A View of the Growing Diversity of Art (Part 4: A Visit to an Art Gallery)

 Part 4: A Visit to an Art Gallery 

 "We inhabit a universe that is characterized by diversity." 

-  Desmond Tutu. 

Paintings by Dr Abe V Rotor

Primordial universe 

“When we try to pick out something by itself, we find it hitched to everything

else in the universe.” – John Muir.

Leaf skeletons

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

– Joseph Campbell.

Moon in two faces above the trees

“Trees give peace to the souls of men.” - Nora Waln

Where has the painter gone?

We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Living star

“It doesn’t matter how the paint is put on, as long as something is said.” 

– Jackson Pollock

Colorful arthropods

“We dream in colors borrowed from the sea.” – Unknown

Forest under the sea 

"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A school of maya-maya 

“The physical universe and its buzzing machinery,

it's fantastical scenery.” ― Laura Kasischke.

 

Earth chandelier - before and after glow

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” - Rachel Carson

Thorny cherry

“This is a cardboard universe, and if you lean too long or too heavily against it, you fall through.” - Philip K. Dick.

Bouquet to wreath

“Flowers don’t tell, they show.” – Stephanie Skeem

Old bouquet 

“A painting is worth a thousand confused art-gallery visitors.”
― Ljupka Cvetanova, The New Land

Communion with Nature - Ten Ways

The Lighter Side of Human Nature

Communion with Nature - Ten Ways

Dr Abe V Rotor

"One for all, and all for one, " cried the musketeers

     of Alexandre Dumas classic novel;

who's the enemy today, who are the brave knights?

     if ever the cry's still heard clear as bell. 

Twin Jaira and Julia on a walk at People's Park, Tagaytay, 

August 21, 2015

Overlooking nature's majestic caldera*
     this twin in a rare experience;
half-sky, half-water, half-land kingdom
     a fairytale of the eighth sense.

* A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land, following a volcanic eruption. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters. Tagaytay was formed by this geologic phenomenon.


Splendor on the Grass, Sky Ranch Park, Tagaytay,
August 21, 2015

Splendor on the grass at twilight
     laughing with the stars;
who cares about rain and wind,
     time like this is scarce.


Tagaytay overlooking Taal Volcano, August 21, 2015

Grand Dad and Markus the only two in the world,
     theirs the time, space and stillness;
let the world go round unceasingly to others,
     save this ephemeral togetherness.


Sunken Pier, Puerto, Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur

Behold! a jellyfish as looking glass
     unfolds a third world scene:
half terrestrial, half aquatic,
     solid and liquid in between,
third matter in colloidal form -
     strange the world is ever seen.


Baby sitting: Fluppy, angora rabbit at home

Here is seeing the world in dreams;
     half awake, half asleep,
on two planes - fantasy and reality,
     rather than counting sheep,
to unload life's burden at the end of day -
     a heaven sent li'l rabbit.


Tamboli shells, former St. Paul Museum

I'm standing on the world's narrowest isthmus,
     among archives and fossils of history,
where I can hold the Pacific and the Atlantic
     oceans half the world apart and free;
I cross the time and distance barrier
     with these chroniclers singing to me
the unending roars of the tides,
     tides on the street, tides of the sea.



Rare walking stick insects, Museum of Natural History,

UPLB Laguna

Dragons in fairy tales and religious fictions -
     they are fierce, they're enemies of mankind;
in fossils and movies they scare the children;
     little do we think of them friendly and kind,
devouring pests, singing lullaby in dull air;
     misjudged, they're harder and harder to find.


Viewing telescope, Mall of Asia, Pasay Metro Manila

Yes, creatures but man, are getting fewer, farther apart;
     changing the old game with art of glass and steel;
where you can't get near, when you can't touch and feel,
     technology comes to fill, yet empty still. 

Baby orangutan, Avilon Zoo, San Mateo, Rizal

Monkey on my back, that's what people say
     when what we say logic we lack;
genes may vary, yet the same to this day,
     indeed, a monkey on our back. ~

Ode to a Tree that Wears a Veil (Don't Cut the Trees, Don't 1)

Trees for Peace

Ode to a Tree that Wears a Veil

Paintings and Verses by Dr Abe V Rotor 

"It is in losing your crown and die

a little in order to resurrect,

and your tenants to breath,

your litter enriching the earth, 

the womb and cradle of birth."

