When Augustine was a young man, back in the 300s, he hung out with a religious group called the Manichees, who believed, among other things, that you should eat foods that contain light.
Top of their list was watermelons.
This drawing is from the visual journal I kept when I was studying Augustine. You can see I wrote, "watermelons are commonly believed to have originated in North Africa [where Augustine was from]."
Top of their list was watermelons.
This drawing is from the visual journal I kept when I was studying Augustine. You can see I wrote, "watermelons are commonly believed to have originated in North Africa [where Augustine was from]."
Totally lovely and completely believable! Your drawing is awesome!!
ReplyDeleteThe drawing is lovely and ancient-feeling; it makes me think of a hieroglyphic made to pass on knowledge of the Water-Melon.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't know why, but the sequence of watermelon breeds:
Sugar Baby
Miyako
Charleston Gray
(or Charleston Gray, Miyako, Sugar Baby)
thrills me to no end.
I want those words painted on my wall.
(Make it so.)
Lovely meeting of visual and verse - and both unnatural histories too.
ReplyDeleteLovely picture, lovely poem ("green zebra mother potatoes" in particular).
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in Queens I'd watch ancient Asian women trudge home with alien fruits and vegetables I'd never before seen. Didn't know their flavors, their names, their scent.
Foods that contain light -- and it turns out they all do, though I'm willing to believe watermelon has more than most.
ReplyDeleteLove the drawing,luscious colors and words. Love Margret's poem! Like a bit of the Odyssey telling of strange and wonderful places and customs far away.
I'm glad ya'll are liking this mix-and-match.
ReplyDeleteMargaret's got a wonderful elasticity of mind!
M'GET: I used to have these words from Meridel Le Sueur painted on my wall:
"The branches forgive the roots and raise the fruit."
But I like "Charleston Gray, Miyako, Sugar Baby" better--sounds like something one could cha-cha to.
SPARKY: Unnatural histories! Love that phrase.
CLOWN: You remind me, I've been meaning to buy some banana blossoms--these spaceship looking things at the Asian market.
LiLL: Good point--the Manichees had some unpleasant ideas, but they were surely right about watermelon.
ummm.... watermelon is not only one of my favorite foods... I bathed Joop yesterday in (kid friendly) watermelon scented shampoo. Wet dog with a watermelon edge...nothing like it!
ReplyDeleteWTF! "green zebra mother potatoes"?! "naked feet"?! I wanted the names of watermelons painted on my wall?! Good lord, that is exactly the kind of thing I can't stand.
ReplyDelete