life rattle show no. 1299

Presented on THURSDAY, April 10, 2014

With Guest Host by john currie

featuring

"Oreo"
and
"A Tree on a Tree"
by Claudio Carosi

tonight's Show

Life Rattle Program No. 1299 features two stories by new Life Rattle writer Claudio Carosi.

Claudio Carosi was born to Italian-born parents just outside of Toronto, in what was once farmland but is now the thick of suburbia. Claudio spent most of his childhood climbing trees, lighting things on fire and stealing pylons from construction sites, which, he says, probably impeded his development into a decent human being. One major development in his life came about when Claudio was six years old and found his pet sunfish floating in its bowl. He has since come to terms with the finality of life. Claudio Carosi is now a freelance writer by day and a bedroom musician by night.

This is the first program in a two part Earth Day series this month. While art as a response to environment is no new thing, the writing you will hear carries freshness and subtlety. Perhaps just what we need in learning to look anew at ourselves as visitors on and stewards of this planet.

In "Oreo," Carosi chose to write a piece about something simple, an everyday morning walk with his dog in the natural area near his home. He does a fine job of bringing out the character of his dog and of dogness in general. Carosi writes deftly and subtly about the encounter leaving us plenty of space to consider the human relationship with the more than human.

In "A Tree on a Tree" Carosi follows his grandmother Maria outside to the backyard, his notebook in hand, and asks her about her landscape painting. She sits and draws in pastel and ponders her grandson's innocous questions. This story is a whimsical portrait of grandmother and grandson, art supplies, apples, a camera and a tree.