Circle of Life

Invisibles Cities has posed an interesting thought for my mind (that unfortunately for you Mr. Tangen) has nothing to do with metaliterature or the figurative side of things. By reading the first descriptions to the first cities (Diomira, Isidora, Zora, etc) all I can think about is how they would be branded by humans today. It reminds me of how New York City is known as the city that never sleeps and Paris as the city of blinding lights. It makes me wonder the categories each city from the book would fall in, how they would be judged and what name would be given to each. I also find it somewhat suspicious that all descriptions are short and never really go in depth to what the city looks like. Th descriptions are superficial, where Marco Polo seems to generalize the ways of geography. "A city where the buildings have spiral staircases encrusted with spiral seashells, where perfect telescopes and violins are made, where the foreigner hesitating between two women always encounters a third" (Cities and Memory 2). From this sentence which is one of few, gives the readers a sense that Isidora, is more like circles, unlike Diomira which is more sophisticated instead of artistic. Circles while geometric are the shape that means infinity because of the lack of sides. In a way Isidora makes me think of a woman itself. Circles and curves make up the ideals woman's body. Breasts, buttocks, hips. Woman. Precious metals from the table of elements, on the other hand, represent sophistication and power. This is why Diomira made me think of executives in Armani suits and women in Gucci high heels and Prada sunglasses. "Sixty silver domes, bronze statues of all the gods, streets paved with lead, a crystal theater, a golden cock that crows each morning on a tower"

(Cities and memory 1).