Handwoven Turk’s Head Jewelry in fourteen or eighteen karat gold •
Weaving solid gold Turk’s Head jewelry dawned on me when I saw my son’s nylon string bracelet of the same design. Perfecting the idea, including drawingourownwiretothenecessaryspecifications,wasalongandinvolvedprocess,andbecameasuccessonlyafteraperiodofrefinement.This veryolddesigndatesbacktoillustrationsbyLeonardodaVind,andIhavefoundcarvingsinmanyforms,indudingw'ood,ivoryandstone,butto thebestofmyknowledge,wewerethefirsttoachievethisapparentendlessweaveinsolidgold.Alljewelryisindividuallywoven,thereforenotwo areexactlythesame.
SingleStrandRing
TwoStrandRing
ThreeStrandRing
FourStrandRing
ThreeStrandEarringsfnotshown)$670. Turk’s Head Tie Bar $745. LargeTurk’sHeadBarrette$1000.
Toplaceyourorderortorequestacatalogue,pleasecall(800)341-0788drwriteto:A.G.A. Correa, PO Box401-DE,Wiscasset,Maine,04578 Office and Telephone Hours: Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM (Mastercard, VISA, American Express) Showroom: 3240 Cross Point Road, Edgecomb, Maine and
“T-loveCharlesWoodburyetchings, not simply because Woodbury startedtheartcolonyinOgunquit,Maine,alongwithHamilton __1_EasterFieldandRobertLaurent, JohnLaurent’sfather,butalsobecause oftheobscurelittlelinesandmarks Woodburyemploystoimpartanincred¬ ibleanimustowater,earth,orclouds, dependinguponthework.Thelittle marksareatonceunsettlingandexcit¬ ing,just“ahalfturnawayfromreality,” as the work of Alan Bray has been described.
In September of each year we haveareunionofmembersofthe 240th Coast Artillery Regiment whichmannedthevariousfortsin Casco Bay during World War II. YouritemonDiamondCoveinthe July/AugustissueofPortlandMag¬ azinewasgreat—infactsogreat that I would like permission to copyitinitsentiretyinournext neewsletter.
Ourreunionofthreeyearsago featuredanexcursiontoDiamond Covewhichwasenjoyedbysever¬ alofourveteranmembers;unfor¬ tunatelywearefastgettingtothe point where our advancing age andresultantinfirmitiesprevent manyofusfromsuchexploitsas climbingaroundoldgunemplace¬ ments.Articlessuchasyourswill bewarmlyreceived,especiallyby ourmembersinCalifornia,Wash¬ ingtonState,Florida,Arizona,etc., who are unable to attend the reunions.
Fort McKinley was my first active-dutystationinSeptember 1940asatrombonistintheregi¬ mentalband,butmyearliestre¬ collectionofthefortwasinthe 20s and 30s when as a child on neighboringPeaksIsland,Iwould watch the Governor Batchelder or the Governor Randall, Army boats whichservedtheislandforts,sail down the “Roads” with the 5th InfantrybandplayingonaSunday afternoon.Afewyearsago,before Mr.Batemanacquiredtheproper¬ ty, my son and I made an excur¬ sion to Great Diamond Island to explore old Fort McKinley and weredismayedatthedecayofthe greatbrickbarracksandofficers quarters. The hospital building which has not yet been restored givesoneanideaofthetremen¬ dous work that Mr. Bateman has accomplished on the restored buildings.
A full-color,signed&numberedlimited-editionprintof500.Imagesize is14.5x21.5inches.$45ppd.Checkormoneyorderto K.DanaNelson,P.O.Box454,SouthFreeport,ME04078. Maineresidentsadd6%
VISIT OUR RORTLAHD SHOWROOM OR CALL TOR A BROCHURE. The Tiew Architecture of Furniture Design^
TtussDiningTattle$1850
PORTLAND
■ Maine’s City Magazines Established 1985 Volume IX. Number VI. September
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■ GAZETTE ■
Thefirstissue ofThePortlandMagazine, editedbyMrs.AnnS.Stephens,appeared on October 1, 1834. Stephens numbered John Neal, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, NathanielParkerWillis,andherselfas contributors.
Despitehisunbeatablesales record,StephenKingisnot the only famous novelist withrootsinMaine.Overa centurybeforehisriseto fame, a woman who first entered theworldoflettersbyeditingalit¬ erarymagazineinPortlandinthe 1830s went on to become a best¬ selling popular novelist who would be seriously compared to SirWalterScottandShakespeare. Her writing was eagerly sought afterbymanyofthemostpopular magazinesofherday,whoseedi¬ torswerewillingtopayhermore thantheirusualrates($2perpage
of prose and $5 per poem) and to giveherpoetryandserialsprideof placealongsidecontributionsfrom Edgar Allan Poe, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Fenimore Coop¬ er,andWilliamCullenBryant.Sales ofhernovels—includingmultiple reprints — ran into the hundreds ofthousandsinAmerica;her books were also translated into German, French, and Portuguese and printed abroadinLondon,Stuttgart, Lisbon, and Leipzig. Her publishers touted her as “the Star of American Authors,” and at her death shewashailedas“apioneer intheromancewritingofthe day...awomanofgenius...the firstAmericanwomannovel¬ istofnote.”
Who was this mystery woman, so highly regarded in her day and now almost completelyforgotten?
Ann Sophia Winterbotham Stephens was born on March 30, 1810 in Humphreysville,Connecticut,toan immigrant English wool manufacturer and his wife. She moved to Portland shortly after marrying Edward Stephens, a young merchant from Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1831. As of 1834 the Stephenses were living north of Congress Street above Forest Avenue; they later residedfurtherdownonCongress, southofPreble.AccordingtoThe PortlandDirectoryof1834,which didnotbothertoincludemarried women in its listings, Edward Stephens was employed as a deal¬ er in West India goods with the firm of E. & E. Stephens, whose offices were located in Morton’s BuildingsonCongressStreetnorth ofPreble;by1837hisoccupation waslisted,significantly,as“print¬ er.”
Looking back on her childhood much later, Ann remembered that, “Long before I knew what author¬
ship was, I had made up my mind towritestoriesandmakebooks.” Small wonder, then, that while attending meetings of the Augus¬ tineClubandreadingeverybookin the Portland library (known then asthePortlandAtheneum,itcon¬ tained approximately 3,500 books
in 1834), she was also busy with wordsofherown.
kI|hefirstissueof ThePort¬ land Magazine, editedby Mrs. Ann S. Stephens and “devotedentirelytoliterature,” appeared on Octo¬ ber 1, 1834. It was published by Ann’s husband and printed by Arthur Shirley, a book and job printer with an office on Milk Street.Uncertainofhowherven¬ tureintothemale-dominatedfield of literature would be received, Annfeltobliged,inhermaidenedi¬ torialaddress,todefendherbrain¬ childfromthe“unfaircriticisms andillwill”ofhermasculinecoun¬ terparts:“Incommencingthismag¬ azine we may be deemed presump¬ tuous;andwemaybeso—butnot because we are a woman. Women
have done more than we are now attempting to accomplish, and doneitnoblytoo.”
AlreadyaloyalMainerafteronly threeyearsofresidence,shealso firmlyrejectedinherinitialeditori¬ althesuggestionthat“Maineisnot afitfield”foraliterarymagazine, and expressed amazement that“Portlandinparticular hasbeenobjectedtoasnot beingaliterarycity.”Inher opinion,“noplaceinAmeri¬ ca of equal size, and con¬ taining the same number of inhabitants, can, without presumption, claim prece¬ denceofoursinpointoflit¬ erarymerit.”
Fortunately,Ann’sfaithin theintelligenceandrefine¬ mentofthepeopleofPort¬ land was better grounded thanherfearofmalechau¬ vinism.Despitealingering feelingthat“Intruth,wedo notthinkthereeverwasalit¬ erary magazine established under the disadvantages which surrounded ours,” a yearlater,onSeptember1, 1835,shewasabletoreport triumphantlytoherreaders that“outofnumerousnoticesfor¬ wardedtousfromallpartsofthe country, two only have failed to speakofit[77je Portland Magazine] intermsofpraise,notfaint,but warmlybearingeverymarkofsin¬ cerity.”SinceAnnherselfhadwrit¬ tenthevastmajorityofthestories, essays, and poems that comprised herperiodical,shehadgoodrea¬ sontobepleasedwithsuchenthu¬ siastic responses; however, she wasequallyproudofthefactthat she could number local notables such as John Neal, Seba Smith, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and NathanielParkerWillisamongher contributors.
Neal may have been especially attracted to her undertaking be¬ causeofhisstrongfeministlean¬ ings;throughouthislifehespoke
and wrote repeatedly in support ofequalrightsandsuffragefor women. Moreover, he thought that Ann in particular was “a woman of great original genius, withpoetryinherblood,patient, industrious, and full of impas¬ sioned enthusiasm,” and in his autobiographyherecalledhowhe had helped her “from her first monthly,untilshewasabletosing for herself, and had got beyond myreach.”Anotherwayheassist¬ ed her was by contributing his worktothe Portland Sketch Book thatAnncompiledin1836inorder to“collectinasmallcompass,lit¬ erary specimens from such auth¬ ors as have a just claim to be styledPortlandwriters.”
Inherprefacetothisanthology, Ann lamented that “though great exertions were made, the editor foundmuchdifficultyincollecting originalmaterials,evenafterthey had been promised by almost every individual to whom she applied,”sothat“shewasobliged, however unwillingly, to supply thedeficiency.”Sheperiodically voicedthesamecomplaintinthe EditorialNoticesof The Portland Magazine, although she was not alwayspunctualwithsubmissions herself: a postscript from the printerattheendofthe Portland Sketch Book reportsthattheEdi¬ tor’s“ownleadingarticlearrived almosttoolateforinsertion.”
