Summer Reads

Many people associate summer reading with books with covers featuring beach umbrellas and the like. But there's nothing that turns me off more than a description of a novel with words like "heartwarming" or "cozy" or, god forbid, "romance." Instead, the extra time I have to read in the summer months allows me to dig in to books that are so intense I need recovery time.

"Brawler" by Lauren Groff definitely falls into that category. I still remember the impact her "Fates and Furies" had on me ten+ years ago. It might have been the first "he said/she said" novel I read, and my mind was kind of blown. 

I admit to being a bit surprised that "Brawler" had a similar impact. It is, after all, a book of short stories. But Groff somehow developed characters and plots in a matter of pages that made me sit back and say, "whoa." I could not finish one story and immediately head into the next -- recuperation time was required! 

I love this description of the book from the NYT review: "Lauren Groff produces rough beasts that slouch off in unexpected directions and spawn. There's often a little story within the story, a joey in a marsupial pouch." In addition to appreciating the actual review, I learned that "Brawler" is the third collection of stories Groff has published, most of which previously appeared in The New Yorker. "Delicate Edible Birds: And Other Stories" and "Florida" are now on my "to read" list. 

"Good People" by Patmeena Sabit left me reeling. I'm not alone. The NYT named Sabit's debut novel one of the best books of the year when it hit bookstores in April. Ann Patchett's blurb reads, "A thrilling tour de force of a novel." Khaled Hosseini called it "a stunning read." The raves go on and on. 

So what's the book about? It tells the story of an Afghani family that moves to the United States. As times passes, patriarch Rahmat becomes a big time player in the commercial real estate industry, and the family moves to a mega-mansion in Northern Virginia. There's a significant Muslim community in the area that enables the family members to maintain their faith and traditions. Mostly. Zorah, the teenage daughter, struggles to balance the freedoms of the West with her Muslim upbringing.

The publisher's description of the novel reads: "Zorah Sharaf could do no wrong. Zorah Sharaf brought shame upon her family. What’s the truth? Depends on who you ask." You get a lot of opinions as the story unfolds, which is told from the perspective of outsiders to the family. At no point do you hear from the people most intimately involved in what happens. It's an approach that facilitates a reading experience that's both quick and immersive. Read it!  

"Mad Mabel" doesn't have the same intensity as either "Brawler" or "Good People," but boy does it have a good twist. Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is a crotchety old woman living a more or less quiet life until a neighbor dies under mysterious circumstances. It comes out that Elsie is "Mad Mabel," Australia's youngest convicted murderer. Has she struck again? 

Readers of course learn about this backstory over the course of the novel. Suffice it to say that Mabel had a tumultuous childhood. Luckily, her best friend Daphne was always by her side. That early friendship truly saved her. 

While I enjoyed the unfolding of Mabel's history, it was the unexpected relationship between the old woman and her nine year old neighbor that made the story for me. Precocious doesn't begin to describe Persephone. (With a name like that, did she have a choice?) Elsie and Persephone make for a terrific duo, and I can see them on the big screen. Surprisingly, no movie seems to be in the works. 

I'll close with a word about author Sally Hepworth, whom I hadn't previously read. She is known for her "darkly charming" books. "Dark" and "charming" aren't words you'd typically see together, but it is an apt description of "Mad Mabel." I like it. Hepworth has nine other books to her name, and I'll definitely check them out. For more on Hepworth, click here.

With that, I'm off to do some reading. "The Calamity Club" by Kathryn Stockett is on my nightstand, and there's no time like the present to jump into the 600+ page tome. Wish me luck!

"America Over the Last 250 Years" by Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences Students

There are many ways to celebrate our country's 250th birthday other (and more appropriate) than cage fighting on the White House lawn. Case in point: The digital quilt created by students and arts educators at Sarasota School of Arts that "reflects what America represents to today's youth, both past and present." I love it. 

Participants contributed a single square for inclusion in the work. Deciding upon an image that represents their view of America had to have been challenging, especially when the project's scope included the influences of technology, the arts, industry and history on our country. What would you choose what to depict from such a wide spectrum of possibilities? 

