Last night I was @.....

.......well, actually, "in", my bed.

This post is for, but not limited to, my friends in Architecture.

I know I am not the only one out there who wakes up in the middle of the night with a racing mind.  I have to keep a notebook by my bed to write down ideas when they come and then I pick up my kindle and read myself to sleep.

Last night I was between books, I just finished The Hunger Games, and needed to start a new book.  The time I have for reading is so limited that I will spend more time choosing a book than it would actually take to read it.  Nonetheless, I keep my kindle loaded with classics for situations like this and last night I chose to read Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady.  

I have been doing some writing and blogging for San Marco, which is originally an Italian company that creates sustainable paints.  I was hoping to find a book that inspired me; a period piece, based somewhere in Europe.  After I exhausted myself on Amazon, the already downloaded book I chose happened to be just what I needed.  I read, and re-read, the preface a few times, making notes.  Henry James was comparing the development of a character to architecture, piling "brick upon brick for the creation of interest".  More importantly, he was referring to Venice throughout the Preface.  While I was craving inspiration, he was writing about his.

James speaking of places like Venice:  "How can places that speak IN GENERAL so to the imagination not give it, at the moment, the particular thing it wants?"

James describing the outcome of The Portrait of a Lady:  "erecting on such a plot of ground the neat and careful and proportioned pile of bricks that arches over it and thus to form, constructionally speaking, a literary monument."  

There are so many more great quotes in the preface alone.  I have read some of this book before and recall that a portion takes place in Italy, once again I almost missed the obvious.

Feel free to send me any of your book recommendations.  Also, follow the San Marco blog, www.sanmarcousa.wordpress.com.