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Things I think about when I can’t fall asleep (originally posted on Substack on July 24th, 2020)

What does the Chopin heart cognac taste like

Annie Nazzaro

Annie Nazzaro

— 2 min read

Which, surprising no one, is often

  • Before Chopin died in Paris in 1849 he asked his sister to have his body cut open and his heart removed to make sure he wouldn’t be buried alive, which is such a Victorian fear to have, but also so that his heart could be brought home to his beloved Poland after he passed
  • After Chopin died and his heart was cut out they preserved the heart in a jar of alcohol which was likely cognac
  • What does the Chopin heart cognac taste like
  • Not that I’d ever have the chance to try it but you have to admit you’d be curious too, wouldn’t you
  • I shouldn’t Google this now but I wonder how much that $2000 Alexander McQueen clutch I was coveting costs these days
  • Chopin’s sister smuggled his heart to Warsaw, and it is still there in a pillar in a church, having survived miles, years, wars, and imperial regimes to finally rest where it belongs
  • Man door hand hook car door
  • Okay it’s 1 in the morning but I’m just looking it up
  • It’s still $700 (only $700…)
  • So if I were to have my heart preserved in cognac after my death, where would I send it and who would I ask to carry it for me
  • Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri
  • Really
  • Where would you send your heart in a jar if you had to send it home

I had this post queued up before Taylor Swift’s surprise album folklore came out, and now folklore is all I can really think about. Expect words on that at some point.

Some links:

2024 edit:

The link to that Alexander McQueen clutch is now broken so here is a photo of it, or as similar as I can find. I do still think about it.

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