Students were encouraged to incorporate red, white and blue into their works. This enabled the squares to be arranged so that the work as a whole looks like an American flag from a distance. It cannot have been easy to achieve this effect. Kudos to whoever was tasked with figuring out this part of the project. To see the work in its entirety, click here. 

Not surprisingly, the quilt includes a huge variety of images. An early photograph of the Statue of Liberty (one of the first ever taken) abuts a painting of red, white and blue cupcakes (yes, please!) This image declares the student's support for Team USA in the World Cup. (In case you aren't following the tournament, Team USA has won its first two matches and is looking good.) 

The quilt also includes images you might not immediately associate with our nation's history. Not shown, for instance, is a reproduction of an ad for "Bohemian Rhapsody," a movie about singer Freddie Mercury. "We will rock you," it proclaims. Okay. I haven't seen the movie, so my initial thought was that the image went to the Constitutional right to freedom of speech. But then I dug a little bit deeper. A quick Google search revealed that the movie explores themes of identity, chosen family and acceptance. I am totally on board with a depiction of these aspirational values in the quilt. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, one of my favorite squares was this recreation of the iconic painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze. I am always drawn to the reimagining of famous works of art by contemporary artists. Alternative versions of Leutze's painting have been created by Robert Colescott, Vanessa German and Kent Monkman. Fun fact: Monkman's monumental painting "Wooden Boat People: Resurgence of the People" was commissioned by the Met for its Great Hall, where it hung for three months.  But I digress. My point is that this work, primitive as it might be, spoke to me. It makes me happy to imagine a child being inspired to create his or her own version of Leutze's iconic painting. 

I'll leave you with an image that depicts a much more sobering view of our country's history. A quick look at this painting shows a figure on a distant shore reaching out towards America and all of its promise. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," right? But as we all know, the United States has some dark history, a piece of which is depicted here. 

When you look more carefully, you see that the man is chained. The reason? He is awaiting passage to the United States on a slave ship. The painting makes me think of Kara Walker's etching "no world" from her "An Unpeopled Land in Uncharted Waters" series. As an aside, "no world" is included in the "Something Borrowed, Something New" exhibit now on at Sarasota Art Museum. Both works are powerful remembrances of an ugly part of our country's past. 

With that, I'll leave you with an exhortation to stop into City Hall and see "America Over the Last 250 Years" yourself. Congratulations to the teachers who developed this project and to the students who participated. And thanks to the City of Sarasota for making the work publicly available. The "quilt" shows, once again, something beautiful can be created when we work together.  

"Medium Mutiny" at Art Center Sarasota

"Bad Hair Day" by Betty Gerich

When you're in need of an art fix, don't overlook your local art center. There are talented artists in every community. Case in point: The "Medium Mutiny" exhibit now on at Art Center Sarasota. Artists were invited to create "work that defies expectation and reinvents traditions...through unexpected techniques, hybrid materials or subversive approaches." The theme makes for an engaging show. 

I laughed out loud when I came upon Betty Gerich's "Bad Hair Day." The work -- a self(?)-portrait comprised of a watercolor painting, a glasses frame and organic material -- hits the theme of this exhibit on the nose. Unexpected? Yes. Hybrid materials? Check. A subversive approach? Certainly if you're the type of person who thinks that "art" should always have a capital "A." 

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to reach the artist to find out the intention behind her creation. Perhaps it was to highlight how silly all the work we put into our appearances can be. Alternatively, it might have been intended to encourage you to look in the mirror and see if things have gotten a bit out of control. If so, some nose hair would have been a nice addition. I suspect the most likely goal, however, was, to make people smile. Mission accomplished. 

"I finally made it. I'm in the New York Times" by Willem van Osnabrugge

I was also taken with Willem van Osnabrugge's aptly named, "I finally made it. I'm in the New York Times." I like the matter-of-fact way the artist looks out at the viewer after achieving his goal. 

