Cat Scratch Fever

The Melville of Yellville

I met one of my heroes recently (and one of the people on my Bucket List (as in “things to do before I kick the bucket.”)

Andrei Codrescu, a Romanian-born award-winning American poet, novelist, teacher, essayist, screenwriter, and commentator for National Public Radio, has a love affair with language. The spoken word rolls off his tongue like sweet nectar. I could listen to his voice for hours.

Listen.

I had the opportunity to do just that when my son, RD, and I visited with him and his wife, Laura in their mountain home on the edge of the Buffalo River National Park in the Ozarks. RD met Andrei in New Orleans. Andrei is retiring from teaching at Louisiana State University soon and is creating a retreat for artists on his property. My son is one of the invited artists.

I had imagined Andrei prone to bloviate (forgive me, Andrei.) How wrong I was. What a charming, humorous man with a quick wit and an autobiography as rich as the history of the land Laura researches so duteously. Their home is copious yet unassuming, and exorbitant with art – visual stimuli, the spoken word (oh, that voice!), written, (a library of books, custom-made book shelves of cedar from a local carpenter) and a collection of music that seems so appropriate for the surroundings. The views are nothing short of utopian.

A ride to see “The 80”, the land where the retreat will be built, was followed by an evening of sparkling conversation, good wine and crusty bread, and a scrumptious organic roasted chicken and vegetables. Andrei and Laura took me into their collective bosom as if we had been friends for years. My bed was cozy and warm and adorned with my favorite color, purple. Sleep came quickly after our long drive and I spent the night in a tranquil peace lulled by the profound silence of the Ozarks.

The next morning was frigid, our coffee quickly turned cold on the porch as we sipped it and marveled at the goldfinches’ morning feeding frenzy from the thistle feeders Laura had hung. We rode down to the Buffalo River – what gorgeous clear water! RD stood by the bank of the river and I imagined him composing paintings in his mind. A lunch of barbecue and a truckload of firewood later, we said our goodbyes and left this idyllic expanse of country to make our way back home.

Thank you, Andrei and Laura, for the fellowship and for making me feel so snug and comfortable in your home. Thank you for the goldfinch herd. Thank you for stimulating my mind and encouraging and supporting RD. Thank you for your wonderful hospitality!

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This entry was posted at 2:25 pm on 1/21/08 | tagged: Ponderings.
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