Thesestatementshintatwhy,in spiteofitsinitialsuccess, ThePort¬ land Magazine wassoshort-lived: bytheJune1,1836issue,Annhad become over-worked and exhaust¬ ed from a taxing combination of publishingdeadlinesandillness. HerfinalEditorialannouncedthe merger of her own monthly with the Eastern Magazine toformthe new Maine Monthly Magazine. Thislongerperiodicalwastobe publishedsimultaneouslyinPort¬ landbyAnn’shusbandandinBan¬ gor by Duren & Thatcher, and editedbyCharlesGilman,theedi-
■ GAZETTE ■
torof Eastern Magazine. ““Irj" appily, Ann’s morbid fears proved to be _ unfounded (a poem entitled “Thoughts in __LL Sickness”thatshecon¬ tributedtothelastissueof The Portland Magazine brooded, “For now, when sickness preys upon my frame, / And dissolution may beverynear,/Itisatimefor solemnthoughtsofdeath.”),and sherecoveredsufficientlytocon¬ tinuecontributingmaterialto The Maine Monthly as promised, althoughhertimeinPortlandwas soontoend.Followingatripto Ohio,in1837theStephensesrelo¬ cated to New York City, where Ann proceeded to take the maga¬ zineworldbystormoverthenext thirtyyears,raisingthecirculation of The Ladies' Companion from 3,000to17,000,outshiningEdgar AllanPoeasacontributingeditor at Graham's Magazine, andearn¬ ingtopbillingin Peterson’s Maga¬ zine, whereherpicturegracedthe title-page.
Although Ann was also involved inherhusband’spublishingpur¬ suits(inadditiontoaclerkshipin theLiquidatingDepartmentofthe New York Customs House, he worked in the business depart¬ ment of the New York Express, became co-proprietor of the Sun¬ day Morning News, and published Brother Jonathan, aweeklyedited by their Portland friend John Neal),herfamilywasluckythat shewassosuccessfulinherown right. When Edward was demoted toaninferiorpostwithalower salary in 1861, Ann became the primary breadwinner, and when hediedoftyphoidfeverin1862, shewaslefttosupportherselfand theirtwochildrenonherown. By this time she was wellequippedwiththemeanstodoso: the year-long serials she began everyJanuaryfor Peterson’s were regularlypublishedasclothbound novels by T. B. Peterson upon
Career goalsincludeworkwifhadvertising agencies,clothiers,filmandtelevision productioncompanies,departmentstores, fashion&designindustrypersonnel,photo studios,andpublicrelationsprograms. Forportfolioreviewandscheduling information,pleasecallPriscillaMartell at(207)780-8353,
their conclusion; in 1856 she founded her own magazine, Mrs. Stephen’s New Monthly, whichran for three years until it was absorbed by Peterson’s', and in 1860her1839serial Malaeska was selectedtobecomethefirstBea¬ dleDimeNovel.Beadle’soriginal cheapeditionof Malaeska soldat least300,000copies—makingita majormid-19th-centurybestseller — and reprint sales of the tale may have run as high as 500,000
During her lengthy reignasqueenofthe Americanserialnovel, Ann enjoyed the many fruitsoffame.In1850 she embarked on a two-year grandtourofEuropewithacou¬ pleoffriends,leavingherhusband andchildrenbehindinNewYork. Amongthemanypartinggiftsshe receivedwasalocketfromHenry Claycontaininghisportraitanda lockofhishair.Highlightsofthe tripincludedareceptiongivenin herhonorbytheEarlofCarlisle at which Dickens and Thackeray wereguests,andaudienceswitha smorgasbord of dignitaries and
■ GAZETTE ■
luminariesfromtheImperialfami¬ lyinSt.PetersburgtotheSultanof Constantinople to the Pope in Rome.
IntheensuingyearsAnncontin¬ ued to mingle with the mighty stateside as well: Mirabeau B. Lamar,PresidentoftheRepublic ofTexas,grantedheratractof landinhisdomain;shewasinvit¬ edtotheVanderbiltGoldenWed¬ dingcelebrationinNewYork;she provided her friend President JamesBuchananwithsecretinfor¬ mationaboutaproposedinvasion of Nicaragua; and in 1861 she showed up at the White House late one night to warn Abraham Lincoln’ssecretaryofapossible plottoassassinateorkidnapthe President.(Lincoln’ssurgeonlater rewardedherwithagoldenlocket :containing a lock of the Presi¬ dent’shair.)
The eventual descent of her worksintoobscuritydidnotbegin untilaftershedied,whenreaders graduallylosttheirtasteforthe sentimental, moralistic romance novels that were her specialty, anddimenovelsbecameinsteada vehicleforwesternsanddetective stories.Muchasithadpleasedthe publicthroughoutherlonglife, Ann’s writing style, which Poe described as “fond of the bold, striking,trenchant...themelodra¬ matic,”becamehopelesslyoutdat¬ edafterherdeath.Nonetheless,at the height of her glory, Ann S. Stephens could confidently pro¬ claim:“Inthisageauthorshiphas amoresubstantialrewardthanat¬ tendsfemaleexertioninanyother walkoflife,andtheprivileges which a successful writer com¬ mands are among the highest in thegiftofsociety.”Overonehun¬ dred years later, would Stephen King agree? ■
-By Gwen Thompson
Quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from "The AuthorofthefirstBeadleDimeNovel:AnnS. Stephens, I860" by
Madeline B.
Stern, in Bethe Women:CareerFirstsofNineteenth-CenturyAmerica, published in New York by Schulte Publishing Company in1963.
N1935,TWOofthepreem¬ inentAmericanImpression¬ istsdiedduringthesame summer. To commemo¬ ratethelivesofthesetwo best friends, the National Academy ofDesignheldamemorialexhibition initslongdarkhallinNewYorkCity inMarch,1936.
On one side was Childe Hassam of Boston,Massachusetts.Ontheother wasWalterGriffinofPortland,Maine. Theyweredisplayedas“co-equals infame,”theperfectcomplementsto eachother-Hassam’sIslesofShoals, Old Lyme, Connecticut, and Boston paintingsoppositeGriffin’sexquisite Norway, Old Lyme, Brittany, and Stroudwaterpaintings.
lyoverthewater.
Now, I know that you've heard of ChildeHassam.And,likeme,you’ve probablydrivenpastWalterGriffin’s houseathousandtimesonyourway tothePortlandJetport.There’sthe screechofyourtiresoffCongress Street,theTateHouse,aglimpseof pondandducksinStroudwater,then YellowbirdRoadandalltherent-acarplacesbeforeyouhittheterminal andtheBoeing737s.
You probably haven’t slowed down tolookatthesage-and-persimmoncoloredColonialhousethreehouses totheleftoftheTateHouse,proba¬ blyhaven’twalkeddowntheslopeto thelilypadsandcattailsandlupines sunkbelowwhatlookslikeadilapi¬ datedoldboathousehoveringsleepi-
You probably haven’t opened the doortothatcharmingandforgotten structure,partofaregisteredNation¬ alHistoricPlace.Butifyouhave,any¬ timebetween1935andJuly22,1994, youreyeshavewidenedatthis:
StudioAsSeenOnJuly15,1994
First, piled in great rows and marked W G. ,youseeanumberofin¬ ternationalsteamertrunksinblack, bassgreen,andkhakitrimmedwith brass,aswellasverylargewood¬ en packing crates in which Walter Griffin'spaintingstravelled,oneof them to and from the 1915 Panama PacificExpositioninSanFrancisco, where he won the gold medal. You feelarushofexcitementasyoudis¬ coverotherfancylabelslikethese, that,likeEmerson's“bubblewithina bubble,”inthemselvestellthestory ofalife:
W.G.
Transports Internationaux
R Expedition, Magas inage, Agence en Douane Kirnbel&Co.
Anone Mon Michell & Kirnbel General Shipping, Forwarding, Customhouse <§ Insurance Agents, 31, Place du Marche -S-Honore’ (pres PA venue de I'Opera) Magasins & Entrepots: 166 Rue
Cardinet
Paris
Tableaux Fragile No.1,x39
Railway Express Agency GLASS, from W.S. Budworth & Son 424West52Street
works in charcoal and hard-crayon pastel, among them a wonderful charcoalofatreedoneinNorwayin 1910.Youseethebrassandwirefed¬ eralfirescreenGriffinusedtoenter¬ tainguestswhenhemovedintothe housein1920,thewoodenstoolhe usedtosituponwhenpainting,and everythingelseyou’dexpecttofind inhisstudioafewweeksafterhis deathin1935.
Exceptit’s1994.
