Cartes de Visite – Mark Valentine
RAPHUS PRESS 2019
My previous reviews of Mark Valentine: https://dflewisreviews.wordpress.com/john-howard-mark-valentine/ and Raphus Press: https://dflewisreviews.wordpress.com/tag/raphus-press/
When I read this book, my thoughts will appear in the comment stream below…
TRESPASSERS / INTRUSOS
A rhapsodically Valentinedictory description of a special twilight from day into night, whereby we are trespassers attending an otherwise private changeover…
“, cobbled slopes,”
It is a rarely known fact that Kafka was obsessed with slopes. Here the children “half-smoke” – as if this prose poem is a faulty camera obscura as well as a cidade obscura? El Cid, I sense is not the one from whom the word cidade formed.. Unless this dark town is “Torrelobatón como a cidade natal de El Cid…”, as I found said elsewhere? With its castle now gone or it is the dark hill that replaced it, overshadowing the “excited gaggles” of children. Which is the shadow of the other, Spanish or Portuguese? ‘The Portuguese language is older than Portugal itself, just like Spanish is older (much older) than Spain.’ — I just learnt for the first time. They both derived from Vulgar Latin. Vulgar for children to drink cider in the streets, anyway, I say! Serves them right what this text promises them.
Not often do we have a rainy scene described including the word ‘chrism’ along with other words that “convey more than they say.” But are you seurat that this is not low depressed and meek Anglican rather than high and haughtily incensed?
Procession / Procissāo
“, flutes drone,’
Do flutes drone? some may ask. Yes, in the Middle Ages, I propound.
Meanwhile, my photo here was a very recent one of a sort of modern ‘oriflamme’. Glad it was ready for this review, as it turned out!
A quiet paean to being out all night “alone under the stars.”
But paradoxically such beauty will ‘lure’ others from within houses, and being alone will no longer be possible?
“runes in a drawstring pouch.”
More tunes from strumstring pangs, I’d say.
Was there a grey eyed minstrel in the previous carte? Here a healed gash in a boy’s head, to heal the Wilkinson boy’s gash earlier today here: https://dflewisreviews.wordpress.com/2020/02/09/shadows-tall-trees-8/#comment-18222
And “Eyes of amber.” Amber warning today; I am just to go out into it. Hope at least one eye lasts.
“Quiet secluded places tended by unseen hands or none,…”
Described here tenderly for all to recognise as places they have visited. Their nemonymity of genius-loci late-labelled by memory. Retrocausal Cartes de Visite.
“: hot rose hectic orange chipped blue.”
A most beautiful description of finding a children’s mosaic, precariously starting to be overgrown.
A description by a faded dusty book. The book Itself is part of the description,
“, no pausing place where we can remain held, part-way between the diurnal and the sacred.”
I am often held in such part-way, as you can see above, in ‘the fey golden area between clarity and confusion’ of my current stage of life. We all have our map of such Venn Diagrams as we approach the portico of death. Here of a citadel upon a an English hill. Umbrella stand, too, to replace yesterday’s laburnum.
Some of these cards virtually pasted into the actual book…
Clues / Indices
And this final section – ‘Collect fragments’ – beautifully expresses for me what I now know it in hindsight to be about all along. Instructions not only on how to visit these places — e.g. “follow the streets where they lead, or follow a stranger.” Well, be careful regarding the latter, I say! — yes, this section expresses beautifully a metaphor for what is for me virtually the process of gestalt real-time reviewing itself – especially when reading books such as this one…Perhaps it is differently bespoke for each reader who reads it. Along with the book’s design to be relished.
Won in Translation.