                          

- AVRotor, Talisay

Don't Cut the Trees 1 in acrylic by AVRotor (36"x 48") 2021.  Painting on display 

at Living with Nature (San Vicente Botanical Garden), San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

Details of painting are shown below.

 Ode to a Tree that Wears a Veil

A veil to shield the sun,

A veil to keep from rain,

A veil to buffer the wind,

A veil to hide the view around,

A veil to muffle sweet sound,

When you wear your crown.

A veil to let the sunshine in,

A veil to welcome the rain, 

A veil to dance with the wind,

A veil to view far beyond,

A veil to free those in bond,

When you lose your crown

A veil to clothe the naked,

A veil to comfort the lonely, 

A veil to feed the hungry, 

A veil to house the lost

A veil to welcome the dawn,

When you regain your crown.

White birds, black birds, they are one;

they share the trees, they live in bond. 

Stillness is when sweet sound rises

from the silence in the trees.

All creatures are beautiful and wonderful,

we are all part of Creation, except the fool.

Don’t Fall into the Modus Operandi of Opportunists and Rogues

Don’t Fall into the Modus Operandi of Opportunists and Rogues

A friendly reminder for the Holiday Season
Dr Abe V Rotor

Beware. Don’t fall victim to impostors, opportunists and rogues. These are ten tips to protect yourself and other people.

1. Have presence of mind always.
2. Don’t be too confident and trusting.
3. Avoid unlikely places and hour of the day.
4. It is good to be with somebody or group you know.
5. Distance yourself from suspecting characters.
6. Dress simply and leave your valuables at home.
7. Screen and limit access of personal information about you.
8. Be prepared for contingencies. Be security-conscious always.
9. Keep emergency phone numbers and addresses ready at fingertips.
10. Attend seminars and workshops on safety and security.

I am writing this article from fresh memory of an incident in which I am a victim. I must admit I violated Rules 1, 2, 3 and 7 in the above list.

First I was too trusting and confident in welcoming a “new found relative” – one Mario B. Rotor, incoming president of “The Leagues of Young Educators of Regions I and II.” (See hand written note of the impostor.) Through phone call, my wife endorsed this person to see me at UST where I was holding classes. (He had introduced himself on the phone, first to my daughter, then to my wife, picking up information in the process.)

Second, with this added information beefing up his readings and researches about me, he was ready to meet me finally – “his successful ‘uncle’ whom he had been longing to meet personally.” When I met him he practically knew me from head to foot, giving me a genuine impression about him as a new found nephew. I remember Mark Twain’s “Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn”. Quite similar to the story of the swindlers in these novels, he started greeting me “uncle”, with music in his voice and familiarity in ambiance.

The third rule I broke is that I was totally unsuspecting. And this is when opportunists strike. He came on a Saturday, just after noon time, met me at the entrance of the graduate school, greeted the security guard and everyone else, with profuse courtesy. I led him to my classroom where I was going to give final examination. He waited until I finished giving the instruction and questionnaire. I entertained him at the corridor.

“Thank you for accepting our invitation to be our inducting officer and guest of honor,” he said, handing me the invitation, which has yet to be printed. “I’ll come back to give you the final copy, with your permission to print your name.” He told me how happy our relatives in the province are about me, that he is thankful to auntie (my wife) for arranging for this meeting.

“Why it’s an honor!” I answered. Who would not like to meet friends from both the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley where I was assigned for many years when I was regional director of then National Grains Authority. “I am sorry for the short notice,” he said. It will be at the National Defense College Auditorium, Camp Aguinaldo, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, which means the following day.

Now here is the climax of the modus operandi. I offered him even only the cost of my food in the affair. He refused. “You are my guest,” he insisted. “Just donate a trophy,” he said. “Or the cost of it,” which I gave. He told me he had to rush to Manila Bulletin. “I’ll see you there, uncle,” he said and left.

