Catharine Savage Brosman is professor emerita of French at Tulane University. She is author of Louisiana Creole Literature: A Historical Study and coauthor (with Olivia McNeely Pass) of Louisiana Poets: A Literary Guide, both published by University Press of Mississippi. She has also written numerous books of French literary history and criticism, three volumes of nonfiction prose, twelve collections of poetry, and her latest book, Clara’s Bees, will appear on Little Gidding Press in the summer of 2021.
This is the wilderness of fasting, prayer— a rugged landscape, marked by rocks and caves— and of the crying voice which will declare the coming of One mightier, who saves. Emaciated, clad in cloak and hide (the beast’s head visible), pale face, raw hand, the prophet waits at sunset, to abide until the time is…
With sunlight on his plumage, noble stance, he’s fully grown, a handsome specimen, ideally formed, by some design or chance— exemplar of the avian citizen. He’s quite alone; he wants no company Immobile, his attention occupied by possibilities I cannot see below, he rules the grassy berm, with pride, you’d say. For him, it is…
—June 2001, June 1940 I We take the train, a friend and I, northeast from Paris. Old Compiègne has cobblestones, fine buildings, souvenirs of war (not least, an empress’s museum), overtones of failure. First, we visit the château, have lunch at a café, outdoors, in shade, then find a taxi driver free to show us—somber…
