Paducah artist, author and retired physician Bill Renzulli has released a trilogy of new books, titled Transitions, Gifts and Notes on a Simple Life. These books are are loosely related poems and prose considering the gifts we give to others, finding comfort in who you are and the philosophy of living a "simple life." On Sounds Good, Austin Carter speaks with Renzulli about his new work.
Gifts reflects on the gifts of our selves that we can share with others, he says, like kindness, understanding and respect - things given to us by parents, friends and individuals. These reflections are based on gifts he felt he received from family members and friends, the tools that enabled him to make the transition from medicine to art, which is covered more in the book Transitions.
Notes on a Simple Life are a collection of small personal essays he's written related in that when you look at everything, he says, it comes back down to being comfortable with who you are, understanding the nature of your psyche and being able to respond to what you feel you're intended to be as a person.
He says as an artist he enjoys the ability to design his own day. The life of a physician evolves around the problems brought to them throughout the day - who's waiting for you in the next examining room. As an artist, he feels creating art is a more solitary endeavor, where hours are spent alone in the studio and if he feels like putting his feet up one day, he is free to do so. The concept is finding joy and comfort in everything you do, like washing dishes, he says.
There's a book signing on November 1 at Yeiser Art Center. The Yeiser shop has his books for sale, also Bricolage Art Collective and Midtown Market in Paducah.
