

I discovered it quite by chance today while I was searching for inspiring images about the word key. In “The Idea of Order at Key West,” Stevens explores several interesting themes: art, creativity, imagination and reality. In the poem the speaker and his friend listen to a woman singing on a beach in Key West. It’s a beautiful poem isn’t it? Here’s the link to read this stunning poem in its entirety, The Idea of Order At Key West by Wallace Stevens: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/172206 The Key West Literary Seminar

Then the word key helped me to discover The Key West Literary Seminar, celebrating writers and writing. This literary event is held each January, attracting an international audience to hear such writers as Ian McEwan, Margaret Atwood, Billy Collins, and Joyce Carol Oates. Find out more at: http://www.kwls.org/

The title for the 2015 seminar, “How The Light Gets In,” is inspired by Leonard Cohen’s 1992 song, “Anthem”—“Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”

Where will the Mysteries of Lock and Key take me to next?

Ernest Hemingway’s Home

Then my lucky key helped me find out about Nobel prize–winning author Ernest Hemingway’s former home in Key West. It is a National Historic Landmark, Literary Landmark and recorded at the Library of Congress as a Historic American Building It is now open to the public as a museum, populated by as many as 60 descendants of his famous polydacty cats.

Quite fascinating.

SIX TOED CAT!

This fellow looks up to

MISCHIEF!

We’re just

LOUNGING AROUND!

I’ve had too much wine.

I’M IN DANGER OF FALLING OFF THE TABLE!

An illustrated Biography of Hemingway’s cats written by Carlene Fredericka Brennan with a Foreward by Hilary Hemingway.

A link to it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4642.Hemingway_s_Cats?from_search=true

Here’s the link to find out more about the home: http://hemingwayhome.com/

And biography of his life:

http://www.biography.com/people/ernest-hemingway-9334498

Where else could the word key take me?

Piano Keys

Of course, piano keys.

The piano keys are the players rendition of the meanderings of his twisting and turning soul.

Yes, the imagination is meandering way off course now and going wild !

Quotes about keys On the theme of keys here’s a quote from Anthony Liccione: “Don’t try to be the missing key in my life, and I won’t be the unmatched lock, that doesn’t let you in.” Anthony Liccione is a Goodreads author. Here’s a link to his very successful Facebook page on Quotes: https://www.facebook.com/Quotes2Quote?ref=hl

Finally I discovered: Sarah Dessen Lock And Key

A quote from Lock and Key: “It’s a lot easier to be lost than found. It’s the reason we’re always searching and rarely discovered–so many locks not enough keys.” Goodreads synopsis of Lock and Key : Ruby, where is your mother? Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she’s been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return. That’s how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn’t seen in ten years, and Cora’s husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future; it’s a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give? Best-selling author Sarah Dessen explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again. I reckon this sounds like a book that I must read sometime, sounds interesting ……………….. A key …………. Yes, there is something very mysterious in this tiny word, isn’t there? Trust me it’s true!

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Tag: St Peter’s Basillica

My Friday Image: The Mysteries of Lock and Key