Beloved Spirit: Pathways to Love, Grace and Mercy

The third book in this author's series of inspirational poems that were initiated after the tragedy of 9/11 in New York City and Washington, DC in conjunction with The Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution.
"Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave's response to the events of 9/11 was to turn to poetry as both catharsis and communication. Determined to spread a message of hope in a bleak world, she formalized that communication in her first book, and now, less than a decade later, she has produced three books. In each she has made her own journey in words, but she was equally determined to find a visual complement. The first book was illustrated with figural images drawn from Indian and Persian manuscripts, the second with Japanese calligraphy and decorative designs. In this third book she has excerpted details from one of the most famous illustrated Persian manuscripts, in a manner that discards the literal or the descriptive in favor of mood. In moving from her first book to her third, she has abandoned narrative for spirit. Yet the images form a sequence that has an over-arching narrative, as they follow the light and shades of a passing day, reminding us that, like all creatures, we are in this world for a fleeting moment." Julian Raby Director, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
"Each page of Beloved Spirit sensitively juxtaposes a detail, whether a light soaked cloud, a tender sprig, or a lush blossoming flower, with a poem, subtly alternating rhythms of word and image and creating a harmonious whole." Massumeh Farhad Chief Curator and Curator of Islamic Art, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery