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A Trip to The House on the Rock

by Amy Kurzweil

One A Trip to the House on the Rock… in which the artist on her birthday draws a collection of collections, annoys a docent, and contemplates infinity Image: artist on a sofa with an arrow identifying her as ‘coastal elite’, there is a bra draped over one arm of the sofa, she is having a snack of Chipz and thinking, ‘37 is totally still MID 30s’; there’s a laptop on her lap Caption: I was alone on my birthday, in the middle of my thirties, in the middle of the country, in the middle of a book tour, looking for a way to celebrate. Image: Three people suggesting she visit ‘House on the rock’, and she is replying, ‘What is house on the rock?’
Image: Three people trying to explain the House on the Rock; one says it will take a lot of time, one says a lot of people trip when they visit, one says there’s a lot for her to draw. Caption: I was not able to determine what this mystery rock house in Wisconsin, on my way from Madison to Iowa city WAS. (How much do we tourists ever really know about what we’re getting into? All we can do is fit the oddities of National life into certain buckets…) Image: Two buckets, one labeled MUSEUM, and the other, MONUMENT, each containing colorful artifacts Image: The author seated on a pillow, pensive. Caption: What I knew is that I was going. There was one specific description that called to me: Image: A friend saying, ‘It’s a collection of collectionCaption
Caption: Let it be known that I am a collector: Image: 90s collections of keychains, marbles, those little tabs from soda cans, teddy bears. Image: NOW collections of (a) cartoons in boxes with arrow indicating ‘elaborate filing system’ and ‘for sale’, and (b) nostalgia; someone asking the author, ‘Do you need to keep this postcard from your aunt’s husband’s cousin twice removed?’ Answer from offscreen: YES Caption: And I am descended from collectors: Images of My father’s porcelain cat figurines, my great aunt’s elephants, My grandfather’s life archives (with arrow indicating, ‘subject of my recent book’) Images of matchbox, elephant, purple cat, doll, bottle cap, Red Sox keychain with caption, Why do some things ask to be kept?
Image: Rental car with arrow indicating ‘running late’, followed by image of ticket booth labeled Welcome, a friendly face behind the glass, saying: ‘You’ve purchased tickets to the Ultimate Experience, but you only have time for The Highlights Experience’ Author, perplexed: ‘What’s that? What did I buy?’ Ticket seller: ‘You need 2-3 hours for the Highlights. We close at 5:00. I’ll refund you five dollars. How many tokens do you want? You’re gonna want tokens for the music boxes in Section 2. They’re two tokens for one dollar.’ Author (thinking of her own colorful music boxes, globes, dolls, bears etc): ‘Umm. I guess five dollars worth.’ Caption: My day’s collection had begun to accrue. Image of the artifacts collected so far: tickets, golden tokens, map (‘A dream turned into an Ever Evolving Reality!’), gum wrapper, special birthday golden milk latte from earlier, with arrow indicating, ‘now I really have to pee’ But bathrooms are in Section 2.W
Image of map of House on the Rock, featuring Welcome Center, Asian Garden, Gate House, etc., and author walking to Original House, beautiful views (We’re on top of a special rock) and admiring a golden Hotei God of Happiness, Rub Belly for Luck) Caption: It occurred to me that I was in what was once a man’s home. Who was this man and why did he matter? I am nearsighted (adult-onset) and often disoriented, which might explain my struggle to be a tourist. The significance of the things in my vicinity is often lost on me, because the general vicinity is often lost on me.

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Amy Kurzweil
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