The Library

I have dreamed of having a specially-designed library to house my beloved book collection since the early 1960’s. My inspiration came while watching Visconti’s film, “The Leopard.” Only after moving to the United States did I realize that the dream could come true. I decided I would design and build the library myself, since I didn’t know anyone who could construct it for me in the precise way that I wanted. Or, at least, without spending a small fortune. 

I had never had any theoretical training or practical experience in woodworking. To be able to undertake such an extensive project, I began by learning the rudiments of carpentry, building simple pieces of furniture such as tables, beds, cabinets, and shelves.  By the early ‘90’s, I was ready to tackle the big project. I started by doing a few rudimentary sketches for a contractor so that he could construct the outer shell of an addition to my house. The carpentry work only began in 1993. For the wood, I chose Heart Pine for the entire project because it is a beautiful golden-red color as well as being hard and durable.

During the next ten years, the original, sketchy construction drawings changed almost daily, based on my ability to bring them to fruition. I slowly developed my skills by trial and error. In the end I spent more than 15,000 hours, rivers of perspiration, and a fair amount of blood in building the library. During a period that absorbed all my energy outside of my professional activities, my only companions were my dog Poncho, a great listener to my soliloquies, and recorded classical music, mostly opera. 

No one else added a nail, a screw, a bolt, or a drop of glue to the project. The library was officially inaugurated in May 2014.