Inthestudioisadoorhehaspaint¬ edthewayheandhisfriendChilde Hassampaintedtheirshareddigsin Old Lyme, Connecticut. Camels, a Barbary sloop, nudes, and a lady withparasolridinginapunt.The painteddoorisenchantinganddis¬ carded, piled behind old Chinese chairs,rugs,andbeautifullycarved rosewood furniture which belonged tohisniece,PortlanderAlnahJohn¬ ston,herselfaProfessorofEnglishat YenchingCollegeinSunYatSen-lib¬ eratedChinafrom1923tothearrival inPekingbyChiangKai-shekin1925, and the author of The Footprints of the Pheasant in the Snow, a twicereprinted account of her adven¬ turesinChina.Therearetwolives here,actuallythree,forWalterGrif¬ fin’sfather,Portland-bornEdward Griffin, noteworthy sculptor and carverofthebowsprits,figureheads, mantelpieces, and fantails that gracedsomeofPortland’sfinestsail¬ ingshipsastheyleftportfortheOri¬ ent, has left carvings and sketch¬ books to prove his talent. The sketchbooks(featuringanumberof high-detailEdwardGriffinillustra¬ tions used for an actual Portland ship’s figurehead and transom and dated1854)areofthesamesizeand typeadoptedbyhisson.Moreover, anotherofAlnahJohnston’suncles, “UncleHeyward,”arestlesslytalent¬ edPortlandboytrainedasadoctor attheU.S.MarineHospital(thestate¬ lybrickbuildingatopMartin’sPoint, Portland), hopped a Portland freighterforBangkokandendedup aspersonalphysiciantotheKingof Siam,yes!KingChulalongkorn,the veryregentportrayedbyYulBrynnerinthemusical“TheKingand1.” Hisspiritisinhere,also.Did1men¬ tion that Alnah Johnston had a promisingearlycareerasaBroad¬
wayactress?ThatEdwardGriffinis credited with carving much of the interioroftheCumberlandClubas wellasmoldsforthePortlandGlass Co.?Sothisisquiteafamily.But aboveall,thisisthestudioofWalter Griffin,keptthiswaybythesenti¬ mentalandprivateAlnahJohnston,
who died in 1988 and willed the house and studio to her daughter, Barbara Baggesen, who had the house, named on the register of NationalHistoricPlacesin1973,com¬ pletelyrestoredfor$200,000from
museum, the way Winslow Homer’s isonBlackPoint.Itshouldbepur¬ chasedbytheSocietyfortheProtec¬ tionofNewEnglandAntiquities,but itwillnotbe.“Nomoney,”saysBar¬ bara Baggesen’s affable husband, industrial broker Fred Baggesen, who has made overtures to the
Thehouseandartist’sstudioare nowforsalefor$225,000and,ifyou believeobjectsaremoreintriguing when they come with a story, then thisisthemostexcitingrealestate being offered in Maine today. It shouldbemaintainedasastudioand
SPNEAtoembarkonjustsuchapur¬ chase.Andtodate,nooneelsehas stepped forward. The people who runtheTateHouse,theSocietyof ColonialDames,areinnopositionto acquirethehouse,thoughtheyknow itwellandareawareofitswell documented heritage:
Accordingto This Was Stroudwater, byMyrtleKittridgeLovejoy, themainhousewasbuiltin1802 by Oakes Sampson, a housewrightwhohadjustmarriedAbi¬ gailLobdell.Thehousehebuilt was “a small, square, hipped¬ roofhousewithanell”justthree houses to the left of the Tate House,on1246WestbrookStreet inStroudwater.Eventhenthehouse wasadmiredforits“gracefulcove ceilings”onthesecondfloor,which existtothisday.“Hiswasthefirst house in the village to have more than a simple doorway,” explains MyrtleLovejoy.“Thestandardused up to his time was a row of small glasspanesoverthecolonialcross-
door in order to give light to the entrance. Oakes Sampson brought lightintohishallwaybyplacinga half-panelofglasspanesoneither sideofthedoorandcreatedanartis¬ tic effect by spreading a carved wooden panelled arch, reminiscent of the Georgian period, across the widthofthetop.”
BythetimeWalterGriffinsawit,it wasawreckreferredtoas“theold Vail property.” As the Portland Evening Express gushed in 1920, “Perhapsnoonebutanartistcould haveseenthepossibilitiesinthisold houseforitwasmuchoutofrepair, whenMr.Griffintookit,buthehas alreadybeguntotearouttheinside, toopenthefireplacesandtodooth¬ erthingstomakeitlivable.”
As the story goes, “Mr. Griffin became much interested in Stroudwaterwhenhefirstreturnedafter30 years’stayinEurope,andhesaidit reminds him much of the small Eng¬ lish villages, and he thoroughly delightsinthepossessionofahome there, while Portland People are feeling much pleased that a man sowellknownintheartcirclesof Europe and America should decide tomakehisheadquartershere.”
Griffin knocked down many walls onthefirstfloorandmovedhisstu¬ dio,originallyattachedtothehouse, over one hundred feet down the slopesothatitwasbuiltoutabove theMonet-likelilypads,cattails,and soft Impressionist trees that hung over the water, heavy with light. Then he did something extraordi¬ nary.Hestartedmovingwindows.
_ A ith unconventional 1energy he placed
KJK J windows high up in hisstudio,trapping ~ squares of sky on theirsides,likediamonds,stunning the structure’s dark floor. Then, down below, he moved them hori¬ zontally until they opened up on natureashisenvisionedideal-living Impressionistpicturesthattakea viewer’sbreathawaytoday.Withthe shinglesflying,hemovedandshift¬ edwindowstoincludetreesandlily¬ pads,excludingothersandrunning outdoors with pruning shears to assurehimselfofthefinestcultivat¬ ed visions. The emerald greens of
Stroudwater and the somnambulenceoftheponditselfstillglowas rectangles under his supervision, streakingwithducksandcolorand the occasional orchestrated rain¬ drop.Hedidthesamethingwiththe mainhouse.Perhapsthisistheonly houseintheworldwhereanImpres¬ sionistpainterhastakensuchpains to capture the Future. And the madding crowd of the Forest City lovedit.Withallhisbeautyinplace, heinvitedintellectualPortlandover foraspotofliquor,presentingon¬ lookerswith“alltheatmosphereofa teagiveninaParisianstudio.The guestswereconfinedtoafewfriends interestedinthingsliteraryandartis¬ tic,andtheyexpressedthemselves asfeelingasiftheyhadsteppedout ofconventionalPortlandintotheart quarterofsomeforeigncity.Mr.Grif¬ fin, who purchased the house last Summer,isremodelingittosuithis ideas of a workshop and home com¬ bined.Hehastornawaypartitions onthewholelowerfloorthusthrow¬ ingthelowerpartofthehouseinto one living room and studio com¬ bined. There are open fireplaces downstairs;thereiswarmthandlight
half-finished canvasses giving glimpses of wonderful beauty-there areallsortsofsuggestionsofthe owner’sartandoftherealdrudgery ofhiswork...Onthewallsoftheliv¬ ingroomthereisrichandbeautiful brocadesilk,withwhichtheartist has covered the cold white of the walls,thusgivingatonceasenseof colorandwarmth...”
Sowhywouldafamilyeverwantto giveupahouselikethis?Thereare severalcomplicatingmatters,butit comes down to safety and steward¬ ship.Robberies.Afterhermother, AlnahJohnston,diedin1988,Bar¬ baraandFredcameuponedayfrom their Westboro, Massachusetts home to find Alnah’s entire Rose Medallionchinacollectionstolen,as wellasseveralorientalcarpets.“The policesaiditwassomethingofan ‘Orientalsting,’"Barbaragrimaces, relieved that no paintings were stolen.ShegrewupinaPortland, Maine,whereyoudidn’thavetopur¬ chase an alarm system. A lifelong first-gradeteacher,shewascrushed tosuffertheselosses.
Thestewardshipissueisabitmore
and color everywhere. Windows havebeenletintothefrontandrear ofthehouse,thusaddinglightand givingamostpleasingeffect.There are pictures framed and unframedoblique.
The family of Childe Hassam auc¬ tionedallofhisworkathisdeath, givingHassamasortofVikingfuner¬ al.Hispaintingsandpersonaleffects
BookbyNeilSimon Music by Cy Coleman LyricsbyDorothyFields June2-June17
Call799-7337
OrstopbythetheaterMonday.Wednesday,orFriday10:00to2:00p.m. _ 420CollageRoadSouthPortland_ NOWinits 14th year, theLeighton Galleryhas beenwritten up as the verybestin Maine.Featuring30leadingcontemporary artists.Alsoalargesculpturegardenandartistpaintedfurniture.
entered the market and were sold andresold.Theywereseen.Hassam wentupinabigglow.
ButthefamilyofGriffincouldn't beartopartwiththeirpaintings, denying the art market the body of workitneededtoassurehisreputa¬ tion.Instead,theyheldontoover250 individual paintings, hard-crayon
V0OHTQV
CALLERY
Hours: Mon. thruSai.10:00-5:30 Sunday 12:00-5:00
ParkerPointRoad BlueHill,Maine04614•(207)374-5001
pastels, and sketchbooks. By 1971 therewerestill50oilsand50pastels inthestudioandhouse’sattic.Then, prominentcollectorEllertonJettegot involved, working with Alnah John¬ ston to spark a major show at Boston’sVoseGalleriesintheearly 1970s which was echoed by a show in1978attheFarnsworthGalleryin Rockland. Some were sold. But the personal effects and uncatalogued remainingartworksremainedherein thestudiolikeatimecapsule.Keep¬ ing five major works themselves, Fred and Barbara Baggesen have decided to conduct a major onsite auction with the firm of James D. Julia,Auctioneer.
HIS IS EXCITING news. J Wasn’t it just a sumg mer or two ago that an g Abbott Graves sleeping " on a wall in Kenne¬ bunkport rocketed up to a news¬ making auction price of over $100,000?WilliamDavidBarry,for¬ mer curator at the Portland Museum ofArt,feelscomfortableplacingGrif¬ fin“anotchabove”bothGravesand WilliamWallaceGilchristIII.Whata wonderful way to cast away the “lengtheningshadows”thatthreaten tochangeGriffinfromafamousartist tojust‘somebodywho’slisted.’This auctionisgoingtobegreat.Andan advance bid of $5,000 has already beenplacedforavalisefullofGrif¬ fin’ssketchbooksalone.
July15,1994,4p.m.
Whichbringsustothework.While Hassam painted with bright light,
Griffin’spaintingsandsketchesare rendered with a different kind of emotionaldelicacy,thechilly,shy lightofhisNorwaypaintingsbarely touchingtheleavesofhistreesso fleetingisitstimeontheearth. Exquisitestuff,this,withtenderhar¬ monies.
JustasvanGoghwenttoArleslook¬ ingforlight,WalterGriffinlefthis Parisstudiotofinditintheicysum¬ mersinNorway.Here“hedidnot,1 think,deliberatelypoetizeascene. Butsomehowhepainteditinaten¬ derandevenlyricalmood,sothathe liftedagnarledtreeoramassoflau¬ rel onto something like a poetic plane,”wrotecriticRoyalCortissoz in Griffin’s memorial monograph. And you can watch it happening to theartistinhissketchbook. Somethingiscomingoverhim.Mid¬ waythroughthebook,hisvignettes oftrees,cows,boats,promontories, and dogs suddenly turn to trees, trees, fromallangles,thelightshim¬ meringthroughthebristles,exquis¬ itelightandsuddentexturetaking over everything, cabins, peasants withtheirheadsdown.Heisawon¬ derfulartistatthebeginningofthis sketchbook.AttheendheisWalter
1 E GREW UP on India v g gStreet,visitingdaily shiploft of his f father, Edward S. W • Griffin, on 45 Fore Street(thepresentsiteofPortland Yacht Services). Around and about himwereshipcarvings,figureheads
I landpainteditemsindividuallycreatedfor you x A P YourchoiceofLighthousedesign(Portland Heitdhghtudlheusedunlessother Manu* Lighthousespecified)or ('ustom ordersourhouse uith Family name orotherfavoritescene
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“AtfifteenheworkedforaPortland grocer, painted signs to sell mer¬ chandise,signsthatbecamefamous. Hisholidaysweremadedelightfulby thegroupofSundaypainterswhofor 30 years went out each Sunday to paintlandscape.
