Leeway

interesting to see how far Fitzgerald traveled from "The Beautiful and Damned" (1922). A beautifully wrought taIe of decline.

It is a win-win but I personally would go for option 2, if time permits. That sounds like a pretty interesting set.

Always amazed at what an important and admirable discography Bobby produced. He was a key factor in the Blue Note sound in the 60s and 70s. Only met him once but he was exceedingly nice. Sad to see him go.

Very few can do the drunken crack-up like Fitzgerald can; after all, he was drawing from his own life experiences.

I was fortunate enough to see her a number of times and came away respecting her artistry and passion for the music. It's hard to believe she's gone. RIP.

THE SUN ALSO RISES - Ernest Hemingway I realized that t has been a good long time since I read (again) any Hemingway. It's like meeting a long-lost friend, albeit one you were never too sure of. This novel must rate as one of the longest drinking parties in literature (I'm sure there are others).

Had a resurgence of interest in Warhol lately:

"THE VANISHING VELAZQUEZ: A 19th Century Bookseller's Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece" by Laura Cumming. The story of John Snare and a supposedly lost portrait of Charles I by Velazquez, and a larger appreciation of the artist himself. An entertaining account, although occasionally beset by a surplus of supposition and speculation, as well as hero-worship of Velazquez. .

THE ART OF ROMAINE BOOKS Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC. Small but quite interesting exhibit by this bohemian artist.

A fine film-maker. I particularly admire his "Close-Up."

Re-read this novel to get a firmer recollection of Wharton's writing. Very rewarding.

Pretty much agree with that estimate. Just finished: Wharton has created a memorable character in Undine Spragg, a monster of vanity, selfishness and ambition. The novel suffers a bit from an over-reliance on coincidence and sketchy turns of plot, but Undine pulls one along. I think I still prefer Wharton's House of Mirth with another memorable female character, Lily Bart.

Rest assured it is. Kuh was a fan of Leger, and there is a good chapter on Leger in the book.

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MODERN ART - Katharine Kuh (finished and edited by Avis Berman). The reminiscences and reflections of an art dealer, curator and critic. Enjoyable and interesting behind- the -scenes accounts of modern artists and the art world.

Woolf's first novel; a beautiful book with the seeds of her later, more experimental fiction already noticeable.

A very impressive few days of jazz; glad to see that free jazz and modern improvisation are being offered.

I gobbled these down like potato chips.

IN THE FIRST CIRCLE - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - 2009 revised edition 96 chapters, 741 pages, hundreds of characters make this a challenging read, but the moral force, the penetrating dissection of the Soviet system, indeed any totalitarian system, makes it more than worthwhile. Solzhenitsyn's moral authority comes through on every page.

Bill Cole Trio, Matthew Shipp Trio - Atlas Theater, Washington DC Saw a doubleheader last night. Bill Cole's double reeds are guaranteed to wake one up. He was joined by Ras Moshe on flute, soprano sax and tenor sax, and Stephanie Griffin on viola. Following Bill Cole was the Matthew Shipp Trio with bassist Michael Bision and new drummer Newman Taylor Baker. I think I prefer Taylor Baker to the departed Whit Dickey. Matt gave his usual monster performance. A cool surprise was when the two trios joined forces for an exciting encore, worth the price admission alone. A satisfying evening.

Universal Indian with Joe McPhee, Windup Space, Baltimore, June 8, 2016 Universal Indian: John Pikeman (ts), Jon Rune Strom (b), Tollef Ontvang (d). Joe McPhee: pocket trumpet, plastic alto sax, alto sax. Two fire-breathing sets from this group that harkened back to earlier days of free jazz, with some incredibly hard blowing and very free improvisation. It always amazes me how much blues McPhee can get into the free jazz idiom. McPhee's cream-colored plastic alto was something to see (and hear), although I preferred him on the "regular" alto. An exciting evening.

Contains one of the, if not the, most notorious scene in Bellow's fiction: the scene in which Sammler is attacked by a black mugger who presents his genitals to Sammler in a show of power. Bellow's take on the collapse of civilization in late 1960s New York City.

I'm on First Circle now. Back in the day, I read Gulag Archipelago, which left a strong impression on me.

Rediscovering Solzhenitsyn after a long gap in time. It's hard to recall just what a towering presence he was in the 60s and 70s.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT - Fyodor Dostoevsky In the oft-maligned Constance Garnett translation, which I rather like actually. I read this in college, when I found it fiercely compelling. This time around, I was less enthralled, even recognizing its many masterful moments. I recall my Russian teacher in college, in response to my enthusiasm for Dostoevsky, telling me that as one gets older, one tends to become more of a Tolstoyan, and I think that has been right, at least in my case. I'm sure that's not the case for everyone. BTW, does anyone else find the Epilogue weak and maybe even unnecessary (most are)?