Welcome aboard!

What a better day to launch a blog on literature, poetry, art and travels that on the verge of a great socio economic depression.

You know the 1930s were very prolific for literature, fueling the creativity of literary icons like John Steinbeck, Aldous Huxley, William Faulkner and even JRR Tolkien.

They all wrote about a world of helpless sickness and depression that exhorted a perspective switch to raise new flames of hope.

Man is the only kind of varmint sets his own trap, baits it, then steps in it.

John Steinbeck.

We are living this moment right now – a frightening pandemic that has killed more than 170.000 and infected 2.500.000, overwhelming healthcare systems and professionals all over the world, enforcing isolation and social distancing, unveiling the best and the worst of our self-centered society, feeding the lunacy and the thirst for control and surveillance of despots and totalitarian leaders; borders closed and the profitable business of commercial flights collapsing, the highest unemployment rates of the decade, the price of a barrel of oil has leveled the value of an espresso and the real impact of the pandemic has not even touched the productive sector and the developing economies of Africa and Latin America yet.

This scenario is far from uncertain, it is inescapably dark. Another great socio economic depression is on the corner, walking fast to our doors.

A sad soul can kill quicker than a germ.

John Steinbeck

At this moment, on this day, we start this humble journey of wonder and revelation through a world of art, literature, poetry and the places they invite us to discover.

I would love to have my days dedicated to it, but I am still a health professional and frontline worker who struggles to conciliate effective help to the population with the abstraction of offering culture and reflection, beyond entertainment.

I will try to deliver a book review each month and permeate the blog with art, poetry, quotes, images of real and imaginary lands evoked by them.

Welcome aboard, you are all invited.

I am Physalis.