Wonder and Tranquility: Star Island in Winter

For me, the Peaceful Places Boston research phase was an exciting time of discovery and reconnection. One of my most beguiling discoveries was Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, which lies just seven miles off the coast of New Hampshire. I was so captivated that I've been back twice, both times participating in one of the Star Island Corporation's many workshops: Star Harmony. On my most recent visit last September, I spent quite a bit of time in the bookstore, lingering over Small Island, Big Picture: Winters of Solitude Teach an Artist to See, Alexandra de Steiguer's book of photographs of the island in winter. (She has spent the past 16 winters there, mostly alone, working as the island's winter caretaker.)

De Steiguer's photographs all in black and white, are stunning -- illuminating the power of nature and the beauty of a place where the modern world has no way to intrude. I was particularly moved by her powerful writing, as she attempts to capture what it's like to spend winter after winter alone in this special place. (I was lucky enough to ask for -- and receive --  her book for Christmas!)

She writes:
    "Wandering through the shifting light that paints the features of this place, I see that each new moment presents its subtle differences, and I have come to realize that the sights never truly end, that being open to what is really here always reveals more than the expected. These nine small islands offer a valuable lesson; that the ability to see and to experience is limited only by what I think I know of a place – by my expectations. Wandering through the shifting light that paints the features of this place, I see that each new moment presents its subtle differences, and I have come to realize that the sights never truly end, that being open to what is really here always reveals more than the expected. These nine small islands offer a valuable lesson; that the ability to see and to experience is limited only by what I think I know of a place – by my expectations."

New Hampshire Chronicle recently did a segment on de Steiguer and her book. Here is a link to that piece, by Cindy Jones, producer, videographer, and editor: www.wmur.com/24661680  It's a marvelous introduction to a wonderful artist and a magical place.