I look up. Above me, a dark sky with a brightly lit moon, hanging high in the sky, faithfully reflecting the light of the sun as it moves across the heavens. Its luminosity softly caresses the night air. In an effort to possess it, I train my camera lens on the lunar orb, press the shutter and move my hand and wrist quickly about. I laugh loudly as I become one with the moon and find myself in a joyous lunacy. As a result of my impetuous desire to trifle with the mesmerizing lunar light, a curious mix of photography, drawing, and calligraphy becomes manifest. Without doubt, it is that old moon magic, casting yet another spell.
 

All images are © 2020 Sam Orlandi

Suggested Reading:

• 50 Things to See in the Sky by Sarah Barker
• American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race by Douglas Brinkley
• Apollo to the Moon: A History in 50 Objects by Teasel Muir-Harmony
• Astronomy: A Visual Guide by Ian Ridpath
• Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide by Dinah L Moché
• Chasing the Moon: The People, the Politics, and the Promise That Launched America Into the Space Age by Robert Stone and Alan Andres
• Chasing the Moon (DVD)
• Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions by Nancy Atkinson
• Falling Toward the Moon by Robert M. Drake
• First on the Moon: The Apollo 11 50th anniversary Experience by Rod Pyle
• The Moon by Bill Leatherbarrow
• Moon: An Illustrated History: From Ancient Myths to Colonies of Tomorrow by David Warmflash
• The Moon + You: Your Guide to Finding Energy, Balance, and Healing With the Power of the Moon by Diane Ahlquist
• Moon Rush: The New Space Race by Leonard David
• Moon Viewing Music (Inscrutable Stillness Studies #1) by Peter Garland (Music CD)
• Reaching for the Moon: A Short History of the Space Race by Roger D. Launius
• The Space Race: How the Cold War Put Humans on the Moon by Matthew Brenden Wood
• The Women of the Moon: Tales of Science, Love, Sorrow, and Courage by Daniel R. Altschuler
• Yesterday I Was the Moon by Noor Unnahar