“Duringmyearlyyouth(15years) therewasinPortlandagroupofmen interestedinpaintingandart,the most important of whom were Fred Kimball, Fred Morse, John Wood, John Hudson, Edward S. Griffin (my father).Theywerethepioneersofart inPortland.Iusedtoriseatfivein themorning,walkmanymilescarry¬ ingpaintingtrapstothegivenren¬ dezvous.Thoseweregreatdaysand are ever dear in my memory. All of the members were distinguished in theirprofessions.Theyafterwards becamethefoundersofthepresent SocietyofArt,Portland,Maine,in collaboration with John Calvin Stevens,architect,wholaterjoined the group. I was the youngest mem¬ ber.Atthistimetherewasverylittle inthewayofartinPortland,three small art stores-Hale, Schumaker, andCyrusDavis.I,ofcourse,spent muchtimeinthesestores.Ilearned
hangingovertheliving-roommantel.
wood-carvingofmyfather.Atthis timeIusedtopaintinmyfather’s shop portraits of the interesting typesofoldseacaptains.Oneofmy father’s old comrades of boyhood days heard of my talent and came one day to the shop filled with carvedfigureheads,etc.,andsaid, When your boy wants to go away to study,letmeknow. ThiswasCharles F.MorrillofthefirmofBurnhamand Morrill,whosenameisverydearto my memory.’”
HE MONOGRAPH tells J of his departure from g Portland: With just t $100 in his pocket and • a scholarship (presum¬ ably amplified by funds from Mor¬ rill)tostudysculptureattheMu¬ seumofFineArt,Griffinsetoutfor Boston.Heworkednightsinthestudio of sculptor Truman Bartlett, whose son, Paul, would become a friendforlife.HereGriffinranintoWalt Whitman. “One evening when I was workingalonethedooropenedanda strangegentleman,apatriarchwitha longwhitebeard,camein.Saying: Hello boy,thisisafineplacetowork, hecame over to me, put his arm around my shoulder.”
EverybodyrecognizedGriffin’stal¬ ent. He went from the Museum of Fine Art, to the National Academy ofDesign(theArtStudents’League where he befriended Hassam, Mau¬
ricePrendergast,WillardMetcalf, WilliamMerritChase,et.al.)toParis, where,insearchofinspirationand world-classinstruction,allmajor American painters, such as John SingerSargent,Whistler,FrankW. Benson, Mary Cassatt, Hassam, and
otherswereheaded.There,hestud¬ ied under Raphael Collin at Collorossi's school and Jean Paul
el, and thus the highest possible accolade for a newcomer).” Walter Griffinisn’tjustsomeonelisted;heis therealthing.
AuctionDay,7:30a.m.,July22,1994
HE STUDIO IS BARE, bothonthefirstfloor andintheloft.Opening thedoor,weseethatin itsemptinessithasbe¬ come a dressing room for the auc¬ tion runners; one towheaded young man wrestles uncomfortably with his compulsory James Julia necktie.Carspackthestreetforthe 8-10a.m.preview.Twogianttents swallowthebackyard.Runnersfor theJamesJuliaauctioncompanyare setting things up, straightening chairs, warming up a public ad¬ dresssystemwithMorningProMusica’selectronicnightingales;anon late18thcenturychambermusicby Telemann from the Paris Quartets flowsoverthegrass.Over300people willbebiddingonsite,withdozens moreonthetelephone.USMGallery DirectorJurisUbansglidesby,fol¬ lowedbyRobElowitchofBarridoff Galleries,whoisaskedaboutthefire at his Carroll Street home on the WestEndsooftenbygroupsofpeo¬ plehemightaswellwearaT-shirt
LaurensattheNationalBeauxArts School.AstheVoseGalleriesbro¬ chure acknowledged, “For [many yearsinsuccession]hispaintings submitted to the Paris Salon were ‘hungontheline’(thatis,ateyelev¬ proclaiming,“Itwasanelectricalfire. No, we were there. Thank-you.” He doesalowpassandsays,“Thepas¬ telsareprettynice.”(Aboutthese same hard-crayon pastels, in 1908 criticPhilipHalewroteintheNew
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YorkTimes,“Mr.Griffin’slittlepas¬ telsofwhichIwrotelastweekhave attractedagreatdealofattention amongtheartists,and1canonlyadd to my remarks by advising everyone tocomeearlyandavoidtherush.
“These little things, done, one wouldguess,withhardcrayonsona brownpaper,areprettilymadeand technicallysound.Thecompositions forthemostpartareengagingand the handling very free and sugges¬ tive.Theartistseemstofeelhisway atthepointofthecrayonhere,there andyonderoverthepaperuntiloutof thesehundredsoflightlytraced,sug¬ gestivelinescomessomethingofthe brilliant,confused,vibratingcharmof natureinsunlight.Altogether,these pastelsmakeanexhibitionexception¬ alanddifferentfromtherest.”)
Others come by and continue with the trendy understatement. One gent, obviously a dealer, roughly sloughs his hands over a large oil donein1893thatincludeslargetrees bright as luna moths and some nymphs dancing at the base of the trees.Itisamagicalpainting.
Morning Pro Musica whispers, “Makethatpledge.We'regoingback to‘classicalmorning’here,somake thatpledge.Ifyou'renotgoingtodo it, who will? We have a new fresh operator,so...”
Another dealer approaches the largestoftheoilsforauction,asoftly evocativepaintingoftheartistFran¬ coisMillet’shouseinthecountryby Griffin,hisfriend,andonethathas adorned the living room at 1246 Westbrook Street for many years. Thehouseiswhitewattleandclay; thetreefloatslikeacloudtotheleft. DuringGriffin’slifetimeitbecame universalartist-speaktoalludeto “Griffintrees.”Hewasaninternation¬ alcelebrity,onanybody’slistofthe topfivepaintersintheUnitedStates. Butnowhehastoimpressthisdeal¬ er in the blue and white pinpoint Oxford shirt who swoops down on it likeacrowdivingforapieceofbread and thumps it with his knuckles. Then he sloughs it contemptuously withhishand.
Why are these people allowed to handlethesepaintingslikethis?
Theblueandwhite-stripeddealer says,“Allofthesehavebeeninthe market.I'veseenalloftheseinNew York.There’sanoldSmileyforsale hereonthebackofthesethatI’ve seengoupatChristie’satleasttwo times.”Helooksatthepaintingof theMillethouseandfeelsitssurface again.“Thishasbeenrelined.This hasbeenre-worked.Thisisaprob¬ lem.Youdon’trelinethesefornoth¬ ing.Youknowit’sbesttostripline themifthey’recrackingattheedges. There’s a sense of the whole thing beingwashed.Thisthing’ssalted.”
Aelookstotheleft,at 9 J g the luna-green tree painting,dated1893.
g “At least you know W * this one’s in origi¬ nal condition.” There is certainly some modest paint loss, but not enoughtodestroyitsverdantlyri-
MAINECELLULAR
Story&Photos
BvKevinLeDuc *
ainter,sculptor,andjew¬ elrydesigner PhilKaelin fellinlovewith Abby Huntoon’s work even before he met Abby. “1 wasbothexhibitingandworkingat theFrickGalleryinBelfast,whereI installedhersculpturesfordifferent showsinthegalleryoverathreeContinuedonpage28
LOVE PRESS is pleased to announce the publication of
yearperiod.Imetalotofartistsfrom Portland then. Abby and 1 would havelunchonceinawhilebecause ofthat.”Butthencoincidenceinter¬ vened again when Phil wound up with an extended carpentry assign¬ ment that took him to the house where Abby lived. He shakes his head and smiles the smile of some-
“WhileIwasattheUniversityofHart¬ fordArtSchool,AbbywasatTrinity at the same time, though we never met!” he marvels. He’s an accom¬ plishedsailor,skier,andlovesto rollerbladewithAbby“onthewest¬ ern Prom and Cape Elizabeth, or wherever there is good pavement.” During the quiet hours, he loves SteinbeckandisrereadingCar¬ los Casteneda. He works at home.
“Soyouwerearoundherforthree years,”heisasked.“Whendidthat spark come, when it became roman¬ tic?”
“I always liked her, but when we firstmetwewereseeingotherpeo¬ ple. There was that wall. But two yearsago,afteranotherofheropen¬ ingsattheFrick,1wroteheraletter andsortofputitallontheline.”
Philmakescastbronzeandsilver jewelryinlimitededitionsof20.The jewelryisanoutgrowthofhisnormal work, which is painting and sculp¬ ture.“Inanutshell,myworkisnot representational,butit’sverymuch derivedfromnature,and1liketo keep natural laws intact to give believability.”Hispaintingsarein bright,strongshapesandcolors,and hissculptureismadefromavariety ofmaterials,includingwood,ceramic polyesterresin,and,“whenthebud¬ getallows,bronze.”Hejustfinished hisfirstPercent-For-Artcommission fortheBelfastMiddleSchool,asixfootbronzeandgranitepiececalled “Movetogether-ItaiDoshin,”Japan¬ ese for “many minds, one mind,” wherefivediscretepartsinteract.A Buddhist,Phil,42,worksathome; he’slivedinMainefor13years.And thisnewlywedseemsawfullyhappy.
