(My translation of Cesare Pavese's poem "The Cats will know") The Cats will know (Cesare Pavese) Again the rain will fall on your sweet paving stones, a gentle rain just like a breath or like a footfall. Again the breeze, the dawn, will lightly bloom, as underneath your step when you return. Among... Continue Reading →
Head swivelling and the Art of Sleeping
I recently came across these two short films by the French director Chris Marker (1921-2012) from Bestiaire (1990). The first one is a cat sleeping on a piano. And the second a series of owls, mostly swivelling their heads rather amazingly. Looking at the cat, I realised for the first time that sleeping can be... Continue Reading →
Blue Lemons
Blue lemons, Prickly guitars, A cat in charge of all the icicles.
A Party of One
(Listen to the poem here) (best seen if you stand back and squint a little and imagine it as a set of slightly cubist paintings with runny paint and everything a little crooked) Tonight I dine alone but, better said, I am a party of one. I have brought all my music with me in... Continue Reading →
Settetto buffo di sette gatti
I can't find where the original of this picture comes from. I suppose the instrument must be a gattoforte, because it must be pinching their tails or something not too pleasant, so there is no way they are yowling softly, which means it is definitely not a gattopiano I think someone should compose a piece... Continue Reading →
Montezuma’s Revenge
(Listen to the poem here) “I used to have a frog,” the lady says, “which changed its colour when it sang- until one day it was eaten by the cat”. The cat itself stares at us from the corner, sitting in Egyptian style, blinking uncomfortably its blue.. no, green... red (?) eyes. ... Continue Reading →