There was no induction ceremony, and the phone number he left is the operator’s at Camp Aguinaldo. I came to know it only after he had left. When I reached home my wife and daughter exclaimed, “We thought he is the son of Vicente, your cousin. His name is Mario B. Rotor, a teacher.”

Except for his extreme feminine nature – bodily and by his voice – he could pass for a polished conversationalist, quick in wit and in scribbling notes. He spoke Ilocano perfectly with proper intonation. We talked in pure Ilocano throughout. He is around 5’ 4”, slim, kayumanggi, stoops a little, shoulders are rather high, and has rather sharp eyes, bony checks and prominent jaw, nose and ears (typical features of Rotors and Valdezes, so I thought). I was looking at my uncle Manuel and Ismael in their younger days, except that he could be mistaken for a woman by his voice, even on the phone. (He called up UST twice, I received the second.)

I am relating this story to warn potential victims of this impostor. What if the victim is not in his home ground? Or a neophyte in the city? His original plan according to my wife was to invite me outside. He suggested a fast food store near Dapitan, or anywhere outside UST.

               

 

                                                                                          

Reading the Person through Handwriting Analysis

As I went over the notes this impostor wrote, I wondered if handwriting analysis or graphology can really tell the true character of a person, and thus tell us whether to avoid or welcome him, more so to be properly warned. I know that graphology is among the tools used in the recruitment process administered by certain companies in the US and Europe, but is it sufficient to give us a keyhole view of hidden motives, other general personality characteristics?

It is interesting to note the following features I observed on the impostor’s handwriting which are as follows: (See reproduction)

1. His writing lies perfectly in between lines, the words rarely touching the lower or upper bars. (Sign of independence, cleverness, non-conformist)

2. Heavy writing. You can feel the back of the paper like Braille (serious, intense, violent tendency, risk taker).

3. Loops of letters f, g, p, y vary. A large loop is a sign of openness; while tight and sharp pointed loops show the opposite character. Lack of “tail” after each word means an inward, silent character, but the sharp and deep downward strokes (f, p, t, l, I) show emotional intensity.

4. Ambivalence is also shown by the inconsistent writing pattern, and inconsistent type and size of letters. There are letters, which cannot be immediately deciphered, or are missing. (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome)

5. The dot of letter i, lies too far towards the right. No dot is exactly above the letter i. The letter t lacks the usual cross line at the top; instead it is cut at the middle either by a short dash or line that connects the nearby letter. Note wide spaces between words, large margins, and empty lines. (procrastination, loafer, tamad)

6. Writing has a feminist touch, which explain his personality.

I have always been fascinated by graphology since college days and through books in the library and bookstores I have learned a number of basic signs associated with talents, tendencies, etc. I must admit that as a field in psychology, graphology faces many views and controversies (like Freudian and Jungian approaches in psychology), but with computers today, this new science can be developed into a potent tool in personality analysis. I remember our teachers in elementary and high school who used to remind us in class that handwriting is the mirror of ourselves.

A Plea for Help as Modus Operandi

I lived at Don Antonio Height 2 at our family residence way back in the seventies when the area was still sparsely populated. One late evening I was awakened by a pleading sound, and when I looked from the veranda I saw a man apparently bleeding from wounds, leaning under a street lamp across our house. He was groaning and repeatedly pleading, “Dalhin ninyo ako sa ospital,” (Take me to the hospital.)

Our neighbor was also alerted. As we had coded security communication, we cautiously observed the “victim”. We sensed something wrong. Apparently he was only acting. When he saw that we were armed and did not open our gates, he started walking away. There at the nearest curb he joined his companions, a jeepload of tough guys, apparently hold uppers.

After the incident the whole neighborhood arrived at a theory that the “wounded” person acted as a decoy. In the process of being helped, his companions rush in, and declare a hold up. This “pasok bahay” modus operandi is not new and has been modified into other varieties, such as “akyat bahay”. In this case the gang takes advantage of houses when the residents are on vacation.

