Category: Books

Manhattan Moments: Addiction & Art

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MASTER WORK

Empire of Pain:  The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

For anyone who’s read Radden Keefe’s book about the Irish Troubles, Say Nothing, you know him as a nonfiction writer who draws you in with meticulous detail and creates a novel-like reading experience.  His latest work, Empire of Pain, is equally meticulous and an absolutely fascinating study of the self-absorbed, greedy, and corrupt Sacklers.  How many museums or universities here and abroad have Sackler Wings?  The family was eager to put its name on and in buildings as a condition of its philanthropy.  But they were secretive to an extreme about not having the Sackler name appear anywhere in relation to their business ventures.  

The first hundred pages of this hefty work are the history and legacy of Arthur Sackler, older brother to Mortimer and Raymond, and the individual responsible for crafting the questionable marketing practices later adopted by Purdue Pharma.  Purdue Pharma, as is well known today, is the maker of Oxycontin and was controlled and micromanaged by the Sackler brothers and their children.  Their total denial of any connection between their product and addiction and their singular lack of any remorse for the opioid epidemic are appalling, as is the almost complete lack of any penalty for their actions.  

It’s a case study of a family living in their own bubble aided and abetted by a cadre of loyal staff and easily manipulated government officials.  Highly recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

WORKS OF ART

Museum of Modern Art

Fruit Dish, 1908-09, Pablo Picasso

This was our first visit to MoMA since they added on to their building in 2019.  We were pleased with the larger space and the chance to see more of the permanent collection on display.  We went during the members’ hour on Monday and had many of the galleries to ourselves.  We spent our time on the 5th floor and delighted in seeing familiar works (Monet’s huge water lilies in their own room) along with ones new to us.  I especially liked a Picasso still life in greens against brown, a bold flower-dominated canvas by Stettheimer, and a colorful lady in the park by August Macke.  The latter one really captivated me. 

Family Portrait, II, 1933 by Florine Stettheimer
Lady in a Park, 1914 by August Macke

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer by Edgar Degas

There is so much to see at the Met that we went back for a second visit.  This time, we were interested in viewing the Impressionist collection and other works of that period.  I was struck by this striking bronze sculpture of a young dancer wearing a tutu made of cotton.

I also very much liked two ladies in pink by Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt.

The Pink Dress, c.a. 1870 by Berthe Morisot
The Cup of Tea, c.a. 1880-81 by Mary Cassatt

Central to these galleries are the marvelous paintings from the Annenberg Collection.  The Philadelphia Museum of Art had hoped to be the hometown beneficiary of Walter and Lenore Annenberg’s collecting, but alas for them, it was not to be.  Once loaned to the Met for six months each year, their collection then was given to the museum in a bequest.  

Bouquet of Sunflowers, 1881 by Claude Monet

Here is gallery after gallery of Renoirs, Cezannes, Manets, Monets, Pissarros, and Van Goghs.  They are a treat to behold!  And since we went first thing in the morning, the galleries were empty for for awhile. 

FOOD FARE

As I have mentioned before, our most frequent go-to place for dinner is the small French restaurant, Sel et Poivre.  It’s comfortable, quiet, with relaxed service, a nicely priced prix fixe menu, daily specials, and other tempting dishes.  Recently, we’ve made more selections from the main menu.  Here are two of them:  a white asparagus special and tomato and mozzarella salad.  Both appealing on the plate and both very good!

Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is a flower box near Rockefeller Center.

Manhattan: Art, Food & More

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STUNNING ART EXHIBIT—People Come First

I feel as if I should have heard about the American artist Alice Neel long before this.  She lived from 1900 to 1984 and was active on the political scene in Manhattan.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a retrospective of her work on display until August 1, and it’s stunning.  Her paintings are largely people, one or two women or men and some of her children and grandchildren.  

Sam

She was one of the first women to paint male as well as female nudes, and they are not prettified at all, but real and frank in their sexuality.  The exhibit indicates that perhaps she didn’t become as well known in her prime since the art world had turned more toward abstraction and away from representational works.  In addition to the paintings of humans, she did some still lifes, which I also liked. 

