I had always been curious about Dahl, who had a reputation for being a spectacularly unpleasant person but remains a cherished author of children's liI had always been curious about Dahl, who had a reputation for being a spectacularly unpleasant person but remains a cherished author of children's literature. Treglown's objective biography outlines several possible causes for his abrasive personality, including being a spoiled boy in a family of girls, honing his duplicity as a spy in Washington, several personal tragedies, and chronic pain from a war injury which led to a lifetime of substance abuse. The biographer establishes the scene for several of his published works, particularly his adult fiction which I am unfamiliar with, as well as his acclaimed books for children. An interesting note is that several of his best loved books were shaped by good editors, who cautiously worked with the challenging author to give focus to his stories. This biography raises the question, should we separate the author from his work? In the case of Dahl, whose work continues to shock and delight legions of readers with dark and macabre themes that children and parents enjoy, it might be best to keep the messy biographical details of the author out of the picture....more
I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Crisp in the mid-90s through performance artist, Penny Arcade, who I worked with when she staged "Bitch!Dyke!FaghagI had the good fortune to meet Mr. Crisp in the mid-90s through performance artist, Penny Arcade, who I worked with when she staged "Bitch!Dyke!Faghag!Whore!" at the Village Gate. Mr. Crisp was—without a doubt—an original person. In New York he was known for his purple fedora, lavender ascot and the elegant way he held himself, his bearing so regal that he was artfully cast as Queen Elizabeth in Sally Porter’s film of Virginia Woolf’s gender-shifting “Orlando”. His startlingly honest observations about societies’ quirks are from an outsider’s point of view and are delivered with Mr. Crisp’s patented charmingly acerbic and self-effacing humor and the driest wit imaginable. At the core of this auto-biography is a man who is a walking contradiction in terms. Mr. Crisp is a social misfit who lives openly, though quietly, as a flamboyant homosexual in pre-sex-lib London. He is peacock-proud of his appearance, literally becoming artwork (his primary profession is as an artist’s model), and his most fascinating subject is himself, yet he also revels in his deficiencies in keeping house and confused about the chaos he creates by his alternative appearance. He pokes gentle fun at his friends and marginalized flatmates, especially the hooligans and diligently unoccupied denizens of SoHo. You will either find him hysterical or sad, but most likely somewhere in between. A picture of Dorian Gray, only funny and with extensively more flair....more
Like a few others, I picked this book up in error, thinking it was Gertrude Stein’s "name dropping" version. However, I might have been better off witLike a few others, I picked this book up in error, thinking it was Gertrude Stein’s "name dropping" version. However, I might have been better off with this actual biography. Ms. Simon’s thesis is that there would never have been a Gertrude Stein without an Alice B. Toklas, who promoted and inspired her (and perhaps not a Picasso without a Stein); Ms. Toklas was the person who engineered the myth around the author and poet and was a significant muse for her body of work. This well-researched book gives insight into one of the most revered lesbian relationships of the 20th century, and highlights all the painters, writers and poets that they sponsored and/or inspired. One of those examples of how one person can be a substantial influence without creating anything on her own. Ms. Toklas was at the crux of one of the most interesting artistic periods in history....more
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