Excerpt from "The Dinner Party," a short story written entirely in quotations:
Nietzsche . . .
Truddi Chase, When Rabbit Howls.
. . . who was dressed entirely in black, . . .
Ernest Newman, The Life of Richard Wagner.
. . . with pink vest and green bowtie, . . .
Fantasy Costumes, Neon Bunny.
. . . and seemed to Wagner like some figure out of a tale by Hoffmann, had finally . . .
Ernest Newman, The Life of Richard Wagner.
. . . appeared.
The video of actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, wearing green pants and pink shirt, reminds me of an anecdote about President Nixon's reaction in 1971 to meeting Supreme Court nominee William Rehnquist. Nixon remarked, after meeting the future chief justice for the first time, that "Renchberg" looked like a "clown," with his pink shirt, psychedelic tie, and mutton-chop sideburns. Maybe outlandish clothes are a mark of future greatness!
Chief Justice Rehnquist was a poker buddy of Bob Strauss, by the way. Justice Rehnquist belonged to a poker group that included Bob Strauss, Washington Opera general manager Martin Feinstein (deceased), Judge David Sentelle, and Nixon lawyer (and Strauss friend, Leonard Garment). Robert Feinstein (possibly the son of the late Martin Feinstein) serves on the Advisory Board of the Washington Opera.
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Excerpt from "The Dinner Party," a short story written entirely in quotations:
The Professor . . .
Thomas Mann, Disorder and Early Sorrow.
. . . seizes the fingers of . . .
Edmund Morris, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt.
. . . his host, . . .
Joseph Conrad, The Rescue.
. . . and wrings them with surprising power. “It’s a very full and very firm grip,” . . .
Edmund Morris, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt.
. . . said Wagner, . . .
Martin Gregor-Dellin, Richard Wagner: His Life, His Work, His Century.
. . . If you press my hand any harder I won’t be able to hold cards for three days. Come on! I’ll introduce you! Why do you draw back?
Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss, Arabella.
My life is a loose association: Strauss, card games, the Chief Justice, the President, outlandish clothes!
ReplyDelete8-31-01 Ninth grade English class. Elliott Cades ("Ming the Merciless") was the teacher (1903-1986). This was school year 1967-68. A student named Elliott Feldman sat next to me. He was supersmart. We didn't say anything to each other all year. But in about June 1968 I came to school in bright yellow pants (canary-shit color). Feldman said: "Wow." There's a lawyer in Philadelphia named Elliott R. Feldman (born 4-15-54) BA/JD Temple U (summa cum laude/cum laude). Do you think it's the same person? Look into that -- will you please? Thanks. I'm fed up with Dr. Sh-- for now.
ReplyDeletehttp://dailstrug.blogspot.com/2010/07/origins-of-my-blogging-historical.html
I sent a copy of my book Significant Moments to Elliott Feldman a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteMy impression of Mr. Feldman was that he was supersmart, he had integrity, and he was shrewd. He and Michael Shapiro, MD (Denver, CO) were the only two students who got A's all the way through the school year. Mr. Cades (who was a lawyer, by the way) didn't get his nickname (Ming) for nothing!Feldman bio:
http://www.cozen.com/attorney_detail.asp?d=1&atid=206
Link to my letters to Chief Justice Rehnquist:
ReplyDeletehttp://dailstrug.blogspot.com/2010/05/chief-justice-william-h-rehnquist.html
The late Martin Ginsburg, the lawyer husband of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was an amateur chef. The Ginsburgs had memorable dinner parties.
ReplyDelete