I’m delighted to welcome back R.W. Meek and his new book, The Dream Collector, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #LiteraryFiction #VincentVanGogh #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome back R.W. Meek and his new book, The Dream Collector “Sabrine and Vincent van Gogh”, to the blog with an excerpt.

The Dream Collector Excerpt 3

“The Mermaid Palace”

MAP IN HAND, I followed Theo’s route to the brothel district. At Place Victor Hugo, I stopped and thought this square might be where Vincent confronted Gauguin with a straight razor. According to Gauguin, his stare alone stopped Vincent in his tracks, causing him to run back to the Yellow House and use the razor on himself. The suspicion I brought to Arles was that the two artists, who held each other in high regard, would not reach such a violent juncture, unless there was a woman involved.  Would the prostitute Rachel talk with me?

I reached Place du Calvaire, a three-quarter circle of tall, dreary houses except for the three Maisons de Tolerance,each brazenly painted a different primary colour. I kept a safe distance from House #1, Vincent’s brothel of choice, where his favorite Rachel worked. I lingered and wondered if Sundays were a busy day for brothels?

House of Tolerance #1 was painted a lurid purple-blue which I thought could have only been attractive to the coarsest eye. Gauguin mentioned that the brothel was ruled by a Madame Virginie. I knocked, but no one answered, every window shuttered, and the front door latch locked.

I noticed narrow alleyways separated the houses around the circle. The gated alleyway

next to the brothel was unlocked. Creaking open, I ventured into a dark, dank, and urine smelling passageway, coming to separate wooden gates.’ I pushed open the one leading to the back of the brothel. The scene before me defied immediate comprehension.

Here’s the blurb

Sabrine, hospitalized for five years at the infamous Salpêtrière Asylum for Women, gains her release due to intervention of her sister Julie Forette and a young Sigmund Freud. The reunited sisters are introduced to the dazzling art milieu of 1886 Paris, and soon become close friends to the leading Impressionists. Sabrine attracts a cult following as a poetess, the enigmatic “Haiku Princess.” Seemingly cured by Freud of her Grand Hysteria, Sabrine soon enters into a tumultuous relationship with Vincent van Gogh.

Julie and Sigmund Freud, alarmed by the eerie parallels between the emotionally volatile couple and their self-destructive impulses, begin an urgent search to discover the root causes for Sabrine and Vincent’s growing psychoses. Julie, ‘The Dream Collector’ seeks their most unforgettable dream for Freud’s interpretation and revelations occur.

The Dream Collector is an exploration of the psychological consequences of betrayal, abandonment–and the redemptive power of art.

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Meet the Author

R.w. Meek has a Master’s degree in Art History from the American University in Washington, D.C., his areas of expertise are Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, with a particular interest in Vincent van Gogh.

His first novel The Dream Collector “Sabrine & Sigmund Freud” was voted runner-up by the Historical Fiction Company for best novel of 2022.

Born in Baltimore, he currently resides with his wife Pamela in Santa Clarita, California. He’s passionate about art, cinema, literature and jazz. His two dogs, Reve and Banjo, were awarded angelic status in heaven.

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