Of course the pages that serve as van Osnabrugge's canvas weren't selected randomly. The left side of the work was painted on an article exhorting teens to "Follow your curiosity and learn with The Times this summer." Information is included for a program that allows students to take classes offered by NYT journalists and "other thought leaders" to learn about journalism through storytelling, research and other fundamental skills. How cool, and certainly on point for an artist in the making.

The right side of the painting was done over a tender offer for the shares of Playa Hotels and Resorts, N.V. It seemed somewhat random until I realized that "N.V." stands for a Dutch limited liability company and that van Osnabrugge is Dutch. The juxtaposition of creativity versus business on the pages made me think of the differences between the function of the right and left sides of the brain. I suspect that was intentional. 

In addition to being clever, van Osnabrugge has a sense of humor. When I went to his website, I was surprised to see an Ozzy Osbourne-ish photo of the artist. I'd love the know the story there. Click here to see this persona (and more about his work). 

"Hollow (Oven)" by Patricia L. Cooke

First prize in the show went to Patricia L. Cooke for "Hollow (Oven)." While I can't say I wanted to take the work home, it's definitely unique. It's hard to imagine anyone walking by this work without stopping to check it out. While most artists would say they make their art for themselves, drawing other people into the conversation has to make it more rewarding. 

Not surprisingly, there's meaning behind Cook's "Hollow" series, which includes other pieces of furniture. Cooke has said the works "contemplate the concept of home and how gendered stereotypes come into play." I can definitely see that given the use of pink and the choice of household objects. 

I was curious to learn how Cooke creates these untraditional sculptures. The first step is designing them with the help of Adobe Illustrator. Once she's happy with the "pattern," she lasers cut the fabric and sews it together. The result is a work that's both unexpected and cutting edge, especially for a work on view at a local art center. (No insult intended.) For more on Cooke and her work, click here and here. 

This is just a small sampling of the works in "Medium Mutiny." It's a fun exhibit well worth checking out. Also on display are "Ana Palombo: Composed," "Architects Who Art: Designing the Cultural Coast" and "Cat Tesla: Living by the Water." The exhibits run through August 1, so there's plenty of time to stop in. For more info, click here. Happy viewing! 

Take Me Out to the Ballpark -- A Tour of Wrigley Field

Our guide Clay 

You might be surprised to learn that my favorite experience during my recent trip to Chicago wasn't looking at art or sitting in a dark theater. Instead, I'm still pumped up over our tour of Wrigley Field, the iconic baseball stadium that's been home to the Chicago Cubs since 1916. What a slice of history. Read on for a few of the highlights. 

--The team became known as the "Cubs" in 1902 because of the youth and inexperience of its players. Prior to that, the team was called the "White Stockings" because -- you guessed it -- they wore white socks. Their next moniker was the "Orphans" after their manager was fired. "Cubs" became the official team name in 1907.

--The expression "he's out in left field" comes from the fact that an insane asylum was located just outside the left field wall of the ballpark. Who knew?

--The scoreboard at Wrigley is shaped like a mast because team owner William Wrigley, Jr. (of chewing gum fame) liked to sail. The score is still manually operated by folks in a room with no A/C. The highest temperature recorded there is 117 degrees. 

--The Cubs held out for daytime only baseball until 1988. (Clay's t-shirt said "No lights at Wrigley Field" on the front and "Support Day Baseball" on the back.) The first night game -- against the Phillies -- ended up being rained out. There's some sort of poetic justice there.

--The term "Bleacher Bums" comes from the days before night games. Television viewers noticed the same guys in the bleachers day in and day out. Clearly, they had no official place of business to be. So "Beacher Bums" they became. The guys started wearing hardhats to indicate that being at the field and cheering their team on was in fact their job. For the theater geeks out there, the play "Beacher Bums" was collaboratively written by members of Chicago's Organic Theatre, including Joe Mantagna and Dennis Franz. The show has received mixed reviews, but I'd still see it. 

With Suzanne in the visitng team's dugout

--The tour included stops at the visiting team's dugout and locker room. It was very cool to sit in the same spots as the likes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The dynamic duo played for the Yankees (of course). In addition to regular season games, the Yankees took on the Cubs in the 1932 World Series. The Yankees swept the Series. Ouch. It's worth noting as well that Wrigley is the only remaining ballpark where Jackie Robinson played. 

