First Sip:
So long as you write
what you wish to write
that is all that matters—
and whether it matters for ages,
or only for hours,
nobody can say.
– from A Room of One’s Own
by Virginia Woolf
…
Slice of Cake:
This week is the anniversary of sky-t-tray!
To these celebrate 7 years & 80 posts,
I’d like to share ten of my favorite posts about
books, science, music & art.
I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear that
well over half of my posts are about books and writers.
I’ve written about 23 novelists, 13 poets, 3 playwrights,
plus 11 non-fiction writers, including 3 journalists.
Here are 4 favorite posts about novelists—
with links to what I said about them!
(in reverse chronological order)
In a post from December 2019 called Chawton,
I talk about my favorite author, Jane Austen,
about what helped her writing—
and about what helps my own.
In a post from January 2020 called Woolf on War,
I talk of my difficulties getting
started reading Virginia Woolf—
but then, how difficult it is to stop reading her!
In a post from December 2019 called A Book a Day,
I talk about a treasured book by Betty Smith—
which I read and re-read as a kid, and
why I’d recommend this book to readers of any age.
In a post from February 2020 called Invited In,
I talk about Wallace Stegner and his
rich-as-buttered-rum prose—as well as
his often grumpy characters.
Most of you know that I also write plays.
So it only seems right to include
the playwright Anton Chekhov—
since he is my favorite! And…
he has a birthday this month!
I’m always excited for the chance to see
a Chekhov play on stage!
This is me seeing Uncle Vanya in New York
at the Lincoln Center Theater, April 2024
(photo by my sister Patricia)
In a post from January 2022 called Tenderness,
I talk about how badly Chekhov’s first play bombed—
and about how Chekhov has influenced my own play-writing.
Happy 166th Birthday
** Anton Chekhov **
– born January 29, 1860
in the port city of Taganrog,
in southern Russia
…
Linger Awhile:
I’ve been thinking this week about expectations—
What people think I do… And what I, in fact, do.
Sometimes, when I say I write a blog about literature,
people expect me to have something like…I don’t know.
Credentials? An English degree, at least.
Nope. All I’ve got is a life-long enthusiasm for books & writing—
plus one (very practical) degree in biochemistry.
That’s right: Science. That’s what I was schooled in.
And I still really like science—
Which is why 11 of my posts talk about botany, astronomy,
psychology, genetics… along with an inventor, a polar explorer,
and the discoverer of π.
Here are 2 science posts—
both about women who won the Nobel prize.
In a post from April 2020 called To Plant a Tree,
I talk about Wangari Maathai—
her environmental activism and her work for
peace through reforestation.
In a post from June 2019 called Delighting in Details,
I talk about the unbelievable discoveries
that Barbara McClintock made—
and what she did when no one believed her.
…
“Half Cup More”
I love music way too much not to occasionally include a post about it!
I have 7 posts about musicians—from J S Bach to Paul Simon.
Here are 2 of my favorite musical posts—
both about piano players:
In a post from September 2020 called
Discord & Devotion,
I talk about the triumphs and tragedies of
Clara Schumann’s long life.
In a post from July 2020 called Neighborhood Power,
I talk about how Erroll Garner’s
musical complexity astounds virtuosos—
yet, to the rest of us, simply sounds so happy.
.
Take-Away Box
I’ll end with a quote from my very favorite actor.
(I have 5 posts, by the way, about visual arts—including movies.)
Well, who is happy?
I am…I have a happy nature.
I like the rain…sun…heat…cold—
the mountains, the sea…
Well, I like life.
And I’ve been so lucky.
Why shouldn’t I be happy?
– Katharine Hepburn
in her autobiography,
Me: Stories of My Life
In a post from May 2022 called Unafraid to Fall,
I talk about Katharine Hepburn & her movies—
plus the wild swings of successes and failures in her long career.
.
Thank you for reading!
— Kelly J Hardesty
Thoughts? Questions?
I would love to hear what you’re thinking!
Go ahead & scroll down to the end—where you can
leave me note in the comments box.
STT-81
Please note:
Whenever you click on ‘Post Comment’ your comments always come to me first. Then I post them below.
If you’d rather they stay between us, just let me know.
MM
sky-t-tray.us
© Kelly J Hardesty 2026