a party in New York, Beatles ’64, The Wild Robot
Excitement in my little world: an invitation arrived in my inbox from Henry, the husband of cousin Ted in New York, who’s celebrating his 70th birthday in January and invited me to the party. I have so little family left – nobody in England, my only two cousins in Washington, newly-discovered third cousin Lesley in France, and a few scattered Gordins and Kaplans. So yes, I will go, hoping that much of my New York family – at least cousins Ted, Debby, Robert, and Susan – will be there. Plus the party is at Ted’s club The Century Association, founded in 1847 primarily for people in the arts, off 5th Avenue near the NY Public Library — like entering a calm cathedral after the chaotic maelstrom outside. I feel privileged to enter this rarified space filled with rarified New Yorkers, a few of whom, by some strange quirk, are related to me.
I’ve already contacted Patty, daughter of Dad’s cousin Lola whom I used to see every visit until she died in her late nineties. Patty is an art restorer around my age who lives in New Haven, but she’s coming in for lunch with me and her daughter Becky who’s in the film business and lives on the Lower East Side. More family. I am greedy for family.
I’ve already booked a flight with points and a play with a Black Friday price, which is a relief given the sinking Canadian dollar. Ted’s spare room on East 77 where I always stay is booked with other guests for the party, but that’s okay; again, I got a good Black Friday price on a very small hotel room in midtown, an easy walk to Broadway theatres and MOMA and from Penn Station where the train from the Newark airport gets in. Usually I’m way uptown. So – gearing up and excited for a quick two days in NYC. Happy Birthday to Henry!
Yesterday a terrific Mozart concert at a church on Bloor, as the guest of my friend the writer Julia Zarankin; it’s her parents’ music series, and her father played the piano during the difficult piano quartet no. 1 in G minor. The highlight was the string quartet “The Hunt” by four superb local musicians who came together for this concert. I’m grateful this music speaks to me so powerfully because my parents loved and played classical music, Dad in an amateur string quartet that gave him enormous joy. As the music gives me, now.
And speaking of enormous joy, another Beatles film, Beatles ’64, about their trip to the US for the Ed Sullivan show in early 1964. Interviewed writer Joe Queenan nearly weeps as he speaks about the life-changing moment of hearing “She Loves You” for the first time – exactly as hearing it was for me. A kindred spirit, 3 months younger. What you see in the film, besides their fabulous musicality, is their wit and sharp humour, their iconoclasm, and their respect for black music and people. The Ronettes helped them escape the hotel where they were imprisoned by fans and police and took them to a dive in Harlem where nobody recognized four longhairs from Liverpool. They loved it.
Singing “This Boy” in the show, with incredible harmonies. Sigh.
Last night, a long, self-indulgent evening watching Gone With the Wind for the first time. I’d never seen it, along with many great classics in my spotty film education. The racism is shocking — feeble Ashley pining for the good old days “when you’d hear the darkies singing at night in their quarters” – and the portrayal of a female sociopath, the lying, cheating, unforgivable Scarlett. Still, a spectacle like no other. Endless.
A better, more enjoyable, and shorter film – The Wild Robot, rented to watch with Eli. I was much more taken with it than he, at 12 going on 17 – but it’s a beautiful animated film about a robot who crashes on earth and learns to love. The messages are not subtle – about caring for each other, the oppressions of technology, our endangered species and planet, celebrating difference, courage, and grit. But you can never hear those messages too often, I think.
It’s cold out there now, though we’ve been lucky – over 100 cms. of snow further north! No snow here. I need to get my Xmas lights up before winter really socks in. Today, the mini-trampoline for Ben arrived in a heavy box. I’m getting started. Glamma is doing her best to pony up.
Seeing family in New York will be my Christmas present.
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