Back to Chicago today. I'm sure you noticed Suzanne is doing an imitation of a player chewing tobacco. It's not something you see these days since the MLB banned smokeless tobacco products in dugouts in 2016. Sunflower seeds seem to have taken chaw's place. Seeing someone spit shells instead of tobacco is only marginally less gross, but it is healthier.

In the press box! 

--I'll leave you with our visit to what was unsurprisingly my favorite stop -- the press box. It was the home of the iconic Harry Caray for 16 seasons. I say "iconic" even though I'd never heard of him. From what I've read, though, it would have been fun to hear him announce a game. He was known for saying "Holy cow!" when the Cubs made a good play. I like it.

Caray also unintentionally began a tradition that everyone who's been to a game is familiar with -- singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch. There was of course an actual organ playing the tune in the day, and Caray inadvertently left his microphone on one day when he sang the song. A ritual was born. 

And so concludes my report of our visit to Wrigley Stadium. I cannot recommend it more highly if you find yourself in Chicago, whether you're a baseball fan or not. And now it's time to go cheer on the Rays from the comfort of my couch. It's not the same as being there, but the snacks are both better and more affordable. 

"Dali in America" at the Dali Museum in St. Pete

In Bonwit Teller window

Salvador Dali was a character. You might, in fact, go so far as to say that his persona was a brand. And that persona -- along with some terrific art -- is on full view at the "Dali in America" exhibit at the Dali Museum in St. Pete. It's a fun show that showcases Dali's relationship with American arts and culture. 

I always enjoy seeing how artists worked in fields adjacent to their own. I also enjoy being one with the art. So this recreation of a window that Dali designed for Bonwit Teller was right up my alley. If you look carefully, you'll see that I'm about to answer the lobster-shaped phone on the counter. Other Dali references in the "window" include the mannequin head made of roses and his "Aphrodisiac Jacket" (out of the frame of this picture). The aphrodisiac effect apparently comes from the consumption of the contents of the 55 shot glasses with faux creme de menthe sewn onto the jacket. 

What I enjoyed even more than becoming part of this window display was learning about the fit Dali threw when Bonwit Teller had the audacity to alter the later "Day and Night" window Dali created for the store. In order not to offend passersby, an attired manequin had been substituted for Dali's skinny dipper. The nerve! The artist was so outraged that he went on a rampage in the store window, "brandishing a surrealist bathtub, made of Persian lamb, with such vigor that he smashed the plate glass and toppled onto the street." The resulting design with the bathtub half in the store and half on Fifth Avenue must have been very Dali-esque. 

"Baseball and Ballerina" (1947)

I was surprised to learn that Dali was a baseball fan. It's a terrific sport, but you have to really watch to appreciate it. The beauty is often in the small moments, and I have a hard time imagining Dali sitting still and taking it in. And of course there's the fact that he wouldn't have been the center of attention. But he claimed to be "obsessed" with the sport despite his acknowledged lack of knowledge of anything more than the basics. He apparently liked baseball's melancholic feel. (As a Rays fan, it's an emotion with which I am familiar.) 

If you happened to see the "Disney and Dali: Architects of the Imagination" exhibit a few years back, you might have seen the short film "Destino." It took 58 years to complete. Yes, you read that right. Walt was on board with the concept, but World War II broke out and the studio ended up in financial straights. It didn't seem the right time to invest in even a short film of this nature. The film was revived decades later by Walt's nephew Roy. I've veered off on this sideline because the film features a baseball player as a pinch hitter for Chronos, the god of time. I like the analogy. To see some storyboards from the film, click here. And to see "Destino" in its entirety, click here. 

Proposed artwork for 1939 World Fair 

I'll leave you with Dali's "Declaration of the Independence of the Imagination and the Rights of Man to His Own Madness" from 1939. The surrealist manifesto is of course a take on our country's own Declaration of Independence. It begins, "When in the course of human culture it becomes necessary for a people to destroy the intellectual bonds that unite them with the logical systems of the past..." and goes on from there. The funny (both "ha ha" and strange) thing is that the manifesto includes a reference to the Bonwit Teller incident involving the display window. It turns out there's a similarity.