ORN AND RAISED in Providence, Rhode Island, sculptor Abby Huntoon ar¬ rived in Maine in thesummerof1985tovisita cousinandhadsuchablastshe never left. Now newly wed to PhilKaelin,shehasmanycom¬ missions this year, with her sculpturecareermakingrealsteps upandbringinghertruehappiness, “always growing and expanding, ev¬ eniftherearestilltimesmywork doesn’tgetacceptedwithintheart world. The most important thing of allistobeatpeacewithyourself”.To accomplishthis,sheenjoystakinga break with her husband and whisk¬ ingoffonshortsailingtripsaboard their22-footsloop, Anoatok, anEski¬ mowordmeaningfairwinds.
Nineteeneighty-fivewasalsothe year she earned her master of fine arts degree from Boston University and began her sculpting career. Huntoon says she has always been “veryvisual,”andasachildshewas always “creating and fashioning thingsoutofcardboard.”Inschool she had a passion for geometry, working with planes and angles while,shelaughs,“barelysurviving English.”Atonepointinhereduca¬ tion,sheplayedaroundwiththeidea of becoming an architect, but con¬ fesses,“Iamreallyglad1didn’t, becausenowIcanbuildanythingI want.”
rateHuntoonfromhercolleagues.In themidstofthisspaceisaseven-foot wooden table cluttered with unfin¬ ishedprojects,asink,acounterwith aviewlesswindow,andastool.She and her co-op partners also rent spacetootherpottersandsculptors and conduct classes attended by bothchildrenandadults.“Igotinter¬ estedinsculptingbuildingsbecauseI liketheangles,theform,Ilikehow linesandplanesmeetandthespace they can create. Straight lines or angles alone can be very formal, whereasabuildingcanhavealotof personality.”Herpresentmediumis clay, though she plans to explore other materials, including granite sculptedfreehand.
Abby is a morning person. Often her best work is done in the early morning.Shedoesn’tliketelevision, loveschocolate,hateslicorice,and prefersworkthatis“factual,”witha politicaland/orsocialview.Andshe
lovesPhil.“WhenIgothisletter,1 calledhim,”shecharacteristically understates. “I felt it deserved a response.”Hersculpturesare“ves¬ selsthatholdlivingthings,likepeo¬ ple, who hold living emotions.” In austereandfunkywaystheycolorful¬ ly reflect Abby’s personality and
"Time in a Bottle,” glazed earthenware, 199-1. 7.5” x 7.5”x 29.5" by Abby Huntoon.
HAMILTON SAFE D
Newport Jazz Festival Oct. 14
DonGiovanni,Oct.21
IsraelChamberOrchestra,Oct.25
Red Grammer, Oct. 29
TheMikado,Nov.2
EduardosHalim,Nov.6
PinchasZukerman/MorcNiekrug,Nov.18
Anonymous 4, Dec. 10
ChristopherO'Riley,Jan.15
Jean-PierreRampal,Jan.27
Evita,Feb.3
TheBarberofSeville,Feb.9
Gulliver'sTravels,Feb.11
MichaelMoschen,Feb.17
DaytonContemporaryDanceCo.,Mar.18
Landis8Co.GreatVaudevilleMagicShow,Mar.19
GrantJohannesen,Mar.26
CanadianBrass,Apr.6
theirown.Presentlysheisworking on a commissioned piece titled “Maine Street around the World,” whichwillbeplacedinthenewWil¬ son Street Elementary School. Nine feetlong,thefinishedsculpturewill representarchitecturalMainStreet scenes from a Japanese Temple to African Huts to New York skyscrap¬ ersthatwillallbecementedtothe schoolfrontlobbywall.
Daughter of the famed artist-couple William andMargueriteZorach, DahlovIpcar, famous forthevibrantanimals thatleapacrosshercanvasses,was “disciplined in painting people. When Abstract Impressionism cameinIdidn’twanttogowiththe trend.IfeltoutofplacetheninNew York.Ihadgalleriesthatwouldshow mywork,butIdidn’tfeelgoodabout it. In 1939 1 (decided to stay) in Maine, found 60 secluded acres of land in Georgetown, and did my own thing,raisingtwosons,horses,and livingontheland.”Itwasherethat shediscoveredthatshe“reallyliked topaintanimals,especiallyexotic ones.”
Early5a.m.wakeupcallstomilkthe cowshavelongsincepassed.Today, shebeginsheractat6o’clock.Her studio’slargesunwindowfillsher unfinishedcanvasseswithabeautifub softeasterlylight.Amorningperson, Ipcardoesn'tliketopaintbyartifi¬ ciallight,“althoughyoucouldpaint inthedark-Idon’tthinkthecolors change very much, but I don’t feel verycomfortableaboutit.Intheear¬ ly morning you get beautiful shad¬ ows.”Trainedinoils,she,likemany artists, at first experienced some “problems” with the paints’color becoming muddy. But years ago, her father,WilliamZorach,toldherto “treatoilslikeyoutreatwatercolors.” Afterthat,Ipcarneverhadanytrou¬ bles.Bydilutingthepaints,shecan achievesubtlyrichhuesalmostlike watercolor. “Sometimes 1 put thick layersonandstretchoutthecolors soitlookslikethecanvasisalmost comingthrough.”DahlovIpcaris76 this year. ■
And then a man and his wife ap¬ proach, obviously not dealers but familiarenoughwitharttoecho“I don’t mind this.” He works up enough nerve to slap up the luna Griffintrees.Thewomanbesidehim beamsathisexpertise.
ForsomereasonIloseallthat’sleft ofmyjournalist’sdistance,andmy eyesmoisten.Iguessit’scrazytofeel asenseoflossforsomeoneI’venev¬ ermet,butit’shardtoseeGriffindis¬ appearinginto“thatmutualcloud, where things are always and never thesame."
Including buyers’ premiums, the luna-moth tree painting goes for $6,600.ThepaintingofMillet’shouse goesfor$12,100.Onebeautifuloilof Norwaypinesgoesforjust$880.Grif¬ fin’sfirescreen,admittedlyabeauty, fetches more than some of the sketches.Afascinatingseven-piece setofhand-carvedFrenchVictorian furniture featuring woodland ani¬ malspeeringoutofthecarvingindif¬ ferentpositions,whichGriffinpur¬ chasedtofurnishhisParisstudio, goesfor$6,710.Alovelyoiloncan-
vasofsheepatagardengate,inhigh Impressioniststyle,goesfor$2,200; Griffin’sselfportrait,doneintheear¬ lyParisyears,goesfor$1,650;a1911 Norwayoilonboardofpinetreesfor $1,485;a1914gold“jewel”paintingof French fishing boats done in the heavyimpastoperiodfor$4,400.In
$175,000,butthejoyintermingles withsadness:
There will never be a uniquely undisturbed American Impression¬ ist'son-sitestudioauctionlikethis again,whereyouwillbeabletogeta signedoilofthehighestqualityfor under$1,000.AndlittleStroudwater, prizedbypaintersinthe19thand early20thcenturyforitsImpression¬ istlilypadsandhanginggardensbut oddly left out of modern photogra¬ phy books, will settle back into obscurity.
Whoisatthisauction?EarleShettleworth from the Maine Historic PreservationCommission,ishere.So is a man buying for the Portland Museum of Art, who is delighted to buyGriffin’sself-portrait.
BehindmesitsoneAlanWats,who is excited about all the Chinese objectsofAlnahJohnston.
“IamtheformerProvostMarshall ofShanghai,"hesays.“1acceptedthe surrenderoftheJapaneseinShang¬ hai, from Admiral Manama. He was nocloserawaythanthathighboy.I havehissword.”
Didn't it make you feel funny to learn that his weapon was made in your hometown?
“Yes,”hesays.
Iguessthey’restilldoingthatnow. What happened to his sword?
“Ikeptthesword,drankthescotch. There were nine million people in Shanghai’scelebration,whichcoin¬ cided with Double-10 day. I met Madame Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Chennault. Did you know MadameChiangKai-shekisstillalive andvisitsfriendsintheU.S.each year?”
Theauctionrocketsintothepast likeafreighttrain.Anoldterracotta planterwithtwoopposingfaceshas justbeendiscoveredtohaveaWal¬ terGriffinsignature.(Itprobably dates to Boston, circa 1881, when Griffinworkedforatimeataterra¬ cottafactoryandslavedformonths onafull-sizedstatueofSt.Joseph, onlytohavethestatuedestroyedby akilnmalfunction,withonlytheface moldintact.CouldthisbeSt.Jos¬ eph’sface?
Ateenageboybesideustugsathis father’sarm.“ThisWalterGriffin,is he famous?”
Thefatherthinksaminute.Port¬ land, Boston, New York, Monhegan, Old Lyme, Paris, Norway, Boigneville,Venice(the‘jewelpaintings,’ done in heavy impasto), Stroudwa¬ ter,Gray,Griffin’slastdaysinan apartmentatthetopoftheEastland Hotel,somethingofthebrilliant,con¬ fused, vibrating nature of leaving behind a world you love, the last transomssailingtotheOrient... Behind him, liquid light filters throughthestudiowindows.
“He is today.” I
Wallace Nutting table. sofa-part of the " piece parlor set Griffin purchased in Paris, cloisonne lamp and carved table Alnah Johnston purchased tn China Also, jewelled' impasto.
Walter Griffin (left) behind his Stroudwater studio painting hisfriend,sculptorPaulBartlett
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Charles Herbert Woodbury was borninLynn,Massachusettsin1864. Athisdeathin1940,hisreputationas oneofthefinestartistsandteachers ofhiserawassecure.Hehadfound¬ edanartschoolthatranfornearly fourdecades,andhadwrittenthree art education books. He had given overonehundredsoloexhibitions,
and his works were represented in numerous museum collections, includingtheArtInstituteofChicago, theCorcoranGalleryinWashington, D.C., the Detroit Museum, New York’sMetropolitanMuseumofArt, the Museum of San Francisco, and the MIT Museum. (In Maine his worksarefoundinthecollectionsof
theColbyCollegeMuseumofArt,the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, thePortlandMuseumofArt,andthe Farnsworth Art Museum).
