Lillianhowan - Lillian Howan

Tiare Tahiti

many thanks to Algy and his assistant Jenny for their support!

When the Scotch mist came down during the winter months, the bare trees looked more beautiful than ever. Algy loved to sit and gaze at the wonderful maze of twisty branches silhouetted against the pale, hazy background, and study the rich pattern of lichens which would be hidden when the leaves returned. As he perched on a rock beneath the wet branches, he felt a constant soft drip, drip, dripping on his head, and remembered a haiku by Matsuo Bashō. Soon it would indeed be spring:

          Spring rain           conveyed under the trees           in drops.

This post is dedicated to Algy’s friend lillianhowan, who is currently setting up a new online literary magazine nimbuscat on Tumblr. The first issue, to be published this spring, will be devoted to writing on the subject of wood :)

[ Algy is quoting a haiku by the 17th century Japanese master Matsuo Bashō. ]

Lillian, you spent seven years writing The Charm Buyers. What were your inspirations for writing this story?

My inspirations were the land and the people. Tahiti is incredibly beautiful, but there’s also such sadness in its history. I hoped to bring its recent history to life, particularly nuclear testing - but I didn’t want to write a polemic novel. I hope that The Charm Buyers brings the complexity, radiance, darkness, and hopefulness of its individuals to life.

island of Moorea from Matavai Bay, Tahiti

The Bluebird by Agnes Martin, 1954 ~ “The enigmatic Agnes Martin, who spent parts of her life in this small mountainous enclave and died here in 2004, gained international acclaim for her spare, luminous canvases, fields of washy color traversed by delicate hand-drawn lines, generally in the shape of a grid. These understated works can carry a big impact, producing a meditative response in viewers and inspiring reams of appreciative criticism. Like many of the Minimalist artists with whom she is often associated, Martin could extract infinite variations on a theme, producing both small drawings and huge paintings that use the grid as their underpinning.”

Village of Turipaoa, Manihi, viewed from the islet of Tatetate

photo: Francoise Holozet-Howan

thank you to my wonderful sister-in-law Francoise Holozet-Howan

fort fort lointain / far, far away

Vahitahi

photo: Francoise Holozet-Howan

Sunset in Puka-Puka

photo: Francoise Holozet-Howan