The work was created for display as part of Dali's "Dream of Venus" pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair in New York. The work is, of course, a take on Botticeli's "Birth of Venus." But, like the naked mannequin Bonwit Teller refused to exhibit, this artwork was a bridge too far for the World Fair's Amusement Control Committee. It was fine for visitors to the Pavilion to enter through an archway comprised of a woman's opens legs and to see a nude woman reclining on a 36' bed and topless mermaids swimming in a tank symbolizing the unconscious mind. But a fish head instead a human head on the body of Venus was a bridge too far. I'm just reporting here. If you have a subscription to the NY Times, you can read more about the pavilion by clicking here for an article in the paper's "time machine." It's a fun article.

While Dali didn't withdraw from the World's Fair in protest, neither did he leave the issue alone. On the day the World Fair opened, Dali hired a plane to drop leaflets with the proposed image and his version of the Declaration of Independence across the City of New York. The Declaration states, in part, that it is ""man's right to love women with the ecstatic heads of fish." I would have loved to have seen the look on people's faces as they perused the flyers. For the entire manifesto, click here. 

"Dali in America" continues at the Dali Museum through October 18th, so there's plenty of time to see the show. If you do go, it's worth taking the time to watch the videos. We particularly enjoyed seeing Dali's appearance on "What's My Line," which you can view by clicking here. Enjoy! 

Caro Claire Burke Talks "Yesteryear" at Tombolo Books

Author events are usually pretty staid affairs. Interesting, yes. Engaging, sure. But "raucous" is not a word I'd typically use to describe the atmosphere of a book talk. So I was a bit taken aback by the club-like atmosphere at author Caro Claire Burke's recent talk for Tombolo Books. 

The intimate bookstore had moved the event to Creative Coastal to accommodate the crowd. I entered to find dimmed lights and pounding music. Electric candles illuminated the space. The 250 or so people - almost all women -- were excitedly waiting to hear from an author whose novel tells the story of a trad wife influencer who's fallen down a rabbit hole and emerged in 1855. (In case you're not familiar with the term "trad wife," it's a woman who embraces traditional gender roles and values in her marriage. An "influencer" is, of course, someone who shares her lifestyle online with a zillion followers.) 

"Yesteryear" is Burke's debut novel. She said she wrote the first draft in a fever dream. It was as if Natalie, her protagonist, was controlling what Burke wrote. The author likened her writing experience to hanging out with your craziest friend and wondering where she had decided they would end up on any given night. The result is a wild ride of a story. 

Burke's plan had been for Natalie to be an immediately likeable character who's submissive and acted upon by the world and whose husband is fully in charge of their lives. As you might have gathered, that is not the way anyone would describe Natalie. Instead, she is plotting and manipulative and extremely self-centered. In short, not the type of person most people would enjoy being around. 

Natalie wasn't always that way, though. When she arrived at college, she felt like a fish out of water. Coming from a conservative religious family, she was totally unprepared for campus life. Her roommate Reena epitomizes everything that was different (read "wrong") about this world. Take, for instance, the night Natalie wakes up in the middle of the night to find that Reena has brought a boy home to her bed after a night of partying. Oh, my! 

Author Caro Claire Burke 

Natalie's world rights itself when she met the son of a politician at a Christian campus group meeting. The life he offers her seems to be a world beyond her wildest dreams. But appearances can be deceiving. Instead of her dream life, she finds herself married to an incredibly wimpy guy, living on a farm and popping out babies. She is totally unprepared for this existence and extremely unhappy with the choices she's made. 

Natalie's savior is her Instagram account where she shares posts carefully crafted to show her followers the "perfect" tradwife life she is living. When her online persona takes off, her existence becomes driven by creating content. Natalie often thinks of Reena when she posts, hoping her former roommate sees the seemingly perfect existence she's now living. And that's all I'm going to say about the story of "Yesteryear" for fear of diluting your own reading experience. Trust me, though, when I say that there is so much more to this story. 

