[‘Le Printemps’ 1886), Monet, which is up the road in the Fitzwilliam] I studied The Cherry Orchard for ‘A’ level Russian, and encountered the revolutionary concept of the пауза or pause. Revolutionary because up until then, it was unheard of to have silence on the stage. You were supposed to have sound and fury and slapstick and melodrama and laughter. So when Chekhov put ‘pause’ in the stage directions and no-one spoke, it blew a few minds.
Your Substack has turned me into a knitter after a lifelong avoidance! It's sparked a desire to knit socks, so I'm now taking knitting classes. Not sure I'm ready for socks yet tho. Will look forward to your book on Proust, as a former Proust scholar.
I do love your newsletter and am pleased to read you they are not in peril and you will instead ditch the academic writing to give yourself the pause you need!
I often read these and say ha! in recognition - although I'm neither knitter nor linguist nor ... Today's ha!: I stood in front of the Delaunay/Cendrars book only a couple of days before you posted this (it's on display at the Petit Palais in Paris as part of the excellent "Modern Paris" exhibition) and said "hello, old friend", for I'd seen it first in Sydney in 2019 as part of the "Hermitage Moderns" exhibition and loved it so much to write about it on my own blog.
Vive la pause! And here’s to saying no to obligations that bring no pleasure. . .
I love the Kustodiev painting (that saucy cat!) and I’m intrigued that the woman is drinking tea ever so daintily from a Chinese-style cup rather than a glass. Perhaps tea glasses were a lower-class thing?
Thanks so much for these newsletters, I do enjoy them, as I enjoyed your blog. But if they have become an obligation rather than an explanation, I understand.
I also love the Monet series. There was a magnificent exhibition of them at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston years ago. Getting to see so many of the series together at once was truly a gift to experience. I must confess that the memory that comes to me most often was a boy of about 10 or 12, very well behaved, finally turning to his mother and saying "Yes, the paintings are pretty, but can we go see the mummies now?" I wonder if his mother remembers this too or if it just blended in.
I too am so excited about The Beatles movies as well as dreading the wait. I think I'm most excited about Paul's, to see if they get him right (I think he's often misunderstood), and Ringo's, as he seems to get glossed over sometimes.
Your newsletter is a breath of fresh air on the weekend after dealing with the daily news, but I’m sure it takes time, as all good writing does. In the meantime I have your books to enjoy…Rock Buns are on my to-do list.
Silence is golden, as they say. Thank you for writing about this. I’ve always been interested in how silence/blank space/« emptiness » (as in Zen) is used by artists,writers, actors, composers. I had to become accustomed to silence in my life but now I crave it. Also, I don’t knit (yet 😁) but I sure am catching on with all your gorgeous knitted pieces! PS: I too am SO excited about the Beatles films!
I’m not surprised you need to edit your life a little bit; I’m amazed at how much you achieve in the same 7 days as everyone else!
Time for a spell in goblin mode? I shall re read your newsletters in the meantime and look forward to your return on Sunday mornings.
Your Substack has turned me into a knitter after a lifelong avoidance! It's sparked a desire to knit socks, so I'm now taking knitting classes. Not sure I'm ready for socks yet tho. Will look forward to your book on Proust, as a former Proust scholar.
I do love your newsletter and am pleased to read you they are not in peril and you will instead ditch the academic writing to give yourself the pause you need!
I often read these and say ha! in recognition - although I'm neither knitter nor linguist nor ... Today's ha!: I stood in front of the Delaunay/Cendrars book only a couple of days before you posted this (it's on display at the Petit Palais in Paris as part of the excellent "Modern Paris" exhibition) and said "hello, old friend", for I'd seen it first in Sydney in 2019 as part of the "Hermitage Moderns" exhibition and loved it so much to write about it on my own blog.
Vive la pause! And here’s to saying no to obligations that bring no pleasure. . .
I love the Kustodiev painting (that saucy cat!) and I’m intrigued that the woman is drinking tea ever so daintily from a Chinese-style cup rather than a glass. Perhaps tea glasses were a lower-class thing?
Thanks so much for these newsletters, I do enjoy them, as I enjoyed your blog. But if they have become an obligation rather than an explanation, I understand.
I also love the Monet series. There was a magnificent exhibition of them at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston years ago. Getting to see so many of the series together at once was truly a gift to experience. I must confess that the memory that comes to me most often was a boy of about 10 or 12, very well behaved, finally turning to his mother and saying "Yes, the paintings are pretty, but can we go see the mummies now?" I wonder if his mother remembers this too or if it just blended in.
I too am so excited about The Beatles movies as well as dreading the wait. I think I'm most excited about Paul's, to see if they get him right (I think he's often misunderstood), and Ringo's, as he seems to get glossed over sometimes.
I also studied ‘The Cherry Orchard’ for A level Russian! Loved Chekhov and his pauses and ‘superfluous people’!
Your post is a joy to read in the morning with my coffee in Alna, Maine
Your newsletter is a breath of fresh air on the weekend after dealing with the daily news, but I’m sure it takes time, as all good writing does. In the meantime I have your books to enjoy…Rock Buns are on my to-do list.
Silence is golden, as they say. Thank you for writing about this. I’ve always been interested in how silence/blank space/« emptiness » (as in Zen) is used by artists,writers, actors, composers. I had to become accustomed to silence in my life but now I crave it. Also, I don’t knit (yet 😁) but I sure am catching on with all your gorgeous knitted pieces! PS: I too am SO excited about the Beatles films!
Those socks are gorgeous!
I had hoped to listen to your talk at PB festival but hubby has booked us in for a few nights in Vienna instead. Maybe next year… 🤞🤞