WHILE I AM NOT AFRAID....

As is often the case when we're in New York, Ellie and I found our way to the Morgan Library for an early brunch. The library is one of our favorite NYC hangouts--aside from the library itself and the Renzo Piano-designed atrium and restaurant, we often find a jewel of an exhibition there. This time was no exception. We were treated to "Illusions of the Photographer: Duane Michals at the Morgan."

I have been a long-time admirer of this artist. I love the wry subtlety of his narratives, his eccentricity of perception, his intimacy and vulnerability. And I was delighted to find, as a part of the exhibition, a quotation that meant a great deal to my own personal journey.

I'll explain. I wrote a book, a memoir, following a life-changing experience back in the early 1990s. I had found in Duane Michal's work this an epigraph that meshed perfectly with my purpose and feelings in writing the book: "I must write this now/This very moment/While I am still foolish/Before I become sensible again/And know better,/and while I am not afraid/To say these things outloud."

And searching for a title for the book, I found it right there, in the epigraph I had chosen: "WHILE I AM NOT AFRAID."

If you happen to be in New York, I encourage you to spend time with this wonderful exhibition. I was frustrated by the relatively short amount of time we had to spend at the Morgan and--particular given Michals' sometimes spidery handwriting--the fact that I had left my reading glasses in my bag at the coat check counter.

But... I did find my quotation, right there on the wall: