#aromatic olis

Paul [Bowles] was a great collector of aromatic oils, which he had gathered from his travels — patchouli from Penang, vetiver from Indian root grass, sandalwood from Bangkok, perfumes from Paris circa 1940, Berlin after-shave from the 30's. He would dip a stick of bland-scented incense into the neck of a bottle of oil, light it — the scent exploding from the heat — and then we'd discuss what issued forth, as we'd discuss the book or piece of music he'd give me before I took my leave each evening. Paul was a man indifferent to the world at large but addicted to its sensory details.