- In this brief, intense, gem-like book, equal parts extended autobiographical essay and prose poem, Brodsky turns his eye to the seductive and enigmatic city of Venice. A mosaic of 48 short chapters - each recalling a specific episode from one of his many visits there (Brodsky spent his winters in Venice for nearly 20 years) - "Watermark" associatively and brilliantly evokes one city"s architectural and atmospheric character. In doing so, the book also reveals a subject - and an author - readers have never before seen.