Friday, September 18, 2015

In loving memory of Paula Tatarunis: 2/9/1952 to 9/16/2015

At 7:45 AM,September 16th, my beloved wife, Paula Tatarunis passed into the great beyond. She has, as John Barth said in phrase that always gave her much mirth,"met with the destroyer of delights and the severer of societies." My heart is broken, but I so appreciate all of you who have followed this blog and loved her amazing creative work. She damn near invented her own art form...
I have been fortunate to have spent the last 30 years with this remarkable women, who, to my astonishment, loved me as much I as have loved her. And sorry, I don't have her skill at putting this post up; , I'm lucky that she left her computer logged into this site, and that I've gotten this far. She rarely put pictures of herself here, so I'm pleased to be able to share some that I took, of her in action.
I so loved her. I will always miss her. And as sad as I am, I still feel blessed to have spent half of my life with her.
Darrell Katz

21 comments:

Cyanatus said...

Many years ago, a friend sent me a link to a blog with the curious name "Paula's House of Toast," and urged me to read the posts of a brilliant and talented woman. After marveling at just a single entry, I realized that my friend's characterization of the author wasn't exaggerated. I bookmarked the page and returned again and again to be delighted, amazed, and educated by the proprietress.

Not only was Paula a unique and excellent writer, photographer, and poet, she was a profound and insightful thinker. Her spiritual quest(s) in particular touched me greatly.

Being very sad myself that she has passed, I can imagine how devastated you and her other loved ones are. Please take comfort in knowing that the impact of Paula's life and work has been felt by many people whom she never met and who will always admire and miss her as well.

paul said...

Cyanatus has expressed my own feelings more eloquently than I could. Requiescat in pace.

David Ashton said...

I agree with Paul. Paula's work touched me and I will miss her. Thanks for sharing this Darrell. Love to you and your family.

PseudoPiskie said...

I've missed Paula's words and photographs and am sad they will no longer be updated. What a unique and marvelous eye she had for the smallest detail in nature! Her presence on the internet has been a blessing to so many of us. And what Cyanatus said...

Shelley Huston
Jamestown, PA

Forsythia said...

I have waited and hoped for more postings from Paula. Hers was a spirit of beauty and quietude, with a big dash of spice on the side. What a gift she had. The gift of seeing and being, and she shared her gifts so generously with all of us.

Wander said...

I am so sorry for your loss...the greatest sexually transmitted disease known to man is life, and it has a one hundred percent mortality rate...rest easy!

Wander said...
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Lori Witzel said...
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Lori Witzel said...

So very sorry, Darrell - her presence here was a delight.

am said...

Thank you, Paula and Darrell. Love the photo from the early days. Kindred spirits.

Kind wishes always,
am

bls said...

I'm very sorry. I've had a link to Paula's blog on my own blog for years and years now; I've always loved her photos and her tremendously interesting mind and heart. Thank you for putting up this post to let us know.

So sorry for your loss. My thoughts will be with you.



Dave Bonta said...

Very sorry to hear this. She was a wonderful macro photographer, a gifted poet and a unique voice—even within the very eccentric world of literary bloggers, Paula stood out. She came as close to expressing the inexpressible as anyone I know. Thanks for letting her readers know. I'm very sorry for your loss.

Darrell Katz said...

PseudoPiskie,,,Paula left behind a STAGGERING number of photos....but.....I will not be attempting to take her place at Paula's house of toast....and Dave, I love what you just said...expressing the inexespressible...
I will modestly say that I steered Paula into becoming a photographer (myself, I'm a composer).
IN 2004, she BROKE her neck in a car wreck 9which was NOT her fault). Mildly, as such things go, but still...she had to wear a neck brace for three months....towards the end of that time, she began to fool around with an old camera my parents had given us....so for her birthday, I bought her a much better, modern camera....and then she re-invented herself...as she had done, many times...
tomorrow I will get to her computer and post my eulogy...

Jean said...

Reading this with so much sorrow. My love and condolences, Darrell, from another who was always moved, delighted and provoked by Paula's exceptional work as an artist and thinker.

Les said...

I, too, was moved by Paula's words and photographs. I live near Habitat in Belmont where I think she occasionally shot some of her amazing macro photos. I'll think of her whenever I'm there, taking in the beauty of even the most ordinary of weeds that she made so luminous. I'm so sorry for loss, and ours.

jeffrey h said...

Darrell - Deepest of condolences. Paula was a modern day Thoreau, who did indeed create - nay, she perfected - an art form. Cyanatus captured it well: our collective loss is profound.

Beth said...

Darrell, thank you for the way you have shared this very sad news with us. I'm stunned; Paula has felt like a true companion in blogging all these years, and I always read her posts, laughed at her black humor, sympathized with her spiritual quest, and admired her photography and how she used it to express what cannot be said. I'll genuinely miss her presence, and send you my sincere sympathy on your great loss.

tristan said...

she was a special person ... she always gave us a lot to think about ... as you can already see, a lot of us are missing her

MandT said...

My deepest empathy goes out to you. I lost my husband last Summer. Even though we had spent twenty five years together we had only been married three weeks. The grief is astonishing, knowing that on the deepest level, all those millions of mutual experiences are suddenly loosened upon the universe. What does escape the absolute nature of death is the love and that is the most human gift imaginable. Peace to you and the light that was and remains Paula.

Darrell Katz said...

I thank all of you....in many other parts of my life, people have been supportive and sympathetic, but you people have all said such wonderful things that really reach to the heart of who she was...

Lucy said...

Came back from being away to find this news, so deeply sorry. She was a revelation, a wonder and a treasure. My very deepest condolences.