Parisian Literary Salon

A Jar of Honey
By Jacob Polley

You hold it like a lit bulb,
a pound of light,
and swivel the stunned glow
around the fat glass sides:

it’s the sun, all flesh and no bones
but for the floating knuckle
of honeycomb
attesting to the nature of the struggle.

Love how this pithy piece uses a luminous jar of honey- so mundane and regular- to remind us how so much around us reflects the struggle of existence- and the miraculous fruits of that struggle.

Currently in London there are three Salons running with dynamic conversations around family, power, inheritance, and the immateriality of love. King Lear as always provides a tormented arena from which we see how one’s actions and choices result in consequences that must be lived through–what kind of unaccommodated man will emerge from the storm? White Teeth by Zadie Smith gives us room to consider contemporary British society and analyze the proposal of a truly multicultural world. Her humor and irreverence break down the discomfort around issues of race and tragic histories–will the pieces fall towards a hopeful or apocalyptic vision?
Next weekend, on the 28th and 29th of January, I will be in Paris for two Salons: Friday the 28th we will consider The Odyssey; Saturday the 29th we will study White Teeth. There is a space or two remaining in both Salons; please email me NOW if you would like to join and I will send along the opening notes and details for meeting and payment.

It is time to look ahead in both London and Paris. The next Salon series will start in London mid-February. Dante’s Divine Comedy is one proposal; other Salons to be scheduled include Midnight’s Children, a Virginia Woolf or old friend Faulkner work. EMAIL me now with your requests and schedule (afternoon or evening) preferences. I will be announcing the next Paris Salons for March; I also welcome your input!
See you in the pages…