This mutual defense strategy proved to be an effective deterrent of a would-be crime. You can modify this according to your situation. One is by having coded night light or alarm. The rule is that, “Do not lift the drawbridge or open the fort gate,” so to speak, if you are living in a pioneer territory.

Be Sure Your Car Doors are Locked

My cousin had a co-teacher at Ramon Magsaysay High School Manila who fought a hold upper. She showed me both her hands bearing the scars of multiple wounds from knife. “My husband was also hurt,” she said. “Thanks God we are still alive.”

This is her story. Every morning the husband drives Remy, my cousin’s co-teacher, to Ramon Magsaysay before proceeding to his office. He would pick her up in the afternoon. For years this became a routine.

One morning while waiting for the green light at an intersection along Quezon Avenue, an unsuspecting man passing as a pedestrian suddenly opened the car’s rear door and occupied the backseat. With a fan knife he declared a holdup. Resisting the threat, the husband fought. The wife tried to help the husband. The struggle attracted passersby and pedestrians. The hold upper escaped, leaving the wounded couple that was immediately brought to the hospital.

Lesson: Be sure to lock all doors of your car. Roll up the windows to a level no one from outside can unlock and open the doors. When parking, leave the car immediately after locking the doors. Be sure to put on the wheel or engine lock. Don’t linger around, more so stay inside and sleep while the aircon is on. You are an easy target of hold uppers.

When opening your garage when going out specially in the early morning, and upon arriving in the evening, look around first for any suspicious people around. My friend, director Ruel Montenegro, lost his GSR Lancer this way. His driver did not resist the hold upper who simply took the car from the garage. It was never found.

What rules did the couple violate? First, they were not security-conscious. And second, they lacked the presence of mind at that time. This is often the case when we are preoccupied with routine activities. Again, as in my case they were too trusting and confident no one would harm them. In this civilized world we are still living in a jungle – a jungle made by man himself. ~

Twelve Reasons I Love Philippine Literature

Twelve Reasons I Love Philippine Literature

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog

1. Philippine Literature takes me to the domain of the gods and goddesses, to the kingdom of the Great Maker of Malakas at Maganda, in respect and awe to their power over mortals for which man submits himself through fear and dedication in the name of Bathala - the counterpart of Odin to the Norse and Zeus to the Greeks . For literature started at the dawn of civilization in epics, songs and chants, myths, riddles, legends and folktales passed on from generation to generation

2. Philippine Literature brings back the sweet days of childhood when children believed in the kapre (hairy giant) that lives in big tree, dwende in punso (anthills), the manananggal (half-bodied vampire) peeping through thatch roofs. The whole experience is distilled during adolescence, the courageous parting of childhood to adulthood, leaving the imprints of the unknown world always remaining enigmatic and entertaining in adult life. Sarangola ni Pepe, (The Kite of Young Jose), lyrical and typical of a ballad, takes one back in time, up to the sky, with the lilting laughter of a child that he was.

3.Philippine Literature unveils the world of the minutiae that provides bounty and source of merriment – honeybees converting nectar into the sweetest substance on earth – pukyutan (honey), caterpillars making the purest fabric ever – sutla or seda (silk), bubod (natural yeast) brewing the best wine in buried burnay (earthen jar) –basi, tuba, tapoy, bahalina, layaw, lambanog, and mead, the drink of the gods – these bring Bacchus and Dionysius into the midst of celebration. Sober they listened to a sage recount Biag ni Lam-ang (The Life of Lam-ang), Hudhod and Alim (Ifugao), Kumintang (Tagalog), Maragtas and Hinilawod (Panay-Bisaya) in like manner Homer related the Iliad and Odyssey to the Greeks hundreds of years ago.

