I was able at Casa di Goethe — in useful and cordial conversation with Frau Dr. Claudia N. — to photograph with my iPhone — long-wanted articles and books on this question of Luther and Goethe and Rome. At my question, she recommended that I leave my Wikipedia page up.
In conversation with her, and her interests and parts of her life story that I heard, I realized in reflection the singularity of my interests in Luther, Goethe, why I am in Italy… And and while I might anticipate interest, curiosity, probably it would be rare to find real agreement and understanding.
A region’s people are endemically grown into its shared emotions, society, inner life. They belong to the region. One could say that the people are the region.
Tourist Swarms.
As I said to the man in the Anglo-American Bookshop, as I purchased a biography of Raphael: “eventually you realize you will die before you read all the books you want to read”.
My existential scholarship.
In California, I faced the unbearable lightness of being, here I meett, again, the incredible offensive being
What would my life be like if I dropped my inner and outer “home” mask?
Antipode to the street life of Rome, in atmosphere, and silence, and meaning.
What do I inwardly need to know… Think… Feel… The…? In order to actually “be in the Real me”?
Stephen Lapeyrouse . . . Notes Dropped Along the Way 