Book tour II: Poems and Prose

Jefferson opined:

"I cannot live without books."

Eternity bound

Thirza's Monticello Haiku

Gosh darnit they've got me at it now. Second leg (in more ways than one, if only you knew) on my book tour. Yes, I know 'right back' turned into a couple of days but my RL avatar had a little accident silly thing... so as I was saying, the Shin Tao Library of Haiku on sim Ophelia, well worth a visit. In May of this year they had a big competition, themed around blossoms (cherry and not) and within these lovely Japanese buildings you'll find the contenders' poems, along with a succinct explanation of the Haiku, a word that has become something of a catch-all term for a number of different literary forms.

As you can read in this cunning photo, the usual English version of Haiku involves 17 syllables, divided into 5-7-5, with a general tendency to descriptions of a moment in nature. They capture a sensation, at once fleeting and eternal, that transmits a sense of peace and harmony. So if SL has been driving you crazy of late, this might be where you need to go to cool off a bit. (what, did you think I was going to recommend some afk time? As if...) The forerunner if you will of haiku is the tanka: a 5 line poem beginning with two 7 syllable lines and ending with the 5-7-5 metre. Interestingly (to me, anyway) back in ye olden days this poem was developed further and became the basis for poetry contests - one person coming up with the first two lines, the second, responding to the opening lines with three of their own, to which a third poet would reply with two more 7-7- lines and so forth. Chain mail we call that where I come from. But I can see the appeal, can't you? So much better than some cheesy powerpoint about my best fwend.

The Shin Tao Library of Haiku is charming, low lag, thoughtfully laid out, and if you remember to cam into the upper floors of the building absolutely bursting with good original verse. I'm not going to quote anyone here, go and see for yourself the River Room with its meditation on fish and the magic of the rippling current. There are verses capturing the bond between baby and parent, on solitude, on flowers and friendship. Danteosaka Deschanel has some of his own wonderful haiku on display but is very generous with space for all - there is a board you can click if you want to add your voice to the chorus; you'll be in excellent company. Danteosaka also has a book store over on the sim belonging to SLiterary which is well worth a visit. The only thing I would like that I didn't find here, a nice poseball animation for the zen garden. Nothing like a spot of therapeutic raking to summon the syllables... Onward and upward, the last in my troika of totally unrelated literary spots is the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. In RL the aktuel place in Munich was founded by a guy called Albrecht, a name that, ever since Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, I have always loved.
What can you do in the Bavarian State Library? Wander the halls, mostly. Admire the 70's chairs in the deserted Lesesaal. A note promises the following: "Virtual home of one of Europes most important universal libraries. Meet members of the user services department twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday at 3-5pm CET, for your enquires on all aspects."

So there you go.I liked the sculptures outside the main entrance (see below), and the illuminated books in the Furstensaal which include which include a 15th century copy of Geographia by Claudius Ptolemaeus the 2nd century ... um, geographer, obviously, and the undisputed 'king of the maps' from early times right up to and beyond the Renaissance. Touch the book to get a notecard which will tell you more. Another nice artefact is the book of Latin penitential psalms - music by Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594) pictures by Hans Mielich (1516-1573) straight out of Duke Albrecht's personal collection. Appropriately, the close-up of this doozy is in the Italian bit. Other attractions include the forest of empty chairs round the stage in the Vortragsbühne and the historical review of the Library's evolution over the past four centuries.

Parole sparse

Momenti condivisi

Donano pace

Dov'ero... ecco ti parlavo del Shin Tao Biblioteca di Haiku su sim Ophelia. Bellissima. Haiku è "attimo di vita che diventa poesia" spesso ispirato da un profondo ma breve incontro ravvicinato con la natura. L'haiku segue la struttura sillabica 5-7-5 difficilissimo per l'italiano ma molto facilmente addattato all'inglese e qui alla biblioteca ne troverai decine scritti dai residenti SL. Ad aprile questa bella land, di Danteosaka Deschanel ha ospitato un concorso Haiku prendendo spunto dalla festa dei fiori di ciliegio e queste belle poesie sono esposte nelle graziose capanne giapponesi intorno al giardino zen. Se ti senti in vena poetica, puoi presentare un haiku tuo a Danteosaka, toccando l'apposito cartello nella sala di arrivo. Molto bello la stanza Mondo piena di poesie sui fiumi, i pesci, i palmipedi catturati in poche righe piene di significato e tranquillità. Non mancare di salire ai piani superiori ci sono haiku che trattano argomenti - e momenti - diversissimi, dalla gioia d'un genitore osservando il proprio figlio, alla solitudine, all'amicizia, la sensazione alla gioia e dolore del mondo vero e quello virtuale. Un luogo che dà pace, quindi se è un periodo che SL ti fa impazzire, passare alla Biblioteca haiku e rilassati un po.
Dunque all'ultima tappa del nostro giro. La biblioteca bavarese o Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. Bella e imponente la versione SL con davanti queste divertenti statue. Tutta opera di Fuumin Yoshikawa molto fedele alla versione originale che in RL si trova a Monaco di Baveria una dei più importanti d'europa vanta delle collezioni che risalgono ai primi '400. All'interno, un corridoio è ricco di cartelli che illustrano la storia della biblioteca attraverso quatttro secoli di trionfi e disastri.La versione metaversale l'ho trovata completa ma un po' ... triste a dire il vero, tante sale e cortili, dozzine di posti a sedere e nessuno presente, come nella Lesesaal e il desolato cortile Vortragsbühne dove ho trovato le tracce di una presentazione della digitalizzazione della bibbia Gutenburg... illuminante.

Ma forse sono capitata in un momento di pausa teutonica.

Invece molto bella la Furstensaal con i libri giganti. Ecco il missale del duca Albrecht, il fondatore della biblioteca. La musica è di Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594) le miniature di Hans Mielich (1516-1573). E così chiudo su una nota altaaaa.