4. Philippine Literature is never passive and prosaic, it has moved on with the times, dating with post-romanticism and emerging with contemporary subjects, among them the glamorous Philippine Jeepney, converted surplus jeep into passenger vehicle, which introduced a different concept of beauty, overbearing in decorative accessories; the Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut) romantic symbol of rural life, and now common feature in parks, and satellite of modern homes. It retains its coziness and quaintness in the midst of modern environment. Contemporarily, literature diverged from the traditional book and theater to cinema and television, making it accessible at homes, cinema houses and viewing centers – and now with hand-held electronic gadgets (tablets). Literature has entered a global trend of “ hybridization” enriched it in the process, with history, photography, ecology, archaeology, documentary, science, and other disciplines. Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, has a local version of submarine adventure, Spyri’s Heidi is typical of televovela theme. This is a global trend that brings “literature to the people, and not people to literature.” Noli, the Musical brought Rizal’s serious political novel to the grassroots, in performing arts shown on screen and electronic monitor with state-of-the-art technology.

5. Philippine Literature, on the other side of midnight, so to speak, portrays the dark, the painful and sorrowful events and conditions of life, yet gives a sense repentance and hope usually ending up with renaissance which is the foundation of ancient religions and later, Christianity. Man still believes that he can do so little without the intercession of the gods and godesses – Anianihan (God of Harvest), Cabuyaran (Goddess of Healing) of the Cordilleras, and other deities like Maria Makiling (Legend of Mt Makiling) and Daragang Magayon (Legend of Mt Mayon) who guard our forests and fields. Probably there is no place without stories of spirits and ghosts, pastime of storytelling and subject of worship and supers6. Philippine literature succeeded in toppling the pedestal of classicism and romanticism of Renaissance Europe in the 16th century with the discovery and subsequent colonization of the Philippines by Spain for almost 400 years. Towards the end, we gained from the toppling of aristocracy in Europe that gave way to proletarian and agrarian life – which is characterized by everyday drama of the people. It took several pathways to the grassroots – komiks (comics), popular magazines like Liwayway and Bannawag (Dawn, in Ilocano and Tagalog), and stage play, the Zarzuela (melodrama), and ramifying through multimedia today. Telenovela (TV drama) draws millions of viewers into tears and laughter. It is responsible in early closing shops and going home so as not to miss the excitement of every episode, reminiscent of the 1001 Arabian Nights when Scheherazade held the Sultan in suspense with her stories as a tactic in postponing her execution.

7. Philippine Literature exults beauty often envisioned in the Filipina, now a melange of Oriental and Occidental lineages, the subjects of stories, poems and songs, and while the Maria Clara image has fused with contemporary culture, still it captures the essence of womanhood and the role of women in present society. Decada 70, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, OFW, and other related movies may still project the suffering Sisa in Rizal’s Noli, except that she is also a Gabriela, independent and militant. Literature would not be complete without the Filipina at the center of the story, notwithstanding her dual role in the workplace and the home. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil tells more in The Filipino Woman, so with Paz Mendez, The Principal Role of the Home in Making a Filipino.

8. Philippine literature produced not only great works but projected before the eyes of the world the greatness to the Filipino nation and people: Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo inflamed the Revolution led by Andres Bonifacio who penned the Kartilya, Graciano Lopez Jaena’s La Solidaridad, Carlos P Romulo’s Pulitzer winning essay, “I Saw the Philippine Fall; I Saw the Philippines Rise.” Florante at Laura by Francisco Baltazar (Balagtas) earned him the counterpart of Shakespere. And the stories for children gathered and compiled by the Grimm Brothers, and Hans Anderson in Medieval Europe - these too, have a local version in Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang by Severino Reyes.

9. Philippine Literature is rich in mythology, largely influenced by ethnic and Greco-Roman mythology, albeit the myths and legends of other foreign lands, for which reason our literature has gained rich diversity, from local versions of Medusa (woman with hair of snakes), centaur (half man, half beast - tikbalang), the balete as alleged hanging tree of the repentant Judas Escariot. The fact is, Philippine legends trace the mythological origins of places, objects, and events. Gaudencio V Aquino’s book of Philippine Legends gives us a glimpse of the fertile imagination engrained in our culture. Mythology is the core of our supertitious beliefs, rituals, prayers, and festivities, that largely comprise Philippine Literature.

