Polly, Patti and me.

I've just spent a week of summer and quality time with my dear Mamma, at the Canaries. She's called Polly, apparently named so by her Grandma for talking like a parrot when she was a baby. We had both longed for this break from what seems to be an endless, rough and freezing winter. The resort life might not the most interesting place in terms of cultural impulses, yet it what was we needed - sunshine and a slow pace. With my repeated excursions to Patti Smith's bohemian life in New York City and The Chelsea Hotel in the 60's and 70's I got the artistic satisfaction as well. Turns out that Polly and Patti were born the same year, and my mother could tell me stories of her own bohemian life in London and Bergen in the same period as Patti does in her truly evocative and fascinating memoir - Just Kids. It tells an honest and moving story of her youth and friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. I was captured: I laughed, I cried and in some nostalgic way - I longed to have been there with them... 

Robert Mapplethorpe shot the cover of Patti Smith's fantastic album Horses.


Just Kids won The National Book Award 2010 for nonfiction in November 2010. If you haven't read it already - do so. 

Learn more Robert Mapplethorpe and his art at Artsy.net


The pictures were found here.

The Electrifying World of Pow Pow

Last Friday I went to see Pow Pow at Rockefeller's 25th anniversary concert- a band that just might be Norway's best and most exciting live band. Every time I see them I get dragged into their very own and totally electrifying universe of progressive and instrumental pop - and walk amazed and impressed. It's creative and innovative, yet catchy! You can, and most definitely should, buy their critical acclaimed album Last Days On Earth. 

The Visual World of The Sartorialist

Today I never managed to get out of my apartment. Quite unlike me, actually. I'd like to blame the weather; it's been really snowy and the snow blocks  the daylight from getting through my windows - hence I slept until afternoon today and led to a lazy day taking it at pace: Candle lights,  blankets, tea, music, blog-surfin and Patti Smith's Just Kids.  And then The Sartorialist posted this truly inspiring documentary on his blog about his work - made my day. Love. Tomorrow I'll go out and watch people too. 

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The Wonderful World of Esra

She's an extremely talented and acclaimed Norwegian illustrator with a great personality on top of that: If you haven't heard of Esra Røise allready you should mark her name now. I really love the way the various techniques embodies her work. Get inspired!

You should check out more of Esra's work here. 

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Happy New Year!

Sometimes a new year seems like some kind of blessing.  For me 2010, especially the last part of it, has been really intense - in every kind of way: We lost our beloved dad and our dear mum has been fighting cancer; hence I never got to Mexico - but I went exploring NYC for three weeks and got a whole lot of inspiration and impulses instead; I've had career challenges and opportunities; I'm privileged with fabulous friends and family - some new, some old, some even pregnant;  hey - it even brought me into the crazy world of blogging! It feels good to take a break and think about the year passed - and the best way to seize the days ahead.

I'll start by breathing out and wish you all the very best for the year of 2011:

Let's make the most of it.

Luv. Nille.xx

About Coming Home

So - my NYC adventure is over - hence the lack of more or less daily updates! I'm back in my hometown Grimstad to do a week of teaching and spending time with my family.


Winter in picturesque Grimstad is freezing and quiet - quite the contrast from the buzzing and November-mild New York City in every sense you can imagine. I'm in the opinion that the people in Grimstad tend to hibernate during the winter - on the contradiction they are wide awake the whole summer season. Yet, I might be wrong: Grimstad is named "The City of Poets" - so maybe they are all at home writing their future master pieces. Both Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun has lived and been inspired by the town - now the town gets inspired by them. Anyways, the streets are as good as empty - and it's under one month until Christmas. I've been sleepy myself the last days - the warmth from whooly blankets and the fire place makes me comfortable drowsy...

Grimstad in the early 1900's. Picture found here.

Nevertheless, next week it's finally time to wake up: Hello, Oslo! I haven't been there for almost five months - so it's going to be good to eventually go back home - to routines and my long lost social life.

Yesterday I thought about how I - too seldom - tend to take advantage of the cultural and creative offer in my hometown. Why not urge the urban impulses and inspiration where you live?  How high is the city? How deep is your love?

Mission: Do something about it! (You don't want to hear about my gym sessions and budget Desember dinners, eh?)