If you're thinking "this sounds like it has the makings of a good movie," you're right. In a bidding war that took place two years before the novel hit bookstores, Amazon MGM Studios acquired the rights to make "Yesteryear" the movie. Anne Hathaway is set to produce and star in the film. Interestingly, media outlets are characterizing it as a "horror" movie. To read more about the movie and the political chord "Yesteryear" is striking, click here. (In case you don't have time, here's one interesting tidbit from the article. Burke traced the origins of the term "tradwife" to online incel -- or involuntarily celibate -- spaces. Creepy.) And you can click here to see Hathaway's own Instagram post marketing her upcoming role.  

Thanks to Tombolo Books for hosting this terrific event. To hear directly from the author, click here for a short interview with her on the Seth Meyers show. One tidbit I learned from that interview is that there are 742 holds for the novel in the NY Public Library System and that someone requesting the book can expect to receive it in 10,402 days. So if you think "Yesteryear" sounds like a good choice for your bookclub, you might want to bite the bullet and buy a copy. Happy reading!

"Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound" at the Tampa Museum of Art

With two of Jun Kaneko's "Heads"

I'm always drawn to works of art featuring unique faces, be it Modigliani's elongated visages or Easter Island's moai. So it's no surprise I enjoyed my introduction to Jun Kaneko's "Heads." Perhaps the best part is that I just wandered into the Tampa Museum of Art to kill time before a show at the Straz, not knowing what I was about to discover. What a treat to be introduced to Kaneko's art. 

Kaneko is a Japanese-born artist whose intended career path took a turn when he landed at the Chouinard School of Art in LA back in the 1960s. His plan had been to make his mark on the art world as a painter. But when he was introduced to the ceramic work of the California Clay Movement artists, he fell in love with the medium. He liked the idea of his art interacting with a space and even, perhaps, defining it. He has definitely accomplished that goal. 

"Untitled (Dango)" (2021) 

Kaneko is best known for his dangos, the word for a Japanese dumpling. When he first started creating these forms, he wasn't sure they were enough. Was the shape of these works too simple to be considered fine art? The answer is a resounding "no." 

One of the most striking things about Kaneko's dangos is their size. His first creation was 6' tall and weighed 5-1/2 tons. The largest work he's created stands at twice that size and, correspondingly, weighs twice as much. Kaneko has said that 95% of the work consists of planning and engineering.

In addition to his dangos, Kaneko has created a series of works he calls "Heads." Entering the gallery where some of these pieces reside was one of those moments when I found myself practically running towards a work of art because I had to be close to it as soon as possible. Awkward! What if I had tripped and fallen into one in my enthusiasm? Happily, I stayed upright. 

Kaneko believes one reason his "Heads" are so engaging is that their familiarity "shrinks the difference between the viewer and the object." Hmm. Now that I look at this image again, I realize that the smaller head makes me think of Hitchcock's "Psycho." It's probably not the type of "familiarity" Kaneko had in mind, but I take his point. I did feel some kinship with these works. 

Sliver of Kaneko's costume and scenic design
for San Francisco Opera's "The Magic Flute" (2012)

When doing some research about the artist, I learned that Kaneko designed the sets and costumes for three operas. I love it when visual artists design for the stage. (If you're interested in this topic, click here to see the set and costumes designed by Picasso for a production by the Ballet Russes. The video is worth watching just to see two dancers in a horse costume doing the soft shoe. But I digress.) 

Kaneko's scenic design for the San Francisco Opera's production of "The Magic Flute" consisted solely of projected animation, something that had never been done before in opera. "Just because someone says it's impossible doesn't mean you can't do it," Kaneko said of this undertaking. If you have time to watch this video, please do. His work is absolutely amazing, and learning about the process was fascinating. I was interested in the resemblance in these particular costumes to Kaneko's dangos. Coincidental? I think not. To see some of his designs while on the drawing board, click here. 

"Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound" continues at the Tampa Museum of Art through August 23rd. It's worth a stop if you're in the area. For more about Kaneko and his work, click here. Here's to discovering new artists!