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Description
“Creativity is an endless parade of possibilities, it’s not a goal," Joram Piatigorsky reflects in this diverse collection of essays. Whether writing about the brain, tennis, a bookstore in Iceland, old friends, marriage, death, snow, movies, or the notion of creativity itself, he joins the parade with enthusiasm and unbounded curiosity.—Bill O'Sullivan, senior managing editor, Washingtonian magazine
"Truth and Fantasy hits the mark on so many levels -- whether conveying the wisdom of bees or the meaning of fatherhood or the immense power of silence. With a disarming curiosity and warmth, Piatigorsky's observations always emerge plainly, sometimes starkly, in the distance, leaving the reader with a precise and surprising understanding of what is being seen -- and even what is not seen. One is reminded constantly of the truism that we are not thinking beings who also feel, but feeling beings who also think. These essays, vivid and crisp in their scene-setting and delivery, carry the weight of an immovable foundation upon which we build our lives-- with tools and carpentry and right angles, yes, but also -- and most important -- with magic. Truth and Fantasy illuminates that magic. To see it clearly, one need only open the book and turn the page." –James Mathews, author of Last Known Position
In Truth and Fantasy: Essays, Joram Piatigorsky provides widespread insights on numerous topics, always with a nod to imagination. He draws from his family background in fine art and music, his early life as a California boy devoted to tennis, his career as a research scientist, his collecting Inuit art, his transition from science to writing, his family role as a husband, father and grandfather, and his exotic travels. These well-written, concise essays weave together his thoughts on complementary themes from his extraordinary creative life. –Stephen S. Lash, Chairman Emeritus: Christie’s
In this captivating compendium of essays, Piatigorsky takes the reader on a metaphysical journey through a variety of subjects. Each vignette is a questioning of the subject’s essence and/or dimensions. The piece is a personal accounting, providing a window into the viewpoint of a complex individual, one who is an accomplished lab and field biologist, sportsman, and writer. In these musings, however, Piatigorsky is never dogmatic, but rather provides the reader with a passport to consideration of a topic from that individual’s personal context. These analyses of life’s landscape stay with you long after you put the book down. –Margaret McFall-Ngai, Professor and Director, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, member National Academy of Sciences U.S.A.
“History and speculation – sometimes correct and sometimes not – contribute to and enable the recognition of creative advances. We are left with this paradox: we advance by looking back.”
In this perception of Joram Piatigorsky’s, we glimmer the motivation of the scientist-cum-writer: not dwelling in reminiscence, but rather inviting the reader on an expedition. Through concurrent lifetimes dedicated to athletics, research, collecting Inuit and African art, travel and writing, the scientist facilitates our investigation of a life lived large. Then the writer takes over, proposing ways we can weave the truths we have discovered into the fabrics of our own lives. – John Houston, Inuit art dealer and filmmaker, producer of Atautsikut / Leaving None Behind
Publishing date: April 16, 2021
Language: English
Paperback: 276 pages
ISBN: 978-1-955196-01-7
Dimensions : 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
Joram Piatigorsky is a prominent molecular biologist and eye researcher, major Inuit art collector and writer, and son of renowned cellist Gregor Piatigorsky and Jacqueline de Rothschild. He is the author of the book "Gene Sharing and Evolution," a novel "Jellyfish Have Eyes," a memoir "The Speed of Dark," collections of short stories "The Open Door,” "Notes Going Underground.," and a collection of essays “Truth and Fantasy.” His books have been translated and published in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Serbian. To learn more: joramp.com