It is hard not to think of Nebraska without thinking of its greatest writer. Here is a marvelous piece by Capote, Remembering Willa Cather . I remember seeing a stage production of O Pioneers! and being deeply moved by its raw emotions. I had read My Antonia before, and soon found myself hooked, like Capote was by the simple elegance of her prose and the way she was able to evoke so many feelings through her characters. Much of it came from the fact that she had lived those experiences herself. Her father dragged the family from Virginia to Nebraska in 1883, when it was still a young state, settling in the town of Red Cloud. named after one of the great Oglala chiefs. Red Cloud was still alive at the time, living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, in the aftermath of the "Great Sioux Wars" of 1876-77. I don't know whether Cather took any interest in the famous chief, although it is hard to imagine not. Upon his death in 1909, he was eulogi
Strange how I never made it to the Cloisters even though I played paddleball at Ft Tryon park which is not too far away.
ReplyDeleteHowever, made it several times to the Met where you can see the world's GREATEST painting, "Thanatopsis":
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/20011144
The greatness of this painting will NEVER be equaled or even approached.
A thought occurred to me re the book I am currently reading: "The Double Bind" by Chris Bohjalian.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm only up to p 95, I was reminded of "Thanatopsis" because of the funeral scene and, while both are in a sense a study of death, there is much life affirmation in them. The settings and imagery are strikingly similar with hills, mountains, waterways, winding roads, birds flying overhead, sun rising or setting, Victorian era, mournfulness, etc. Yet, there is the promise of some hope.
How interestng that Gintaras posts the topic of the Met when I'm reading this very intriguing book.
The Met is a treasure trove. I suppose we have J.P. Morgan to thank for a large part of it.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time in American history when the very wealthy believed it was in the national interest (and thus theirs) to share the wealth and culture with the new generation of immigrants.
ReplyDeletePlus, there was a real estate development component to the placement of the building -- I don't remember the exact details but as I recall that was in the country back then.
Also, such public benevolence quieted down talk of antitrust laws in those days.
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