Maps to anywhere part 1

Upon first viewing, the thirty something essays that are displayed in Bernard Cooper’s Maps to Anywhere seem to lack a common connecting narrative. Upon closer inspection, the unifying factor of these works becomes much more evident. Personally, what I admire most about Cooper’s work is how adept he is at noticing things that others might miss, and then capturing them in words that are both simple yet stunning. The portraits that Copper presents are thoughtful, tender, and thought provoking  Maps to Anywhere is a unique pleasure. Cooper's curiosity is broad ranging and contagious, his intelligence refreshing, his writing fine and revealing in this book's diverse topography.This book, comprised of vignettes or episodes was an absolute pleasure to read. I imagine I will revisit it again, particularly for the precision of language. I particularly enjoyed the sections where the author braided his thoughts about art and architecture through his impressions of childhood. I found Cooper's poetic style to be really inspiring to me. This probably, mostly, because it seems a lot like my own, although more honed; the way he deals with subjects, de-familiarizing them, is something I would like to incorporate into my own voice.