After reading Blindness by José Saramago

Don't read my blog. Read José Saramago's Blindness.

I've been thinking that descriptive narrations never manage to function as I wish when it comes to introducing a piece of artwork to others.

Thanks to Laura Veirs' recommendation - what she does surpasses my effort here: composing a song with the inspiration by the book. Without her I might have never come across this novel (written in Portuguese with the title Ensaio sobre a Cegueira in 1995). Now, the book, the song, the gig, and the reading experience on top of all my recent retrospection stress tears smiles sleep nights doubts hopes: they have all been interwoven together. Like the pouring rain in the book purifying physical bodies, reading clears my thoughts.

Later when I think of this time again, I'll happily recall that, in leisure, I read an outstanding novel on humanity and frailty; its heroine's grace, generosity her incredible strength, and the scenes of dismay that made me indignant will all be saved in my memory box. I went on a quest to see how a story inspires an artist, but ended up undergoing an invaluable experience of self-growth.

PS. The structure of the story is remarkable too. Through this I received a writing lesson, too.


Link to read a good book review. [click me]
中文版 [click me]

An excerpt: [...] She began with the boxes of matches, and almost filled a bag. No need to take all of them, the voice of commonsense told her, then the flickering flames of the matches lit up the shelves, over here, then over there, soon the bags were full, the first had to be emptied because it contained nothing useful, the others already held enough riches to buy the city, nor need we be surprised at this difference of values, we need only recall that there was once a king who wanted to exchange his kingdom for a horse, what he woud he not give were he dying of hunger and he was tempted by these plastic bags full of food. [...] (p.219)

Review: Laura Veirs

Sunday 8th April York Fibbers


Reviewer WL takes in some sea air and a good dose of inspriation as this American singer songwriter makes a stop in York for her Saltbreakers tour.

On the night of Laura Veirs gig Fibbers was filled with an audience which brought in with it relaxed moods for an April Sunday night. The audience wasn't just any random composition of hundreds of York residents plus groupies, though. It was a crowd made up of people who are fascinated by lyrics like this:

Like a falling leaf who keeps her green
I'm turning bright in the sea
Where a merman with a twinkle casts a hook in me

So much could happen on one night! The fantastic scene linked people together and drew their attention to Laura Veirs and her new album, Saltbreakers. Dreamers there were not alone. [click me to read the full review]

York-based song-writer/singer Emi Jarvi was also there amongst the crowd. When asked to comment on the gig, she told me that this awesome gig made her want to go to record a whole new album this very night, because that was how inspiring the gig was!

Talking to Veirs after the show I realised she glows with artist's charm as well as her natural benignancy. As she is not of a loud disposition, it is easy to understand that her influence on others is unruffled and incessant. When we casually chatted about her experience in Asia and her ability to speak Mandarin Chinese, she generously sang for me a children's song in Mandarin that she picked up before.

Her youthful excitement was sprinkled throughout the show, and I was privileged to prolong that vision of an enchanting portrait of a true artist till the end of the interview! And I took home a shell that Saltbreakers brought me, for me to keep forever. [read the full review]

PS. Reading it again, I find that my review mentioned too little about music... ah... a long way to go...