Sure, everyone likes beautiful things. Okay, to err on the side of caution, an overwhelming amount of the populace likes beautiful things. Of course, this overwhelming amount of the populace has different ideas of what constitutes beautiful.
Well, as the population of one that owns and runs this blog, these two books are about things that fall into my perception of beautiful.
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley- In the face of his older brother’s cancer diagnosis, Patrick Bringley leaves his fledgling career at The New Yorker and takes a job as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What was supposed to be a temporary solace becomes a second home for a decade. The book offers a behind-the-scenes look at a famous art museum’s inner workings as well as insight into some of the art and artists.
What I loved about this book was that it was an intimate look at how the art museum works. It allows the reader to form a connection with the art museum and the people who work there, as well as the art and artists. It’s interesting, but it also has a soothing undertone to it. It’s like the pages are infused with a comforting hush. There’s also Bringley’s story of his older brother and his battle with cancer. You understand why he’d seek solace in the art museum.
Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive by Eliot Stein- Eliot Stein takes a deep and vivid look at ten of the oldest and most endangered traditions in the world, including the world’s rarest pasta; saving a 700 year old soy sauce recipe’s secret ingredient; Scandinavia’s last night watchman; a tree with its own mailbox; and Cuba’s last official cigar factory readers.
Did I cry a few times while reading this book? Yes. I don’t think I’d heard of any of the customs and/or traditions in this book, but I ended up looking up several of them -like the last Inca rope bridge in Peru- to get a better understanding of them. There’s a hopeful, but forlorn vibe to many of the stories, like the last watchman. Who is going to take over these traditions and these customs? It’s so easy to get invested in their continued existence. And with the final entry in the book, the readers have to accept that it may not be possible to save them all.
I hope these books introduce you to some new beauties. And if they don’t, check your beholder.
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