FATHER DIVINE: CHARISMATIC, CONTROVERSIAL
WHEN WE left Reverend Major Jealous Father Divine, indeed only yesterday and 1932, he was sentenced to a year in stir because his Long Island commune disturbed the peace. Ironic, … Continue reading
FATHER DIVINE: GOD, SCAMP–OR A BIT OF BOTH
.THE THRONE CAR of evangelist Father Divine was yesterday’s topic. Today (and tomorrow) I celebrate this man who was an early role model of racial equality for many, and yet … Continue reading
KABUKI, SHAKESPEARE AND MOZART
AUBION BOWERS, known in Japan as the man who saved Kabuki theater, followed this up by writing a fascinating book on the topic of Japanese theater in general. Faubion Bowers, … Continue reading
NANCY CUNARD: OUTRAGEOUS, SCANDALOUS AND–EGAD–A POET!
JULIAN FELLOWES and his Downton Abbey have a marvelous way of introducing us to early 20th century personalities. Lady Edith’s mention of French aviatrix Adrienne Boland got me interested in … Continue reading
HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA FOR THE B-17 AND THE BREN
OURS ISN’T the first era in which offensive matters of one sort or another have been expressed. Yet, I would argue that the examples I offer here were considerably less … Continue reading
A MUSEUM OF EARLY AMERICAN TOOLS
BY WAY OF CONTRAST, my recent item on additive manufacturing, ”Directions in 3D Printing,” led me to Eric Sloane, American artist and admirer of early Americana. Eric Sloane, 1905–1985, was … Continue reading
PRINCE MICHAEL ROMANOFF–RESTAURANTEUR AND CON ARTIST
LET’S CELEBRATE PRINCE Michael Romanoff; he, of the famed Beverly Hills restaurant. For those keeping track of such things, this is in my on-going (albeit far from contiguous) celebration of … Continue reading
A BLUE HORSE AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE
RESEARCHING ONE OF our flock of miniature sheep, I came upon Marco Cavallo, a blue horse that played an important role in Italian mental health care. Then, independently of this, … Continue reading
THE (UNINTENDED) WIT OF SAMUEL GOLDWYN
HOLLYWOOD MAGNATE Samuel Goldwyn had a marvelous way with the English language. More often than not, English placed second. I recently came across a great line attributed to him: “ … Continue reading
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT PUZZLES AND DELIGHTS
ARCHITECT FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT continues to puzzle and delight. He designed a building to celebrate flat objects with nary a flat wall, yet it functions splendidly. He defined an office … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 