Sometimes a day with the flu is a gift. Because of this cold/flu, I was finally able to finish Heidi Ardizzone's absolutely fabulous biography of Belle da Costa Greene that I've been reading for quite a while. It's rare that I get enthralled in non fiction but this one kept me turning pages. In 1905, Belle Greene was hired by J.P. Morgan to organize his rare books and manuscript collections. Over time, she acquired what became the Morgan Library, one of the finest collections of rare books and manuscripts anywhere. Her story is remarkable and fascinating and the book is meticulously researched and beautifully written. It's part biography (of Belle da Costa Greene), part history (social and political context early 20th century America), part social history (how exactly did race and gender work its way into almost every facet of life and how did Belle da Costa Greene negotiate her way into and through this matrix?), part intellectual history (about the art and rare book world of early 20th century New York and Europe as well a who's who of the New York art, theatre and literary worlds). And, it's also sort of a romance too. In the winter I was able to get to the Morgan Library and see some of the works I read about in this biography. It's a beautiful, magical place. Most recently, they've added a very nice Renzo Piano addition. Thank you flu/ cold (don't hurry back though....).
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