Elizabeth in a Red Hat (1984)
Light (1980) painted in Spring Lake, New Jersey

NEW NOVEL—Missing Girls

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain

Paula McLain is known for her historical novels, particularly the one about Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley.  This novel is a departure as it’s something of a suspense novel about a homicide detective who specializes in locating missing children.  Anna Hart has suffered recent tragedy in her personal life and is hiding away from her family in Mendocino where she grew up.  There she becomes obsessed with a missing teenage girl.  This disappearance is reminiscent of an unsolved case from her childhood and consumes her.  Anna offers her assistance to the local police detective.  They do not know if they will find a body or a girl still alive.  McLain details the acute tension of the search along with Anna’s internal struggles and her identification with certain aspects of the missing girl’s life.  

The arc of the narrative is shallow which means there is much debate and discussion, but not lots of action.  It feels like a very personal story, and to a great extent it is.  McLain herself spent much of her childhood in foster care and is a sexual abuse survivor.  I found the novel engaging, but not gripping, but appreciated why, especially after the author’s endnotes she was compelled to write it.

DINING DELIGHTS

Petite Boucherie

For lunch in the West Village, Petite Boucherie perfectly fit the bill.  Mourning the demise of A.O.C., we tried this little bistro and were delighted.  Excellent merguez sausages, delicious salmon over white beans, a pot of mussels, and delicate greens with warm chevre toast satisfied four discriminating diners.  

Eat Here Now remains the Chief Penguin’s favorite diner on the Upper East Side, and they didn’t disappoint.  He always orders a grilled bacon and cheese sandwich with a side of cole slaw.  I had tuna salad in a pita which was also good.  For a more upscale lunch, but still casual, Three Guys on Madison near Frick Madison is another good bet.  The food is even better, but the vibe is shinier and less atmospheric.

Via Quadronno is well located for a simple lunch before or after visiting Frick Madison.  They don’t take reservations, so we went early and were able to snag a corner table for four inside in the window.  While their specialty is panini and other types of Italian sandwiches, they also serve pasta and salads.  We enjoyed the lasagna Bolognese, the lasagna of the day (spinach), a lovely mixed greens salad with tuna, and asparagus with vinaigrette.  Service was relaxed and unhurried.  We were surprised when we left at the length of the line waiting to be seated.  More outside seating than inside and they don’t take reservations.  

For tasty Lebanese fare, we had dinner at Naya on Second Avenue. The wait staff were all very welcoming, took our temperatures, and asked for contact info. We had grilled halloumi followed by the kafta kebab (nicely spiced ground lamb) served alongside grilled onions and sweet pepper and a mound of rice with vermicelli strands.  We also shared the chicken shish taouk, cubes of grilled chicken with the same veggies and rice.  And we tried their baklava.  Worth a return visit!

With a hankering for some good Indian food, we ventured to Chola on E. 58 St for dinner.  Years ago, we enjoyed their sumptuous lunch buffet.  No buffet this year.   The tables were very widely spaced, and our temperatures checked upon entry.  The menu was so tempting we over ordered to try more dishes and had some to take home.  The chili shrimp in red sauce were very hot and the Chief Penguin was delighted.  Pickled tandoor chicken was appropriately piquant and sharp, while the samosas were a tad disappointing.  I found the ratio of dough to filling to be out of balance.  For an entrée, we sampled the lamb rogan josh with some buttered naan.  A very satisfying meal!

Note: All photos by JWFarrington.

Potpourri: From Majesty to Travesty

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MAJESTY AND MIGHT

Funeral of Prince Philip

Despite the restrictions of the pandemic, yesterday’s funeral for Prince Philip at Windsor Castle in St. George’s Chapel was replete with majesty and the military.  Outside, some 800 members of various branches of the military paraded, saluted, and honored the steadfast Duke of Edinburgh.  Queen Elizabeth entered the chapel alone ahead of the royal procession.  Swathed in black and masked, she was diminutive in sadness.  

