On the occasion of a retrospective of Andre Previn, Gramophone has posted on Previn's creative relationship with Stoppard. Very good and highly recommended. Nunn, Stoppard, and Previn Sir Tom Stoppard and André Previn collaborated in a daring innovation of ground-breaking originality when they created Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, which premiered at London’s Royal Festival … Continue reading Gramophone, 4/14/21: Creativity and friendship: Sir Tom Stoppard and André Previn
Two Jabs Accomplished!
(Sorry, no musical theme this time.) Mom and I got our second doses of the Covid vaccine and everything went smoothly just like the first time. I was impressed by the organization of the operation. And we had no side effects whatsoever. But this will have little to no effect on our lifestyle. We're secluded … Continue reading Two Jabs Accomplished!
Chess in film: “Casablanca”
For more than 70 years, the 1942 film Casablanca has made lovers — and those who want to be lovers — dream. In 2002, the American Film Institute voted it the best American love story of all time and, in 2007, it was voted the third best American Film of All Time. Source: Chess in … Continue reading Chess in film: “Casablanca”
Happy Birthday, Mom
We're Having a Party https://youtu.be/Cs5vUfddkT8 My mother's birthday is today. She turned 88-years-old. Happy birthday, Mom! Let me confess: I held something back from my last update. I've come to a deeper understanding of this new chapter of my life. I'm here in Arkansas taking care of my mother and I made the decision to … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Mom
The New Yorker, 2/22/2021: Tom Stoppard’s Charmed and Haunted Life
A new biography enables us to see beneath the intellectual dazzle of the playwright’s work. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/01/tom-stoppards-charmed-and-haunted-life
WSJ, 2/19/21: ‘Tom Stoppard’ Review: A Playwright in Arcadia
Tragedy marked the writer’s early life, but his career has been a celebration of the gifts of intellect and freedom. https://www.wsj.com/articles/tom-stoppard-review-a-playwright-in-arcadia-11613751450
Shine On, You Crazy Diamond
https://youtu.be/5uiVpxDuAhc The short story is that we survived the winter storm. Arkansas didn't have it as bad as Texas, as you probably know. I have kin in Texas and it was pretty bad there. My brother and my aunt live in what Texans call the Metroplex, the area between and around Dallas and Fort Worth. … Continue reading Shine On, You Crazy Diamond
The Atlantic: Tom Stoppard’s Double Life
A review of Hermione Lee's new biography GB. ENGLAND. Buckinghamshire. British playwright Tom STOPPARD. 1977. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/03/tom-stoppard-hermione-lee/617799/
Homeward Bound
Home, where my music's playing... https://youtu.be/HAnj2fyjxRw I usually start these emails to you with a pretty good idea of what I'm going to cover and how I'm going to cover it. I have a cache of notes I organize and re-organize into a letter, embed links, illustrate it, and then it ships. This week, I'm … Continue reading Homeward Bound
With a circus mind that’s running round
Covers that might be better than the original https://youtu.be/An4uDegHB8s Well she's walking, through the cloudsWith a circus mind that's running roundButterflies and zebrasAnd moonbeamsAnd-a, fairytalesThat's all she ever thinks aboutRiding with the wind What Was I Doing? It started out as a quiet week for Mom and me, before the insurrection in Washington DC took … Continue reading With a circus mind that’s running round
