Laurie Lisle

No matter what others may say about this book, no matter that Georgia O'Keeffe is an amazing artist and a groundbreaking independent woman before the word "feminist" had been coined, no matter what you may already know or not know about her - this book was tedious. The only reason I finished reading it was because it was for my book group. More like a term paper, a school report, or a newspaper article than a biography about what most people think of as a fascinating woman. She may have been fascinating, but that doesn't come across in this book. The writing style was all "tell" and little to no "show." And the few photos included were so disappointing. First: they were in black & white and second: they didn't include any paintings. How can you publish a book about art without any photos of the art? If you must read this because this is the only thing about O'Keeffe you could find, you'll want to read it with access to the internet to refer to all the paintings, people, landscapes, and photos that are mentioned.… (more)

I gave this a three not because of interest because the life of Georgia OKeeffe is definitely interesting, but the writing is pretty straight forward - almost textbookish. Still, I learned much about an amazing, talented, and forceful woman. Georgia was born on a farm in Wisconsin, but after deciding that she wanted to be a painter at an early age, headed for New York City where her work became noticed and promoted by the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. They soon lived together and were eventually married.

Before that, however, Georgia spent time as an art teacher in Virginia and Texas. However, she always returned to Stieglitz. The relationship between a young female artist and a man much older than she was interesting and difficult. He controlled her, yet he promoted her. Their relationship lasted a lifetime and was one of seemingly deep love and devotion although they led vastly separate lives at times.

I was not aware of Georgia's work painting much of New York City. Her work in New Mexico is much more familiar. She was a strong woman with a great sense of herself; she knew what she wanted and culture, art critics, or her husband stood in the way. At the same time, she often found herself giving in to expectations especially of Stieglitz. She had many friends who supported her and who in turn she supported. At the same time, she could be extremely abrasive and rude.

Interesting person.… (more)

Four Tenths of an Acre: Reflections on a Gardening Life

"The ritual of gardening gives a rhythm, even rapture, to everyday life that is apart from the routines of writing and the flows of relationships.
Tending my garden became the same as taking care of myself."
(Laurie Lisle)

It was a delight to walk life's path with Laurie.
I appreciated the gardening histories and the step by step transformations both of her personal life and the essence of her garden.

Her chronicle often made me pause and consider my own life, my own garden.
I smile at the intertwining of life and gardening.
Taking that bare plot of ground, honestly assessing plus and minus and moving ahead to create something uniquely your own.
When there is clash in your color palette or "too much" of this or that, you gently redistribute and redesign.
A pioneer can be as welcome as an old fashioned favorite.
And the gardening saga goes on and on.

Thank you Laurie, I had fun reading this.
I identified many times with your joys
and trials.

This was a goodreads giveaway.… (more)