"Life has different stories."—Alfred J. Brunini, "Babbo," age 90
"Tongues in trees, books in running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything." —"As You Like It," Act II Scene I, Shakespeare
I write and paint in oils. A love of the natural world influences my work. I have a BS in Education from the University of Vermont, teaching briefly here in Vermont, and Rome, Italy, with a handful of years, spent homeschooling our sons' early education. Across my youth, I had lessons in ballet, drawing and oil painting beyond that I am self-taught. Literature and art figure extensively in my life, my mother had an MA in Art History which she wove lovingly into the world of my sister and me. I have completed a memoir, and a novel set in the Highlands. The manuscripts are now in the editing process, shortly I'll begin the exciting query exploration to find a literary agent.
Compassion, peace, and love!
Giovanna (Jo) Brunini Congdon
Woodstock, 1969, as captured by LIFE magazine. Introducing the poet and writer Jonathan Tabakin. Jon is captured here in the right front corner, in the orange hooded raincoat, with friends and fellow sailing coaches from Truro, Massachusetts. Jonathan attended Cornell, as both pre-med, and an English major, before he left to complete his life-long studies independently. An avid reader, Jon's favorite written work is King Lear. He and I have known one another since childhood. Looking forward, we hope to write countless children's books, edit and write novels, and draft poetry alongside one another. His artistic statement and a 2019 portrait will follow. You can find his poetry together with mine under "Prose & Poetry."
Johns H. Congdon II is a master woodworker. We share three beloved children and a broad meadow in Vermont, where we have plans to build me a small home of our design, communally working the land together. Johns had one year of architecture studies at Goddard College and left formal education to teach himself what he wanted to know. He has built nearly a dozen remarkable homes in his lifetime, alongside collections of fine furniture held in private homes from San Francisco to Park Avenue, New York City.