VERA NEMTCHINOVA, DANSEUSE—AND TEACHER
I RECENTLY came upon a marvelous characterization of “teacher.” My discovery evolved while I was learning about Madame Vera Nemtchinova. She was a prima ballerina and a part of the … Continue reading
BLAISE CENDRARS—FLÂNEUR EXTRAORDINAIRE
THE FRENCH word flâneur has nuances of meaning: loafer, stroller, dabbler, dawdler, loiterer, yet somehow describing a person who’s anything but inactive in these activities. Blaise Cendrars was a Swiss-born … Continue reading
IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
ON THIS LAST DAY of 2015, it’s fun to mention SimanaitisSays.com topics during the past 12 months that occurred to me unexpectedly. Like the dotty old lady remarked, “How do … Continue reading
WHAT’S PLAYING IN OUR HOUSE THIS CHRISTMAS
I WENT SEARCHING for a particular CD to include in our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day musical selections and, while doing so, unearthed several others I haven’t heard in a … Continue reading
LIBATIONS FOR THE SEASON—AND OTHERWISE
’TIS THE SEASON to be jolly. And, only in moderation, of course, alcoholic beverages comes to mind, especially their origins and etymology. Herewith, in no particular order, are several libations … Continue reading
CHRISTMAS MEALS GALORE
CHRISTMAS DAY is less than two weeks away. In preparation thereof, I’m reading The Annotated Christmas Carol to get the inside story of Charles Dickens’ classic tale. Wife Dottie and … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES, 1996—WITH A GOOGLE TIME MACHINE
“LOS ANGELES is just New York lying down,” said English original Quentin Crisp. And I wish I knew exactly how he meant that. In fact, though, a lot of Los … Continue reading
MANY FLUTES ARE MAGICAL
MOZART’S DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, The Magic Flute, is an opera that has been magical in many ways. When it premiered in 1791, it was a linguistic breakaway that also spilled the … Continue reading
GEORGIAN DIGS, PART III: THE ROYAL PAVILION AT BRIGHTON
IN THE late 18th century, Brighton was an eight-hour trip from London to England’s south seacoast, 58 miles. George, Prince of Wales, later to become King George IV, liked the … Continue reading
GEORGIAN SHENANNIGANS, PART II: ENGLAND’S GOLDEN AGE OF CARICATURE
IF EVER there was a royal personage ripe for caricature, it was George, Prince of Wales, later succeeding his father to become King George IV. A wonderful scalliwag, George had … Continue reading
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