10. Philippine Literature has a holistic nature, encompassing native songs like Paruparong Bukid (Butterfly in the Field), Ang Maya (Brown Finch), Bakya Mo Neneng (girl’s wooden clog), Bahay Kubo (nipa hut); music played by the Rondalla (string ensemble), dallot (skirt dance), prayers and adoration like pasyon (Passion of Christ), dung-aw (dirge). Florentino Hornedo’s Pagmamahal and Pagmumura (Love and Curse) shows the extremes of our human nature. Goodness always prevails as shown by bayanihan (cooperation), lamayan (wake), and the annual fiesta to commemorate a significant event or feastday of a patron saints. And if the incantations of the herbolario, (quack doctor), and the spiritista (faith healer), together with the lullaby (Ugoy ng Duyan, a cradle song), as well as other rituals to bring man closer to his creator - if these were to be retrieved deep from the remote sitio or purok (unit of barangay) in the twelve regions of the country - certainly these will further enrich the treasure of our literature and culture.

11. Philippine Literature needs to advance, over and above its present confines, to “come down to earth” in order to become relevant to the issues and concerns of the times. By so doing it keeps distance from cheap soap opera, blind devotion, and latent scholarship. “Get out of the house” cried the late national poetess Ophelia Dimalanta, “Bond with Nature,” a subject that has stirred all disciplines today on the subject of ecology. Literature must use the modern tools of communication - photography , the Internet and multimedia, because, literature as a medium of communication must exercise the power of the pen - the electronic pen with cyberspace to write on today.

12. Philippine literature challenges both young and old, Quo vadis? (Where are you going?), to set the direction of change, to move out of the comfort of fraternity and shield of arrogance, to tap talents, especially among the young, and catalyze their expression, to make literature, technical writing and journalism compatible, a triumvirate in a vernacular language understood and appreciated by the people, not so much for stylistic quality but for advocacy towards a better life and a better world. Of equal importance, Philippine Literature must strive to be always vigilant and true, in the protection of its integrity from the trappings of the Good Life – pornography, violence, acculturation, materialism, institutional decline, particularly the family and village community. The homogenization effect that globalization poses is the biggest challenge not only in the Philippines but in other countries as well: the preservation of literature which is the precursor of culture, making it relevant and significant in our present age of postmodernism.~

---------------

Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM, evening class 8 to 9, Monday to Friday.

Model Short Story: THE BET by Anton Chekhov

 Model Short Story: THE BET 

by Anton Chekhov 

The singer and his song, the writer and his story. The creator and his work are inseparable in classic works. Anton Chekhov and his short stories and plays are among the world's literary masterpieces. Likewise, Vincent Van Gogh and his paintings opened a school later called expressionism. So with Jose Rizal and his novels - Noli and Fili - which are heroic expressions of genius in the greatest hour.

Dr Abe V Rotor
 Living with Nature - School on Blog 
[avrotor.blogspot.com]

I have chosen one of Chekhov's favorite short stories. The Bet is about two men who agreed to a bet. Two million rupees is the prize offered by the older fellow, a banker, to the younger man, a journalist - if he can outlive solitary confinement. The challenge arose from a discussion on which is better, capital punishment or life imprisonment? The idealistic, younger fellow took the latter argument.

Anton Chekhov's monument in Crimea, Ukraine

What happened to the journalist who took the challenge to live in solitary confinement - not only for five years as earlier offered, but on his own volition, for fifteen years?

Here towards the end of the 15th year with certainty of winning the bet, the "prisoner" prepared for his prize money and freedom, wrote a letter for his opponent-benefactor to read.

To quote:

"Tomorrow at twelve o’clock I regain my freedom and the right to associate with other men, but before I leave this room and see the sunshine, I think it is necessary to say a few words to you. With a clear conscience I tell you, as before God, who beholds me, that I despise freedom and life and health, and all that your books call the good things of the world.

