Cultural pursuits

The day started out quietly enough- thank goodness. Just a gentle start to the weekend with a bit of work thrown in to keep me on the straight and narrow. Preparation of materials for a workshop and sorting through bits and pieces.
Then Jude and I headed to the Morgan Library to hear- yet again Ian McEwan in conversation with Steven Pinker.
We decided to walk there as the journey from 48th St to 37th St on Madison Avenue is an easy and pleasant walk. As we wended our way towards Madison Avenue in search of the shop that had the green jacket that Helen and Jude decided was perfect for me but we found that the store was closed as it was the Sabbath. However serendipity meant we passed a number of craft and jewelry suppliers along the way. The sign on the store took our fancy and as I lined up the seats and the sign a man emerged from the shop (looking a tad relieved to be out of there) and obliged us by sitting in the seats and waiting.

We arrived at the Morgan Library in time to get some great seats. Ian McEwan and Steven Pinker then had a "conversation' about conversations. It was a great exploration of how we think and talk about things in ways that don't explicitly convey what we mean or want. They explored the patterns and conventions of language and how they shape our thinking. The particular quotes I wrote down were by Ian McEwan- "For some people a conversation is only about speaking". When referring to a particularly dull introduction to a book he said "It makes ones heart race with interest."
After the conversations we were able to stroll around the Morgan Library- what a gem of a building and collection. The particular display we spent time in was the exhibition called "Illuminating the Medieval Hunt". The exhibition featured miniatures from the fifteenth-century manuscript Le Livre de la chasse. There were about two dozen manuscripts and printed books on display.
After the museum and library we visited Jude's friend Gabrielle in her apartment on the 13th floor which has a great view of the Chrysler Building and the balcony is extensive. Extensive enough to have a table and chairs at one end and then planter boxes all around. While we sat and sipped our champagne we were serenaded by a very vocal little bird- sparrow like but red head and whistling its little lungs out.
What a grand day.