InspiteofWoodbury’ssuccesses, the years between 1940 and 1988 werenotkindtohismemory-an“art world” occurrence that would not havesurprisedthepractical,no-non¬ senseYankeeartist.Itwouldsurely have delighted him, however, that nearlyfiftyyearsafterhisdeathcol¬ lectors of American art have once again “discovered” Charles Wood¬ bury,NationalAcademy,andthathis re-emergenceislargelytheresultofa 1988retrospectiveheldathisalma mater, MIT. The man who thought $2,000afairpriceforoneofhisbest paintings would have been even moreastonishedtolearnthatrecent¬ lyhisoil“VictoryParade,”soldin New York City for approximately $80,000. And that one of his much sought-after“beachscene”paintings isnowreportedlybeingofferedfor $150,000.Sostrong,infact,isthe renewedinterestinhiswork,thata non-profit “Woodbury Society” has recentlybeenformedinOgunquitby anavidWoodburycollector.
As a young child Woodbury taught himselftodrawandthroughouthis lifedrawingremainedamajorpreoc¬ cupation.Hefilledcountlesssketch¬ bookswiththousandsofpenciland crayon sketches. A consummate draftsmanwholovedtheactofdraw¬ ing,hissketchesportrayavarietyof subjects,fromlandscapesanddogs, tofiguresineveryimaginablepose, anddramaticseascapes.Thesketch¬ esreflecthisstrongpowersofobser¬ vation,hisabilitytocapturethe essenceofasubjectwithaminimum oflines,andhisgeniusincreatinga forcefulsenseofmovement.Manyof these wonderful drawings have sur¬ vived,thepencilcrayon,andchar¬ coalpiecesnormallyfetchingaround $500.
Woodbury’sfirstpaintingefforts beganinhighschool.Whilestilla teenager he won an award from the Boston Art Club, presented to the young man by the famous Prout’s Neck artist Winslow Homer. Al¬ though Woodbury wanted nothing morethantobecomeaprofessional artist,hisfatherencouragedanengi-
neeringcareer.Charlesobligingly enteredtheMassachusettsInstitute ofTechnologyin1882.Despitethe demand of his school work, Wood¬ burycontinuedtopaintandtosell hisartwork.Byhissecondyearat MIT,thesaleofhispaintingsenabled himtopayallschoolcosts,andto supplement the family’s income. Before graduation, Woodbury was invitedtojointheBostonArtClub, and one of his painings was pur¬ chasedbythatorganization.In1887, hehadhisfirstsoloexhibitionin Boston,sellingallthirtycanvases fromthatshow.
While at MIT, Woodbury beganasuccessfulcareer asanartteacher,andmet his future wife, Marcia Oakes, when she came to studywithhiminBoston.Aftergrad¬ uation, he established a summer schoolinOgunquit,Maine,in1898.
The Woodbury School attracted nearly one hundred students each summer;andexceptforafiveyear periodbeginningin1918,theschool ran every summer until his death. Woodbury was a demanding teacher who inspired great devotion and admiration from his students. His daughter-in-law,Mrs.David0.(India) Woodbury attended some of his Ogunquitclasses.Shesaid,“Ifstu¬ dentscametohimtolearntopaint, hesaidwhatneededtobesaid.He calledaspadeaspade,whetherit hurtornot.Buthewasfairtothem, andnotatallmean,andtheyrepectedhimforit.”
Woodbury’s first etchings were donein1882,buthedidfewworksin that medium between 1891-1914. More than one hundred and thirty Woodbury etchings have been iden¬ tified,manysignedineditionsofone hundredoronehundredandfifty.A completesetoftheseetchings(and theplates)canbeseeninthePrint Collection of the Boston Public Library. A decade ago, Woodbury etchingscouldbehadfor$25-$30. Today,theybring$350andup.Until hislastyears,Woodburyprintedhis ownwork,markinghisinitials,CHW, ontheplate.Healsosignedtheetch¬ ingsinpencilbelowtheimage.In additiontoetchingsandoils,Wood¬ bury designed posters. In 1918 he
createdseverallarge(8’x6’)Liberty Bond posters for the U.S. Govern¬ ment. He also produced many com¬ missionedlithographsandillustra¬ tionsforbooksandmagazines.
Woodbury first tried his hand at watercolorin1885.Itbecameamedi¬ um he used throughout his long career.Heworkedinatraditional manner,withlightpenciloutlines andbrushed-inwashesofcolor.Dur¬ ingthelastdecadeofhislife,hefre¬ quently drew crayon on top of his watercolors to emphasize certain aspects of the compositions. His watercolors run the gamut of themes,fromscenespaintedonhis
Europeantrips,tothemountainsof New Hampshire and the coast and beachesaroundOgunquit.Beginning in1901withhisfirsttriptoJamaica, healsocreatedland-and-seascapes oftheWestIndies.Woodburywater¬ colorsaremorerarethanhisoils, and depending on the subject and qualitycansellforthousandsofdol¬ lars.Watercolors(aswellasoils)are usuallysignedwithhisfullnameat thebottomofthecompositions.His distinctivesignatureischaracterized by a stiff, downward brushstroke, each letter done in such a manner
Woodbury’s dramatic 1894 oil, “Mid-Ocean,”wasaresultofoneof his many voyages to Holland. It earnedhimaninternationalreputa¬ tion as one of America’s finest “marinepainters,”atitleheproudly accepted. Although Woodbury did manylandscapes,mountainstudies, andfigurativepieces,thepaintings andetchingsofthesearemainhis most popular work. The marine com¬ positions are admired because they conveyinaveryrealsensetheun¬ controllable,primordialforcepre¬ sentineachsuccessivewave.Mrs.
India Woodbury believes that the artist’s training as an engineer enabled him to understand and depictthemovementoftheoceanin a manner unattainable by other marine painters. As she says, “He understoodtheunderlyingforcethat drovethewaves.”Yorkartteacher Deidre O’Flaherty, in her masters thesis on Woodbury, quotes him as saying,“It’swhat’shappeninginthe waterthatmatters,nothowitlooks.”
"Beach Scene, n oil on canvas, which sold for $6,820, including buyer's premium, attheAugust3auctionatBarridoffGalleries,Portland.
clear what he meant when he admon¬ ishedstudentsto“paintinverbs,not innouns.”Aboveallotheraspects, dramatic,forcefulmovementcharac¬ terizesallofWoodbury’sart.Mrs. Woodbury says, “I’ve been shown fake Woodburys before, and you can tellimmediately.Thereisnomove¬ ment. They are static. There is always a sense of motion in Wood¬ bury’sworks.Heoftensaid,‘Don’t justpaintit,paintit doing some-
thing.'” This emphasis on movement isfoundinthetrees,grass,flowers, clouds,andfiguresinallhispaintings andetchings.Intheoilsandwater¬ colorsitisproducedthroughquick but sure-handed brushstrokes that convey his mastery of the mediums
andhisabilitysuccinctlyto“say” what he wanted. (The same econom¬ ical and spontaneous strokes are alsofoundinthelinesofhisetchings and drawings.) His son David wrote thathisfathertoldstudents,“Paint asifyouhadbeensentfor.It’snot difficulttopaintfast.Simplyputyour lastcoatofpaintonfirst.”Thisdisci¬ pline to see and to quickly record those observations was fundamental to Woodbury’s teaching, and to his art.
$175 plus 10% buyer's premium at Collins Gallery. May 1994
Woodbury seascape. Ogunquit Museum of Art, circa 1930.
PORTLAND IHI CRAFT SHOW Mi
GALLERIES PortlandMuseumofArt, 7 Congress Square, Portland. The first Rodin exhibitionevertobepresentedinMaine willfeatureapproximatelysixtybronze sculpturesdrawnlargelyfromtheIris andB.GeraldCantorCollection,the mostextensiveprivatecollectionof Rodin’sworkintheworld.Withinthe exhibitwillbeadisplayoftheten plasterstagesinvolvedinthe“lostwax method”ofcastingbronze,aswellas supplementary documentary and photographicmaterial(throughOctober 9). Through November 20 is an exhibitionofthePortlandMuseumof Art’sextensivecollectionofworksby Peggy Bacon. Bacon was a printmaker whoworkedprimarilyindrypoint.She isespeciallyknownforherincisiveyet warmly humorous caricatures of individualsandgroups.Inthedrypoint “AestheticPleasure(1936),"Baconge the tourists, culture seekers, and amateurcopyistssheobservedduringa triptothePittiPalaceinFlorence,Italy. Bornin1895toartistparents,BAcon studiedattheArtStudentsLeagueiNew YorkCityundersuchnotableartist¬ teachersasJohnSloan,KennethHayes Miller,andGeorgeBellows.Inaddition to her printmaking, Bacon drew car¬ toonsforsuchpublicationsas The New Yorker and The Masses. Shefirstvisited Mainein1938,andthereaftersummered eitherinOgunquitorWellfleet,onCape Cod. She moved to Cape Porpoise, Maine,in1961,wheresheliveduntilher death in 1987.Other summer exhibits haveaMaineorNewEnglandtheme:the thirteencareer-spanningworksinthe Museum’s annual Winslow Homer watercolors exhibit will be on view throughSeptember4;twelvebichrom¬ ategumphotographstakeninthe1920s by Dr. Alfred Brinkler demonstrate thePortlandorganist'sinterestinNew Englandlandscapesandecclesiastical architecture (through September 4); morethanfortypaintingsandsculp¬ tures by 20th-century Maine artists William and Marguerite Zorach, who worked both in tandem and inde¬ pendently,willbeonexhibitthrough September25.Thereisanicenewcafe onthegroundlevel,neartheexhibitof PortlandGlass.Forinformationabout hoursandadmission,call773-ARTSor (800)639-4067.