"For fifteen years I have been intently studying earthly life. It is true that I have not seen the earth nor men, but your books I have drunk fragrant wine, I have sung songs, I have hunted stags and wild boars in the forest, have loved women… Beauties as ethereal as clouds, created by the magic of your poets and geniuses, have visited me at night, and have whispered in my ears wonderful tales that have set my brain in a whirl. In your books I have climbed to the peaks of Elburz and Mont Blanc, and from there I have seen the sun rise and have watched it at evening flood the sky, the ocean, and the mountaintops with gold and crimson. I have watched from there the lightning flashing over my head and cleaving the storm clouds. I have seen green forests, fields, rivers, lakes, towns. I have heard the singing of sirens, and strains of the shepherd’s pipes; I have touched the wings of comely devils who flew down to converse with me of God … In your books I have flung myself into the bottomless pit, performed miracles, slain, burned towns, preached new religions, conquered whole kingdoms.

Your books have given me wisdom. All the unresting thought of man has in the ages is compressed into a small compass in my brain. I know that I am wiser than all of you.

"And I despise your books, I despise wisdom and the blessings of this world. It is all worthless, illusory and deceptive, like a mirage. You may be proud, wise and fine, but death will wipe you of the face of the earth as though you were no more than mice burrowing under the floor, and your posterity, your history, your immortal geniuses will burn or freeze together with the earthly globe.

You have lost your reason and taken a wrong path. You have taken lies for truth, and hideousness for beauty. You would marvel if, owing to strange events of some sort, frogs and lizards suddenly grew on apple and orange trees instead of fruit, or if roses began to smell like a sweating horse; so I marvel at you who exchange heaven for earth. I don’t understand you.

To prove to you in action how I despise all that you live by, I renounce the two million of which I once dreamt as of paradise and which I now despise."

A few minutes before the agreed time of freedom, the journalist surreptitiously left his cell to nowhere, and without anyone's knowledge, thereafter. The banker wept after reading the letter, which only he alone read, after which he locked it in his safe.
One may ask how a writer, like Chekhov, can develop a theme of such passion at the border of sanity and reality? It is a kind that gives less importance to style and technique, which is often the hindrance to attempts in literary writing. Here is an example of "substance first, before technique."

Well, it is said that to appreciate a piece of art, one must know the artist. So is in the case of a short story.

Anton Chekhov (1864-1904) Russian writer, wrote hundreds of short stories and numerous plays. The elements of melancholy, loneliness, and futility that pervade Chekhov’s works are tempered by touches of humor and gentle irony. He emphasized mood rather than plot, and realistic rather than a romantic treatment of life. He once wrote to his brother, “Don’t invent sufferings which you have not experienced … ” ~

NOTE: Here are quotations by Anton Chekhov to help the reader understand the character of the man.
 

Naturalism in Paintings (A Visit to an Art Gallery 5)

A Visit to an Art Gallery Series 5

 Naturalism in Paintings 

By Dr Abe V Rotor

Scenic imagery of an unspoiled landscape, mural on canvas,  

Dasmariñas Village residence, MM. AVR

“All good things are wild, and free.” - Henry David Thoreau

Section of a wall mural at author's residence QC. AVR

La Union Botanical Garden, on-the spot painting 

San Fernando, LU. AVR

"Hunting, fishing, drawing, and music occupied my every moment.

Cares I knew not, and cared naught about them.” - John Muir

Adventure by a waterfall, imaginary scene,

likened to Pinsal Falls, Sta Maria, Ilocos Sur. AVR

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” - Henry David Thoreau 

“

Raging Falls after heavy downpour in acrylic on wood. AVR

The earth and its resources belong of right to its people.” -

Gifford Pinchot

Parakeets and Butterflies, detail of a canvas painting. AVR

“A true conservationist is a man who knows

that the world is not given by his father,

but borrowed from his children.”

- John James Audubon

Sea cavern dwellers wake to the morning sun. AVR

“Conservation means the wise use of the earth and its resources for the lasting good of men.” - Gifford Pinchot“

Seagrass blue and red fishes, glass painting AVR

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” 

- Henry David Thoreau

Red coral fish, glass painting AVR

When one tugs at a single thing in nature,

he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” - John Muir

                                          Hybrid Flowers, glass painting AVR ~ 

“There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness,

that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

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The aforementioned quotations came from America's foremost naturalists: Theodore Roosevelt, Henry David Thoreau,- John James Audubon, John Muir, and Gifford Pinchot.