Stacie O'Brien

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From Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl

Something Permanent By Cynthia Rylant and Walker Evans

Walker Evans and Cynthia Rylant form a simply magical rapport in Something Permanent.  Cynthia Rylant’s connection to the photographs is quite eerie given that the book came to fruition after the passing of Walker Evans.  It’s as if she has studied the photographs for hours, interviewed Evans, painstakingly plucked the hidden words from the pictures, and shaped them into poems.  As I read the poems it became apparent that they were sharing a conversation with the photographs, and I, an outsider separated by experience, time and distance, was suddenly invited to walk within the worlds created by Evans and Rylant.  It was a struggle to come back, but I had to so I could tell you to come with me next time. 

Evans’ photography is stark but dense.  It isn’t tidy, and sometimes the disregard is a sharp punch – the tongue of a worn out shoe, a crude grave, signs shredded with weather’s indifference.  Oh but Evans knew his lines; he was an instrument of light, and his photographs tell you this.  His rocking chair isn’t an object.  It still contains the person who sat there, but not the humanness of the person, but the presence, the light.  The light could even be me or you leaving the room, the century, but only as our physical selves. 

Cynthia Rylant’s poetry reflects Evans’ photography, yes, but it also tells us a story, a thread that reaches spectacularly for the truth.  Her words, like Evans’ photography, are simple but saturated and sprinkled with grit – a barbershop masquerading as heaven, the tight clutch of grief that materializes in a pair of shoes and later, a hat.  While Rylant did not experience the depression, her poems say otherwise.  Clearly, Walker Evans’ light is still reaching.  It is reaching through Cynthia Rylant.  

Gerald Stern

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From The New Yorker, Aug 5, 2013

Barbara A. Schmidt-French & Carol A. Butler

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From Do Bats Drink Blood?: Fascinating Answers to Questions about Bats 

BT Schwartz

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From The New Yorker, July 29, 2013

Sandra Markle

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From Bats: Biggest! Littlest! 

John James Audubon

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Roseate Spoonbill

From John James Audubon: American Birds

David Chethlahe Paladin

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From Painting the Dream: The Visionary Art of Navajo Painter David Chethlahe Paladin 

Wesley the Owl by Stacie O’Brien

Wesley the Owl is a fascinating story about the 19 years Stacie O’Brien shares with Wesley, a barn owl.  Stacie, an employee at Caltech, is offered the opportunity to raise Wesley.  She immediately accepts the offer and throws herself into the arduous but overwhelmingly poignant task of creating a happy and long life for her new feathered baby.  Wesley thrives in Stacie’s care, and Stacie, in return, becomes the best owl mother a baby owl could ask for.  At a very funny moment in Wesley’s life his relationship with Stacie changes, and he chooses her as a mate.  Because of The Way of the Owl this switch is quite necessary, but as you read about it you will be startled for a moment before succumbing to the giggles. In fact, you will find yourself giggling most of the way through this book.  You will leap up at moments, as you struggle to contain the vast joy inside your chest with the hand that is not holding the book.  You will cackle with delight as Wesley encounters mice, magazines, water and many other things. 

Perhaps my favorite moment from the book involves one of Wesley’s attempts to catch and eat a live mouse.  Stacie places Wesley and the mouse in the bathtub and while Wesley doesn’t understand that he should be killing the mouse he is still curious.  The mouse of course doesn’t really care what’s going on until Wesley becomes curious.  So when Wesley plays with the mouse a bit the mouse bites him.  Wesley is appalled.  He turns back into a baby and he is quite pouty for a moment.   What a scenario!

Towards the end of the book Stacie divulges the last name of her best friend, who is mentioned throughout the book.  It turns out that the Wendy in this book is Wendy Francisco.  NO WAY, you all are saying.  Yes, I am serious!!!!  For those of you who are not familiar with Wendy Francisco, she is the lovely lady who sings the God and Dog song.  It makes perfect sense that Stacie and Wendy are best friends, and it makes me incredibly happy.  

Morris Graves

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From Morris Graves: The Early Works