Ogunquit Museum of American Art, ShoreRoad.“TheArtofPattFranklin"is “anartofdiscovery,”asexemplifiedin approximatelytwenty-fiveworksina varietyofmediumsfromthepasttwenty yearsofhercareer(onviewthrough September 30). At the same time, approximatelytwentyfree-standingand wall-mountedpiecesbywoodsculptor
■ LISTINGS ■
BernardLanglais,anativeofOldTown, willbeondisplay.TheMuseumisopen 10:30-5 Monday-Saturday and 2-5 on Sundays.Admissionis$3foradultsand $2forseniors;membersandchildren under12arefree.646-4909.
FarnsworthArtMuseum, 19ElmStreet, Rockland,willinauguratetheirnewly openedNevelson-BerliawskyGalleryfor 20th-centuryartwithanexhibitionof fortypaintings,drawings,prints,and sculpturesspanningthelongcareerof Rockland artist Louise Nevelson, includingseveralearlypaintingswhich haveneverbeforebeenpubliclyshown (throughOctober30).Alsoopentothe publicisthecarefullyrestoredOlson House in Cushing. This c.1800 farm¬ house and its inhabitants were the subject of many Andrew Wyeth paint¬ ings,reproductionsofwhicharehung throughout the house in the rooms where they were created: a dozen originalWyethsarealsoondisplayat the Museum itself in Rockland. For furtherinformation,call596-6457.
MaineHistoricalSociety, 485Congress Street, Portland. The exhibition “A GoodlyVessel:ShipsandShipbuilding onCascoBay”displaysawidevarietyof marine artifacts, including models, nauticalinstruments,paintings,photo¬ graphs,andoriginalmanuscriptmater¬ ialsrelatingtoshipbuildersandtheir craft(throughOctober31);andthemulti¬ media “Take Me Out to the Ballgame" exhibitcelebratesMaine’scontribution tothegameofbaseballfromthe1860s uptothearrivalofthePortlandSea Dogsviavintageuniforms,bats,balls, andgloves;baseballcards;photographs andposters;andvideotapedinterviews withMainebaseballfigures(through November 5). Two doors down at 489 Congress Street, the WadsworthLongfellow House, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow'schildhoodhome,isopen10 a.m.^1p.m.Tuesday-Sundayforits93rd season of guided tours. The $4 admission charge (children under 12 andMHSmembersarefree)includesa guided tour of the house, a film on Longfellow’scareer,andentrancetothe exhibitsattheMaineHistoryGallery. Forfurtherinformation,call774-1822or 879-0427.
DanforthGallery, 34DanforthStreet, Portland. From October 6-16, the DanforthGallerywillhostanational photographyexhibitionjuriedbyDuane Michals, entitled “Photographs in Sequence,” where over 100 photo¬ graphers nationwide have submitted slides,withaboutadozenselectedto show their sequences. Duane will be presentattheopeningonOctober6,
FalmouthOPENSPACEatthe OfficePark?
Itdoesn’thappenoften,sodon’tmissthisopportunityto relocate your company to one of the most successful suburbanofficeparks.
Duetonewcorporateheadquartersofoneofourmajor tenants,spacehasrecentlybecomeavailableinoneof themostaccessibleandvisibleparksinGreaterPortland. We can accommodate tenants of 2,000 - 20,000 square feetatverycompetitiverates.
BelfastMaskers. Through October, insideaconvertedrailroadfreightbarn withpaddedchurchpewsforseats,the versatileBelfastMaskerswillalsobe performing,throughOctober,aseriesof internationalpublicdinnerparties,each one named after a different play or musical and featuring home-cooked cuisinefromthecountryinwhichthe showtakesplace.Withtitlesranging from “Zorba the Greek" to “Miss Saigon,”thevarietyofflavorsshouldbe enor-mous,andsincethedinnersarea fund-raiserforanon-profitorganization, $20ofthe$25costperpersonistax-de¬ ductible.Call338-5297between10a.m. and1p.m.forabrochure.
LakewoodTheater. FiftyfeetfromLake Wesserunsettandagroveofwhitebirch trees is one of the oldest summer theaters in the country. Performing throughSeptember17thisyear,they willbefeaturing“TheOddCouple”by Neil Simon. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday. Tickets are $15 for musicalsand$13fordramas,with$1off for matinees and for children. Box office:474-7176.
PortlandStageCo., PortlandPerforming ArtsCenter,27ForestAvenue,Portland. Artistic director Greg Learning has announced the 1994-1995 season. The openingofferingis“TheIllusion,”a17th century French comedy by Pierre Coreille,oneofthegreatestplaywrights oftheFrenchclassicstage,adaptedby Tony Award-winning playwright Tony KushneranddirectedbyLearning.Here, arepententfatherseekstheassistance ofapowerfulmagicianinlocatinghis long-lost son. The father is shown visionsthatrevealmoreabouthisson thanheeverexpectedtofind.Thisplay opens October 27 and runs through November19.Fortheholidayswe’llbe treated to “Avner the Eccentric,” starringtheinternationallyacclaimed performer Avner Eisenberg, a Maine resident who is well known for his portrayaloftheJewelin“TheJewelof the Nile,” co-starring with Michael DouglasandKathleenTurner.Theoneman show opens December 1 and runs throughDecember23.Thirdis“Sight Unseen,” by Donald Margulies. A powerfuldramawithacrisp,satirical edge,thisplaytellsthestoryofJon¬ athanWaxman,aworld-renownedartist whorevisitshispastandfindsthathe mayhavepromisedbothhisartandhis
/N PORTLAND DECIDED AFTER considerable. DEBATE TO CALC the: new state aaainE INSTEAD OF THE ALTERNATIVE Choice: colu/abos.
U?HE belt LINE TROLLEY AR ELECTRIC-POWERED public TRANSPORTATION STSTE/A IN THE CITY OT PORTLAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS CENTURY. YOU COULD CIRCUMNAVIGATE the city, a nine-sailE Ride, for A DIME. IT VWS DISCON¬ TINUED IN IR3T
CHOOE 15 TRADITICH closed FROM. MID-ST TEMBER UNTIL EAP.U OCTOBER IN AROOEl COUNTY for the «. HARVEST ^hTh£ MAINE COASTL I fi 3Q7B MILES long, if were stretched out I WOULD REACH FROM I TO WEST ACROSS Trf UNITED STATES.
Baxter Gallery of Contemporary Art since 1882 97SpringStreet Portland,Maine04101 207.775.3052
■ LISTINGS"
soulinhisclimbtofameandfortune.It runsfromJanuary12throughFebruary 4. “Intimate Exchanges,” a comedy, follows,byAlanAyckbourn.Theaction takes place in and around a co¬ educationalprepschool.Theplayopens onMarch23andrunsthroughApril15. After this is George Bernard Shaw’s “Mrs.Warren’sProfession,"ascathing attack on modern society which pits motheranddaughterinabattleofwills. Fascinatingcharactersinteractinan engagingdramaaboutfamily,feminism, andhypocrisy.TheopeningisonApril 27,andtheplaywillrunthroughMay20. Also, in February, the theater will presentthepremiereof anewAmerican play,tobeannounced.Thenewplaywill runfromFebruary16throughMarch11. Forinformation,calltheboxofficeat (207)774-0465.
Comedy Connections. AttheBaker’s TablerestaurantinPortlandyoucan have your comedy and eat cake too, along with other fresh baked goods, seafood,andfishchowder.Inthe130seatcabarettheateradjacenttothe diningroom,differentcomediansstand up Thursday through Sunday nights everyweek.Recentperformersinclude Jimmie Tingle, Mike McDonald, and Jonathan Katz, and the 16-year-old BostonclubwaswhereJayLeno,Steven Wright,andPaulaPoundstonestarted out. Dinner and show combined costs $22.95;showaloneis$7.50.Thursday andSundayshowsareat8:45,Friday showsareat9,andSaturdayshowsare at8:30and10:15.Comefordinneran hourandahalfbeforetheshowstarts, andcallearlyforreservations:774-5554.
ReindeerTheatreCompany. Sowhat’s newaroundPortland?RTC(pronounced “artsy") only came into being this January,butalreadytheyhaveseveral shows planned. “Among My Souvenirs” willbeRTC’ssalutetoConnieFrancis (September23-25).Performanceswillbe heldattheWarrenMemorialLibraryin Westbrook at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Ticketsare$10.Forfurtherinformation, call874-9002.
Sanford MaineStage Company, Inc. Accordingtotheirfriendlyanswering machine, the Pine Tree Players of Springvale have a busy season, com¬ pletewithofferingsonthedarkerside. "MurderattheVicarage”willbeper¬ formedSeptember15-17,22-24,and2930andOctober1,because“MurderIs Fun” on October 21-22 and 28-30. Eveningshowsareat8p.m.,andSunday matineesareat2p.m.Ticketsare$8for adultsand$5forseniorsandchildren under12.Forreservationscall324-9691.
Art books are just one of our specialties at PORT IN A STORM BOOKSTORE, and we’re very pleased about abeautifulnewtitlebyart historian John Wilmerding, which has been published this summer by Princeton UniversityPress.It’scalled The Artist’s Mount Desert, and it is the definitive work on the subject
Phone or write us for copies of the book, signed by John Wilmerding. The price is $49.50 per copy, plustaxandshipping. MAINST,RT102INSOMESVILLE TELEPHONE-MT.DESERT.ME04660 207244-4114 TOLLFREE-800694-4114
Warehouse Setting Factory Prices
60 years of Family Service
250 Read St. Portland 878-5202
Mon-Fri9-6;Sat9-5;Sun12-4
THE ILLUSSION by Pierre Cornielle adapted by Tony Kushner Oct. 23-Nov. 19
RUNER the ECCENTRIC
starring Avner Eisenberg Nov. 27-Dec. 23
SIGHT UNSEEN by Donald Margulies Jan. 8-Feb.4
CHURCH of the SOLE SURUIUOR by Keith Curran Feb. 12-Mar. 11
INTIMATE EHCHRNGES by Alan Ayckbourn Mar. 19-Apr. 15
MRS. WRRRENS PROFESSION by George Bernard Shaw Apr. 23-May 20
Box Office 774-0465
25A Forest Ave. Portland
■ LISTINGS!
