Wonderful recent things:

I just finished reading Listening is an Act of Love, in preparation for my outing tomorrow afternoon with my good friend Suzanne, to be recorded talking with her about my relationship with my mama.

StoryCorps is the most amazing thing - an nonprofit dedicated to preserving American history by recording the stories of everyday people. Family members, friends, neighbors, or StoryCorps facilitators interview individuals about their lives in a fancy recording booth. The interviewee and interviewer get a copy of their talk and a copy goes to the Library of Congress.

I found myself totally absorbed in this book of real interviews from this important project. I was on the train, crying over accounts of survivors of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, laughing along with spouses talking about how they met. I'm excited to participate tomorrow at the Chicago booth.

Yesterday I went to the Art Institute of Chicago with my dear friend Piyali. It was great to share the time with her - and to visit this grand museum one last time (for awhile) and see the new, fascinating  Magritte exhibit. Piyali took me there and to dinner at Native Foods (so good!) as a sweet goodbye present. What a treat!

Both of us just love the Joseph Cornell boxes.

Each box is such an amazing little world.