Three Things: Ode to Pie Edition, II
I’ve written about pie before, and let’s continue the pie paean. One of my favorite things is waking up to leftover homemade apple pie, and savoring a slice for breakfast over my morning coffee. Today, I am sipping my morning coffee pie-less, but the thought is enough for me to pick up my pen and write about pie. Here are three pies to help you and your pen, as well.
Claes Oldenburg, Pie A La Mode, 1962. Plaster-soaked muslin. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA.
Lee Price, Lemon Meringue, 2010. Oil on linen. www.leepricestudio.com
Wayne Thiebaud, Pieces of Pumpkin, 1962. Oil on canvas.
With June comes the food of summer: popsicles, ice cream cones, watermelon; anything cold and drippy will do, really. This week, let’s write about the sticky sweetness that dribbles down chins and elbows, all in the name of summer.
Wayne Thiebaud, Four Ice Cream Cones, 1964. Oil on canvas. Collection of Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona.
Mary Pratt, Cut Watermelon, 1996. Watercolor on paper. Private collection.
Joel Penkman, Rocket lolly ices, 2011. Egg tempera on gesso board. www.joelpenkman.com
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Psst Twin Cities folk: We’ll be at Magers & Quinn at 7:30 pm tomorrow night to co-present Elliott Holt, author of novel You Are One of Them. See you there?
Wren and I are big fans of pie. Eating pie is generally quite nice, yes, but what I like best about pie is making it. There’s something very satisfying about rolling out the pie crust, filling it, and then baking it to heavenly aromas. Know what I mean? Well, even if you’ve never made a pie before, I’m sure you can still appreciate it. This week, we’re writing pies. Here are a few to drool over (and write about).
Wayne Thiebaud, Pies, Pies, Pies, 1961. Oil on canvas. Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA.
William Claesz Heda, Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie, 1631. Oil on panel. Gemäldegalerie Alt Meister, Dresden, Germany.
Pierre Bonnard, Cherry Pie, 1908. Oil on canvas. Private collection.
I came across Wayne Thiebaud’s Bakery Counter (below) again recently, and was reminded of an Italo Calvino short story that takes place in a bakery: “Theft in a Pastry Shop.”
In the story, three small-time thieves break into a shop at night to raid the till. Baby, the smallest and most agile of the three, is sent in first through the back window, unaware of the kind of shop he’s breaking into. In the pitch black, Baby slowly realizes he’s found himself in paradise.
At once he began licking the hand, and groping around with the other at the same time. It touched something solid but soft, with a thin covering of fine sugar—a doughnut! Still groping, he popped the whole of it in his mouth and gave a little cry of pleasure on discovering it had jam inside. This really was the most wonderful place; whatever way he stretched out his hand in the dark, it found new kinds of cakes.
Now, I’m not a cake or doughnut person. In fact, I’m not a huge dessert person in general. (Pies are an exception. And custards. Yeah, OK, maybe I do like dessert.) But unexpectedly finding oneself in the middle of a free-for-all, cream-filled heaven? Even I could appreciate that. I’ll let you finish the story yourself, but in the meantime, here’s a confection collection to help inspire your own pastry-centered story.
Now excuse me while I pour myself another cup of coffee to cut through this sugar.
Wayne Thiebaud, Bakery Counter, 1962. Oil on canvas. Private collection.
“Pie eating contest at Tidal Basin bathing beach.” July 31, 1921, Washington, D.C. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. via Shorpy.
Amy Stevens, Confections (adorned) #15. Photograph. www.amystevensart.com
P.S. Open Mic! This week! Submit your work-in-progress! Yes!