Theater At Monmouth, CumstonHall, Main Street, Monmouth. Magic and mayem will reign on the stage of Cumston Hall on September 24 in a benefitperformancefortheTheaterAt Monmouth. “Magic & Mayhem” is a dynamic duo made up of professional illusionistBruceMcKenzieJohnsonand Stand-upJugglerMichaelMiclon,who bringover30yearsofshowbusiness experiencetothisoff-the-wallproduc¬ tion.BothhaveperformedattheBob HopeUSOClubandTheNewVaudeville Cabaret.Ticketsare$10.Forinfor¬ mation,call(207)933-9999.
ThePublicTheatre, Lewiston-Auburnss professionaltheatercompany,beginsits season with Neil Simon's “Broadway Bound," about the playwright’s ad¬ venturesasayoungcomedywritereak inshowbusiness.Theplayrunsfrom September 23 through October 9. On November 18 and 19 there will be a worldpremiereof“FestivalofLight,”an excitingperformancepiecedeveloped and performed by Figures of Speech. Thisplaytellsthestoryoftwoangels’ quest to become parents. For more information,call(207)782-2211.
MUSIC
Portland Symphony Orchestra, 30 MyrtleStreet,Portland.OnTuesday, October 4, world-renowned pianist Stephen Hough will perform Rach¬ maninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Portland Symphony Orchestraat7:30p.m.atPortlandCity HallAuditorium.Theorchestrawillalso givetheworldpremiereperformanceof ElliottSchwartz’Equinox:Concertofor Orchestra,andperformRespighi’sThe PinesofRome.Afreeconcertpreview willprecedetheconcertat6:30p.m. Ticketsare$10,$20,$25,$30,and$35. OnSaturday,October15,comeandhear Puttin’ On the Ritz, a four-member vocal/danceensemble,whowilljointhe PortlandSymphonyOrchestrafor“The MusicofIrvingBerlin"at7:30p.m.at PortlandCityHallAuditorium.High¬ lightsinclude“Steppin’OutWithMy Baby,"“CheektoCheek,"“Alex-ander’s RagtimeBand,”and“Always.”Tickets are$10,$20,$25,$30,and$35.Formore information,call(207)773-8191.
MUS E U M S
Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Wash¬ ingtonStreet,Bath.OnSaturday,Oc¬ tober22,MaineMaritimeMuseumwill holdaday-longsymposiumonthelife andworkofL.FrancisHerreshoff.Sonof famedcaptainNat,"theWizardofBris¬ tol,”L.Francisisconsideredageniusin hisownright.Speakersin-cludeRoger Taylor, commissioned by Mystic Sea¬ porttowriteHerreshoff’sbiography.
ConnieGarciaspenthertwoweek vacation preparing herselfmentallyandphysi¬ callyforherreturntoher jobasofficemanagerofthe outpatientmentalhealthclinicof Casco Bay Hospital. While sun¬ bathinginFloridashereadthree books about office politics and dealingwithdifficultpeopleand bossesfromhell.Sheexercised religiously.Andonherfirstday backshedressedforconfidence andpowerasthebookssuggest¬ ed.Sheworeawhitelinenshirt¬ waist dress that accented her darktanandcompactfigure.Her thick black hair was cut in a fresh professional style that baredthenapeofherneck.As she marched through the glass doors of the hospital she saw thereflectionofayoungdoctor turntowatchherpass.Shewas ready, but why did it have to be thishard?Sheenteredherdepart¬ ment, crossed the waiting room, and put her hand on the door to theinneroffice.
“Connie," Dr. Pauline Rodgers said behind her, “you left us in quiteamess.”
Thereitis,Conniethought,the curse. She turned to face Dr. Rodgers, but Dr. Rodgers just bumped her with a thick hip and pushed by her through the door into the inner office and said, “Therearememosonyourdesk.”
Conniewentintoherofficeand read the memos and they were what she expected. Neatly typed documents on hospital letterhead writteninstifflegalesewithrepeat¬ edreferencestolaxadherenceto proper procedures and Ms. Gar¬ cia’swillfulignoranceofrepeatedly
stated policies and how future unstatedactionsmustbetakento remedy the situation. Each memo had been copied and sent to the MedicalDirectorandtheChairman oftheBoardofTrustees.Connie’s heart moved side to side in her chestlikeitwastrappedinherand wanted out. She felt ashamed and scared.Thiswasthebestjobshe
hadeverhadandshewasgoodat it.Shehadworkedherwayupfrom fileclerktoofficemanagerandfor eight years every supervisor she hadtoldhershewasanexception¬ alemployee.UntilDr.Rodgerswho hatedherandwasgoingtofireher and where else would she go with onlyahighschooleducation?She was nothing compared to Dr. Rodgers.Whyhadn’tshelistened to her father? He was so adamant aboutcollegeandshelaughedhim offtolivethecrazylife.Nowhe wasdead.Shewasgoingtoendup an old waitress like her mother. She closed her office door and called her new landlord, Tony Eroz. She wasn’t sure why. They hadonlytalkedtwoorthreetimes the week she moved in. Then she went on vacation. But Tony lis¬ tened when she talked. And he
usedtobeacop.Heknewthings. Afterafewminutesonthephone Tonyloweredhisvoiceandsaidto herinhiscalmmidwestaccent,“I don’t think you know what she wants.Findoutandthengiveitto her.Buryherinit.Ihavetogo.”He hungup.
ConniehadThaishrimpsoupfor lunch at May’s Place downtown and when she returned there was another memo in her mailbox. Dr. Rodgersspentherlunchhourwrit¬ ingit.Inthefutureallofficeman¬ agerswouldhavevacationslimited to December and limited to one weekatatimebecausethepresent office manager has created such unacceptable chaos. What chaos? Three full-time thera¬ pists and six interns and the schedulingwasperfect.Shehad almost caught up with the paperwork in less than a day. The billing was only two days behind.
Connie went back into her officeandlockedthedoor.She satatherdeskandcoveredher faceinherhands.Shewascry¬ ing when someone lightly knocked at the door. She com¬ posedherselfandopenedit.Itwas Tony Eroz, paint stains splat¬ teredfromthetopofhisRedSox baseballcaptohiswhiteNikes.But he still looked clean somehow. Nicestrongarmscomingoutofhis T-shirt. And he had those deep blueeyeswithlaughlinesatthe edgesandthatslowsmile.
Shefrownedandsaid,“Whatdif¬ ferencedoesthatmake?”Theliltin hervoiceon“difference”wasMexi¬ can and Tony smiled with plea¬ sure.
■ FICTION ■
“I sure like your voice,” Tony said.“OnmyUncle’sranchinIda¬ ho one fall a young coyote came around.Smartlittleshit.Hehada tasteforbloodandstartedtearing uplambs.Killedoneofourdogs. OnedayItrackedthatkillerfor twenty miles and he beat me. My Uncle finally asked me what I askedyou.Courseit’seasierto know what a coyote wants. But givingalwaystakeseffort.1wasup atdawneverymorningforthirty daysandrodethreemilestolay out tallow for him. The hands thought I was crazy. Thought 1 shouldpoisonthecoyote.Butpoi¬ sonmight’vekilledourowndogs orworse.Ifedthecoyotetwohun¬ dred pounds of yellow dairy cow fat in a month. Then I went out withmyrifleoneeveningandhe appeared on a ridge above the sheep herd. Looked right at me. Stupid and fat and confused. 1 could’ve shot him, but 1 knew I didn’thaveto.Acoupleofnights laterhecamedownintotheherd andoneofthedogsgothim.”
“I’mnotcatchingthis,”Connie said.
“Course this probably doesn’t have anything to do with food,” Tonysaid.“Foodisjusttheobvi¬ ous thing. And there are some things a person can’t give, shouldn’t give. But anyone can inspireanappetite.Peoplewhogo around hurting other people are either holding back too much or givingintoomuch.Outofcontrol either way. Making someone hun¬ grymightworkaswellasfeeding them.You’llfigureitout.”Tony left.
That night Connie dreamed of a hotsummerduskinFresno,Cali¬ fornia.Ofafiestasheusedtogoto onthestreetsaroundSaintMary’s Cathedral. In the dream people calledherConsuela,notConnie. Her father was there and he smiled at her. She heard accor¬ dion music and brass horns and theairwasfullofsweetandsalty
CHARLES H. WOODBURY
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From this dream she knew what todo.Inthemorningintheinner officesheclearedaspacenearthe coffeemachineandlaidoutatray of warm baclava dripping with honey. She brought in Chinese foodforlunchandinvitedallthe therapistsandinterns.Dr.Rod¬ gers issued a memo banning such nonsense, but Connie persisted. The next day for lunch she brought in homemade shredded beefenchiladasandchickenfaji¬ tasandapotofredrice.
Lunch was Connie’s festival every day and everyone on the floorwaswelcometotasteit.She brought more than enough. Her hotlunchesfilledthedepartment with lingering aroma. Roasted chicken was especially redolent and brought in nurses from two floorsabove.Lasagnawasanother popularchoice.ConnieaskedDr. Rodgers daily if she was hungry and she answered sharply and never took a bite. Her memos grew increasingly strident and emotional. Many of her patients reactedtothesmellsandaroused bytheirmemoriesoffoodtoldDr. Rodgers elaborate stories about eatingandcooking.
ConnieorganizedFridaypot-luck dinnersattheChurchacrossthe street and invited everyone on staff.Anywherefromfiftytoeighty people showed up carrying in pots and casseroles. The medi¬ cal director was dragged in one evening by two interns and be¬ camearegular.Heespeciallyfav¬ ored Connie’s beef tips in red wine.
After two months of this, Dr. RodgersleftCascoBayHospitalto startaprivatepractice.Connie gave a party in her apartment—a going-awaypartyforDr.Rodgers whowasnotinvited.Attheendof the evening she asked Tony Eroz what he wanted and he told her. Funny thing. It was what Connie wantedtoo. I