The royal procession into the chapel was small.  In a break from tradition, Princess Anne was the only woman, joining her three brothers, nephews William and Harry, and her son Peter.  The dean of the chapel and the archbishop of Canterbury read scripture and led prayers, a choir of four lent their robust voices to lovely music, while bagpipes and bugles sounded the final notes.  It was a beautifully simple service and a fitting tribute to a man who served and loved country, queen and consort for 73 years.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ENLIGHTENMENT

Camelot (streaming from Asolo Rep)

Britney Coleman as Guenevere (broadwayworld.com)

Recently, I was dismayed to learn that all the performances of the outdoor production of Camelot were sold out.  Intrigued by the idea of a concert version of this famous musical, I bought streaming access for $25.  The Chief Penguin and I were completely captivated.  

In true Asolo style, not only were the acting and singing marvelous and fun, but the staging was so creative.  Performing literally on the building’s steps and landing, the small cast carried off creative choreography backed by clever changing backdrops.  It was as good as it would have been had we been there in person.  Maybe even better, since we saw everything close up!

Colson Whitehead in Conversation

(ew.com)

Thanks to my friend Sue, several of us were able to view a presentation by author Colson Whitehead, part of a series by Guildford College.  In a soliloquy with nary a breath taken, Whitehead unspooled the thread of his literary career:  innovative approaches to fiction, multiple genres, and back-to-back Pulitzers Prizes for his two latest novels. The novels are The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys. It was an engaging program as he detailed where he gets his ideas and how he prepared to write The Nickel Boys.  

My local book group will be discussing The Nickel Boys next week.  It’s a chilling piece of historical fiction based on a brutal reform school in the Florida Panhandle, Dozier School for Boys.  It abused and tortured many boys and yet existed for more than a hundred years.  

CULINARY CORNER

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill

Continuing my al fresco dining, a friend and I had lunch the other day at Dry Dock on Longboat Key.  This popular restaurant has a lovely location on Sarasota Bay with spacious patio seating.  The menu has choices of seafood, salads, and sandwiches. along with pasta with a variety of sauces.  We enjoyed our rather conventional choices:  a BLT and the chicken and mozzarella sandwich on focaccia.  The accompanying cole slaw was also very good.  If you plan to go, do make a reservation, unless you don’t mind waiting to be seated!

Women: Historical & Fictitious

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Here are several portrayals of women, four who are historical, that is real people, and one from a novel adapted for a television series.

BIOGRAPHY—OVERDUE RECOGNITION

The Agitators: Three Friends who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights by Dorothy Wickenden

One of the satisfactions of the times we’re living in is seeing women whose achievements have been overlooked getting the recognition they deserve.  One example is the New York Times’ ongoing publication of lost obituaries.  Obituaries of individuals, mainly women, whose accomplishments went unnoticed and largely unrecorded.

Dorothy Wickenden is the executive editor of The New Yorker and author of Nothing Daunted:  The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West.  In The Agitators, Wickenden details the unlikely friendship and the overlooked successes of three women, two white and one Black.  They all lived in Auburn, N.Y., an upstate town between Syracuse and Rochester. Auburn was more notable in the 19th century than in subsequent years.  The women are Harriet Tubman, Frances Seward (wife of William Henry), and Martha Coffin Wright.  They had a warm friendship and supported each other while working separately and together to abolish slavery and gain women the right to vote.

Tubman on the left, circa 1887 (GettyImages)

Most readers will know of Harriet Tubman’s work as a leader in the Underground Railroad and as a cook, nurse, and scout for the Union Army.  They might not know that Frances Seward sold Tubman a house and that Tubman moved her parents from Canada to this Auburn property.  Auburn was an appropriate way station between Maryland and Canada.  Later on, Tubman turned her house into a home for the aged. When she stopped traveling, Harriet spent her remaining years in Auburn until her death in 1913.

