Estelle Ana Baca

Tag: Apologies

  • Antonio Canova

    Folks, I’m exhausted. I wrapped up the first draft of the trilogy in which our dear friend Nadiel has a starring role a few days ago, and I just don’t have a tale for you to read this week. “All” of “us” here are tired. Sorry.

    Detail of the Angel from the Cenotaph for Maria Christina of Austria by Antonio Canova
    The angel from Antonio Canova’s Cenotaph for Maria Christina of Austria in the Augustinerkirche

    In the interests of giving you something to check out in the meantime, I’d like to let you know about a phenomenal and under-appreciated sculptor whom I came across while I was researching the Augustinerkirche in Vienna, which is adjacent to the Hofburg, for the trilogy. Antonio Canova (1757–1822) was the Venetian sculptor responsible for the exquisitely mournful and beautiful Cenotaph for Maria Christina of Austria that is within the Augustinerkirche. As is the case within all his sculptures, his subjects feel as if they’re alive and breathing, as if remaining motionless were a matter of conscious choice. I also love his Cupid and Psyche.

    Nadiel says hi, by the way, and she wanted me to point you in the direction of “The Marketplace of Limoges” from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. (It’s another version of the Key of Inspiration, she says.) Me? I’m all about Gratitude right now, so if I had to give you something to listen to this week, I’d point you in the direction of the Largo from George Frideric Händel’s Xerxes, also known as “Ombra mai fu.” For my money, no one sings it better than Anne Sofie von Otter.

    Thanks for understanding and being patient, loyal readers. We’ll be back when we’re back with more stories.

    ♥

  • An explanation.

    Dearest Regular Readers,

    Nadiel was too embarrassed to post this herself, so I told her I’d step in and offer an explanation and an apology. She honestly thought that she could deliver the ending to her most recent narrative “Astaroth’s Wager” in a timely fashion so that she could begin a new one soon enough. (When you get to the end, you’ll understand why she was so keen to let go of this one.) She’s been blaming me for pushing her to produce, which is a fair and accurate complaint. Whichever way you want to look at it, I’m here to apologize for the both of us. Nadiel really didn’t mean to renege on her promises to present a conclusion in her previous posts. I forced her to make promises she couldn’t keep, and I should’ve been nicer. Sorry, readers. Sorry, Nadiel. Mea culpa.

    The conclusion to “Astaroth’s Wager” will be presented to you over the next few weeks. We all hope you enjoy it. Feel free to check out the previous ten chapters in the meantime.

    Part I • Part II • Part III • Part IV • Part V • Part VI • Part VII • Part VIII • Part IX • Part X

    Barring a catastrophic WordPress error, Chapter 11 will go up Tuesday morning, January 18, 2011, at dawn local time (7.12 MST).

    ♥

    P.S. In the interests of maintaining her word, she begged me to remove all her false promises from her introductions. Mea maxima culpa.

  • Musical Interlude #1: Inspiration

    Nadiel wanted me to send out a whole spray of apologies. As she is posing as a fifteen-year-old Nephil girl, she has discovered the many obligations accompanying that assignment during the third week of November. She promises to provide another chapter in the tale of Astaroth’s Wager next Tuesday, at sunrise local time, per usual, when she won’t be on a plane to visit relatives in California.

    She did mention to me, however, that I should share with you one of the musical expressions of her Key in lieu of a tale. A Key within an angel or Nephil is the core of the Grace within his or her soul. It is the prevailing emotional response when s/he’s at rest. Nadiel’s Key is Inspiration, and if you were to transpose that emotion into a pop song, it would probably sound a lot like this.

    Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

    ♥

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