BillF

I thought of Joe Henderson, too. And it would fit knowing Ronnie's liking for Joe (picked him for Desert Island Discs!) but I find no trace of a "May Day" by him. Spotify has an endless number of tunes called "May Day", but the only one with any jazz connections is on a Jaco Pastorius album and it's not the same. Sorry!

Chair of Governors Armchair Socialist Couch Potato

Chester Drawers Bill Nicks Earl Swipe

Boosey and Hawkes Henry Boozier Boaz

The Delphic Oracle Delphine Seyrig Del Shannon

Thank you. I did want to add a few more notes. Regarding identity, Spark seemed to lose interest in the Jewish part of her identity after "The Mandelbaum Gate," and more especially after her conversion. I find that rather interesting. As for her conversion to Roman Catholicism, she seems never to have become more than a nominal Catholic. Her Catholicism appeared quite idiosyncratic; token conformance with basic rules and disagreement with many tenets of the modern Church. It certainly did not make her a more loving, faithful or charitable person (one can say the same for other famous converts like Waugh and Greene). However it did provide a vital intellectual and spiritual (maybe theological might be better) context in her fiction, an aspect which I had not really appreciated. I find it interesting that Spark and Lessing share an African background. I believe Spark showed up in Africa about the time Lessing was leaving, but for both, Africa seemed to have been a formative experience. There is only the barest mention of Lessing in Stannard's book, but I think there was more to the relationship. I wish he had explored that. Similarly, Stannard does note that Spark had a friendship with Iris Murdoch. That really interests me, but Stannard doesn't provide much to go on. Stannard's biography of Evelyn Waugh appears to have been much better received; anyone read that? Spark has got me interested again in Waugh. I have read nearly all of Waugh's novels, most of them many years ago, and number him among my very favorite writers. (Spark doesn't make that grade!) I've also read a biography of Waugh, but don't recall who wrote it. It was a single volume, so couldn't have been Stannard. Handful of Dust is my favorite Waugh novel. I really like the early Waugh: Decline and Fall, Vile Bodies, Black Mischief, A Handful of Dust, Scoop. Just listing these now makes me think that some of these are fairly close to Spark in style and manner; they have that savage wit. I might reread The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold just to compare it to The Comforters. Waugh seemed to think there was a similarity. I was never a fan of the Brideshead books; rather humorless. Yes, those are my favorite Waughs. My only reservation is that nowadays we feel a bit uneasy about aspects of Black Mischief and, to a lesser extent, Scoop. Pinfold was readable, but not in the same class. Absolutely hate the romantic Brideshead, tellingly the most popular (television adaptations, etc), which is quite lacking in the closely worded, incisive satire of the early books. As to resemblances in Spark, the biography suggests she looked up to Waugh and Greene as the established and, I think undeniably superior, masters, but was very happy to receive their recommendations in her early days through the Catholic nexus.

Thank you. I did want to add a few more notes. Regarding identity, Spark seemed to lose interest in the Jewish part of her identity after "The Mandelbaum Gate," and more especially after her conversion. I find that rather interesting. As for her conversion to Roman Catholicism, she seems never to have become more than a nominal Catholic. Her Catholicism appeared quite idiosyncratic; token conformance with basic rules and disagreement with many tenets of the modern Church. It certainly did not make her a more loving, faithful or charitable person (one can say the same for other famous converts like Waugh and Greene). However it did provide a vital intellectual and spiritual (maybe theological might be better) context in her fiction, an aspect which I had not really appreciated. I find it interesting that Spark and Lessing share an African background. I believe Spark showed up in Africa about the time Lessing was leaving, but for both, Africa seemed to have been a formative experience. There is only the barest mention of Lessing in Stannard's book, but I think there was more to the relationship. I wish he had explored that. Similarly, Stannard does note that Spark had a friendship with Iris Murdoch. That really interests me, but Stannard doesn't provide much to go on. Stannard's biography of Evelyn Waugh appears to have been much better received; anyone read that? Spark has got me interested again in Waugh. I have read nearly all of Waugh's novels, most of them many years ago, and number him among my very favorite writers. (Spark doesn't make that grade!) I've also read a biography of Waugh, but don't recall who wrote it. It was a single volume, so couldn't have been Stannard. Handful of Dust is my favorite Waugh novel.

Kip Hanrahan Rip Van Winkle Felix Wankel

Vuillard Everard Bonar Law

Just finished it. Not bad as a novel, and the Spark biography shows how it came out of her situation and preoccupations at the time. What has been your favorite Spark novel so far? I figure she is someone I will get around to, but I have quite a few others ahead of her in the queue (Dorris Lessing being one). I've read six and my favorite is Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, so no surprises there. BillF, kudos to you on taking on "The Comforters." Question: who are the "comforters" and who is being comforted? Does the biography address that? I would agree with BillF that "The Prime of Jean Brodie" is her best work. Following, in my order of preference, are: "The Girls of Slender Means" "The Ballad of Peckham Rye" "Memento Mori" "A Far Cry from Kensington" (1988, but hearkens back to her early work; indeed, if one did not know the dates of publication, one would likely think it was among that first group of novels. Just finished Far Cry - very readable and thanks for your recommendation, Leeway. I can distinguish it from the early Sparks, though. In those there's a density of nuanced language so typical of literary writing of that era, which I don't find in the much more recent Far Cry. Interesting, good point. Glad you liked the book. I haven't tried Spark's non-fiction, although being this far into the oeuvre, I guess I should. Not just the essays but also the book on Masefield (an author once highly esteemed and very collectible on the rare book market during his time, now largely forgotten), as well as her other miscellany writings. Not sure I have time for all that unless it proves unusually engrossing. Anyway, will add the essays to the list. Right now I'm reading the Stannard biography of Spark; very readable and seems even-handed. Glad you're enjoying the Stannard biography. I certainly did. At first his tendency to write in metaphor irritated me, as did his numerous half-hidden literary quotes, but I soon settled into it. As for "even-handed", I found I had to read through his constant excusing of Spark to make my own judgments on her behavior. Let's admit it, she must have been a dreadful woman! SO, just finished: To start on a positive note, I found the book useful in sorting out the manifold details of Spark's life. Along the way, I took note of a number of authors and books I'd like to follow up on. The critical reactions to Spark's works, and Stannard's own summing up of the works, also were helpful. On a less positive note, although Stannard supposedly had a free hand in the writing, it appeared to me that he pulled his punches quite often. I also suspect that material involving Spark's husband and son were left out. The husband is hardly mentioned after he returns to England, and the son is typically (but not always) seen through Spark's extremely jaundiced perspective. Stannard's style surprisingly is not very good. One of his habits, leaving the conjunction out in his sentences, and relying on comma splices, really started to bother me. Occasionally, he slips into celebrity rag mode, like "Hollywood Star" or similar. I guess Spark's indulgence in "la dolce vita" encourages this style. I thought of the movie, "The Great Beauty," when I was reading about Spark's life in Rome. Which brings us to Spark herself. I had Bill F's "dreadful woman" phrase in my head as I read. Did it amount to that? The words "betray," "dismiss," and "discard" appear many times throughout the book. Ved Mehta said she went through people like Kleenex. Someone bothered her: dismissed! No longer useful: discarded! Someone might betray? Betray them first! Old friend? Worst of all! (they tie you to the past). She shared a trait with her hero, John Henry Cardinal Newman towards other people: "cruelly dismissive." Agents, publishers, editors? Discard! Her husband: dismissed! Her son: discarded! Her mother? Dismissed! She was like a tinpot dictator who can only accept fawning admiration. When she came into the money, she lived lavishly but, although Stannard avoids saying it, vulgarly. Racing all over Europe, England, and New York, she seemed more in flight from something than going anywhere. She was tight-fisted with her own family. She kept them at arm's length. Her treatment of her son, whom she abandoned at age 6, is reprehensible. Writing him into various novels as the bad son maybe even more reprehensible. She seems utterly devoid of family feeling. They would only hold her back. She was ruthlessly ambitious (discard! dismiss!). What she did have was talent. Wrote over 20 interesting novels. I think they are still worth reading. A fine write-up. Very much in agreement with you.

"Blues for Beverlee" from the Junior Mance Trio's Junior.

J J Johnson Slide Hampton Ian Bone

Gubbins Buggins Muggins

Pete Fowler Birdman of Alcatraz Charlie Parker

Martinus Scriblerus Dr John Reid Mac Rebennack

I D Clair Jenny Eclair Cream

Harry James Artie Shaw Artie Fishel

As this is a jazz board, I think we should have a jazz example: http://www.angelfire.com/ca/mferguson/Grants.html

The Little Dutch Boy Joe Fingers Carr Mike Leake

Chris Barber Eyre Coote Charlie Shavers

Gloria Swanson Arnette Cobb Orna Ball and the Friendly Gospel Singers

Hugo Boss Hugo First Leda

James Watt Hu Jintao Wilbur Ware