Frances Seward (1805-1865) (sewardhouse.org)

Frances Miller Seward grew up in Auburn, a well-educated daughter of a judge.  When married, she and Henry (as W. H. was known) moved in with her widowed father. Frances had strongly held views on the need to end slavery and also on women’s rights, but she was active mostly under the radar.  Although she chafed at having to moderate her views publicly and not be as visible as she would have liked, she did it out of deference for Henry’s positions. He served as governor of New York State, U.S. senator, and ultimately, President Lincoln’s Secretary of State.  Quietly, Frances helped fugitive slaves by lending their stately home as a stop on the railroad.  She also participated in a number of the women’s rights conventions and several anti-slavery societies. Her views about how to combat slavery were stronger than Henry’s.  She was a real hero whose many deeds were only fully acknowledged after her death and not even then by some powerful men.

Martha Wright (1806-1875) (b-womeninamericanhistory19.blogspot.com)

Martha Wright, sister of the better-known activist Lucretia Mott, liked questioning institutions and upsetting the status quo.  She grew up in Philadelphia and moved to Cayuga County to be a teacher. There she met David, her future husband and a lawyer. An activist and a feminist at heart, Martha was one of the organizers of the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848. With Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, she played a leadership role in future conventions, and regularly spoke, wrote, and gathered petition signatures on behalf of women’s suffrage and abolition. Like Frances, she too occasionally contended with objections from her husband.  These three women were each outstanding, and together they advanced these causes. Their gravesites are in Fort Hill Cemetery which was established in 1851.

This book has personal appeal for me.  I spent most of my childhood until college in Auburn, attended Seward Elementary School, and have visited Harriet Tubman’s home.  When Alaska, Seward’s Folly, became a state in 1959, Auburn celebrated in a big way.  My father served on one of the organizing committees, and I spent an afternoon hawking statehood souvenir programs in front of the Grand Union supermarket.  My mother was a volunteer at the Seward House Museum in her later years and is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery.  The cemetery is as lovely as Wickenden states. 

Personal connections aside, this is a superb book! It’s chock full of fascinating history: of the early women’s rights movement, the passing of the Married Women’s Property Act, the Underground Railroad, and the battles of the Civil War, all presented with a female perspective.  Highly recommended! (~JWFarrington)

ON THE SMALL SCREEN

NORWAY AND THE U.S.

Atlantic Crossing (PBS Masterpiece)

Crown Princess Martha of Norway (royal court.no)

Early in the Second World War, Norway was attacked and occupied by the Nazis. The royal family split up and left the country for their safety.  Crown Prince Olav and his father, King Haakon VII, joined the prime minister and his cabinet in London. Princess Martha and their children attempted to find refuge in Sweden (her birthplace and where her uncle reigned), but that became difficult and then politically untenable.  She eventually made a safe crossing to the United States and lived first in the White House and then at a large estate nearby.  

This 8-part series focuses on Princess Martha: her relationship with President Roosevelt and her attempts to gain recognition of Norway’s plight and get aid for the country.  In the process, she becomes less reserved and a strong woman of consequence.

It’s a compelling piece of world history I was not aware of and makes for very dramatic viewing.  Once again, Masterpiece comes through with a high-quality production that will have you anxiously anticipating what happens next.

TRUE LOVE OR NOT

The One (Netflix)

CEO Rebecca Webb (datebook.sfchronicle.com)

This 8-part Netflix original series is about another powerful woman, this time a fictitious one who seems totally without morals.  Rebecca Webb and scientist James Whiting develop a DNA match process that purports to match a person with his or her one true love, a love that happens instantaneously.  They market it and call the company, The One.  

How did now CEO Rebecca prove that the matches work?  A body turns up in the river, a married couple get into difficulty when one of them signs up for The One, and a female detective gets matched, but then has questions about the results.  These subplots all play into a larger sci-fi crime story revolving around the ambitious and ruthless Rebecca.  Based on a novel by James Marrs, it’s fast moving, fascinating and grabs you from the start!

Note: Header photo is of Crown Prince Olav and Princess Martha of Norway in Washington, D.C. in 1939, courtesy of Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons.