Welcome to Portico MLA

MusicLiteratureArt

Apr 1

… a place to explore beauty in the form of music, literature, and art, in solitude or as part of a community.

I once heard about a memorial service during which a speaker announced that the following was to be etched into the tombstone of the deceased—under the latter’s orders:

Here lies a man who never ate at MacDonald’s, never saw Gone with the Wind, and never went to Disneyland, and is damn proud of it.

Since then, I’ve imagined several epitaphs constructed along similar lines for myself—one of which, prior to 2020, might have read:

Here lies a woman who never had a FaceBook account, never appeared on YouTube, and never started an online business, and is damn proud of it.

I refuse to put the expected cliché in writing. Haven’t the last two years led to unexpected changes—major changes—for all of us? Even so, for me April Fools Day is a strangely appropriate time to soft-launch this website.

Happy Spring!

“Yes, but…” you might respond, “war rages, another fire season is about to begin, the oceans are rising, the pandemic continues to be a threat…” and so forth and so on. We break out our smart phones every ten minutes for yet another round of bleak headlines. And when we go on news strikes (or try to) we feel guilty for seeking respite when so many are suffering, or fearful of joining the ranks of the willfully ignorant.

I created Portico MLA for several reasons, one being a desire to proactively counteract the negative energy I myself have acquired in the wake of the last few years’ events. I do believe our attitudes have more to do with how we experience life than external factors, and in this blog I’ll be reflecting on what I find helpful from the vast realm of arts and ideas.

I’ll begin with a quote from Paul, born Saul of Tarsus. Though these words were penned in the first century, they could just as appropriately be echoed today—repeatedly!—by counselors giving practical advice to anyone struggling to cope with present realities:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Letter from St. Paul to the Philippians, NIV)

I will exercise that advice presently by sitting next to my lovely cat and having a cup of excellent coffee, then spend a couple hours practicing Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor—a gold mine of loveliness and excellence, even nobility and truth in more abstract form.

No more doomscrolling today!