January Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

FOR THE LOVE OF JANUARY
LET LOVE GROW

“Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you have always wanted to do but could not find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you do not think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You will look 10 years younger. Do not be afraid to say, I love you. Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.”

(Ann Landers)

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR, YEAR’S, YEARS!

What’s the deal with the apostrophe? Here’s how to get it right … It’s New Year’s when you’re talking about December 31 or January 1 resolutions you’re making, or other things that show possession. So New Year’s Eve is the eve of the New Year, New Year’s Day is the first day of the New Year, and a New Year’s resolution is something you want to do for the New Year. So New Year’s is the modifier for each noun. And New Year’s is capitalized because it’s referring to a holiday … We say Happy New Year (no apostrophe, s) at midnight and pretty much all of January, too, and when we’re talking generally about the year. Example: “I can’t believe it’s January already, let’s get together in the new year.” Used as a timeframe, no capitalizing … There’s no Happy New Years (no apostrophe) because only one year happens at a time. For many new years (plural), it is: “New years always give opportunities for celebrating and reflecting.” As the holiday, it is: “New Year’s always gives opportunities for celebrating and reflecting.” … Lastly, mostly New Year’s is a shortcut for New Year’s Eve, so the name of the holiday is the adjective. Example: “Every New Year’s I go to a party.” … Got it? Happy New Year!

 

I’M JUST MAD ABOUT YELLOW

“Sky of blue, sea of green.”

While Paul McCartney was writing Yellow Submarine, it was Donovan who came up with this iconic line. He explains how Paul “already had those words to the song, but he seemed to have a hole in the song. So I took his words and turned them around for him.” Although it was simply adding a line, this is Donovan’s best-known contribution to a Beatles song. In February 1968, he went with the Beatles on their retreat to India, where he helped John Lennon with another song written there, Julia, which John wrote about his mother. After the Beatles recorded Yellow Submarine, Donovan recorded his own yellow track, Mellow Yellow, giving Paul the opportunity to return the favor. Paul hollered and cheered in the song’s finale. These yellow songs were successful in the U.S. in the same year. Yellow Submarine hit #2 in September 1966, and in December, Mellow Yellow reached that same chart position.

 

FOR THE LOVE OF UNICORNS

So many people love unicorns. I do. I even have a few. He’s mysterious. He’s elusive. What is his enduring appeal anyway? The true “golden age” of the unicorn in Western European art was in the late Middle Ages, 14th and 15th Centuries. It was during that time that The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries were created. An elegant white unicorn appears in every one of the six tapestries, along with a richly dressed noblewoman and a lion who are all floating against a rich, red background full of flowering plants and other animals, including monkeys and rabbits. The set can be seen at the Cluny Museum in Paris … The tapestries were woven around 1500 when the unicorn was a popular element in heraldry. Did you know it is the national animal of Scotland?! There is also a set of seven Unicorn Tapestries at The Cloisters in New York, probably designed in Paris at the turn of the 16th Century … It appears that today we are in another “golden age” of the unicorn. They are everywhere, especially sparkly ones that are on everything! “While the existence of the animal has been debated by scientists since the 16th Century, the risk of extinction is not an immediate concern.”

 

MLK’S LEGACY OF LOVE

St. Augustine, FL, the nation’s oldest city, had a long history of racial inequality. In 1964 it became an important civil rights battleground as white supremacist mobs were attacking civil rights activists. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr went there to encourage and support the demonstrators, and create awareness so the country would see what was happening there … On June 11, Dr. King was arrested for trespassing as he entered one of the city’s segregated restaurants. He was placed in the back seat of the police car next to a police dog who was put there in an apparent attempt to intimidate him. Instead, as you can see, the two became friends! … Dr. King in fact did make the country take notice. And one month later, his extraordinary efforts in St. Augustine led to President Lyndon Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act into law.

 

DOG NEWS

While we’re making our New Year’s Resolutions, why not make some for our best pals:

Leave the cell phone, take the dog … Try new activities like an agility class or going on a hike … Add fresh vegetables to his diet … Teach a new game you can play together: fetch, chase, or hide and seek … Give him more exercise … Set up play dates with a dog buddy … Take better care of his teeth … Put aside a little in savings each month for a medical emergency … Check out pet insurance … Go to new places together … Make plans in the event you die first: provide for your dog and name a guardian.

 

ENDNOTE: ROBERT INDIANA (1928–2018)

“Some people like to paint trees. I like to paint love.
I find it more meaningful than painting trees.”

One of the most recognizable works of art from the 20th century, did you know LOVE was originally designed as a Christmas card commissioned by NYC’s Museum of Modern Art? Born Robert Clark in Indiana, he adopted the last name Indiana to honor the American heartland that he loved. LOVE was created at the end of 1964, and in the late 1960’s he created a 12-foot-tall steel version (like the one on Avenue of the Americas in NYC). In 1976 he changed LOVE to VOTE for the Democratic National Committee and in 2008 he changed it to HOPE for the Democratic National Convention. LOVE became an emblem of 1960’s idealism and it has since only grown larger in stature and meaning. Robert Indiana took a plain word and turned it into art.

 

WE CAN HELP

Big smiles. Cozy naps. A wagging tail every time we walk in the door. (Unless you have a Westie who stays on the couch and clearly conveys, “So you’re home, what’s for dinner?”) When we adopt a pet, so many things change for the better, for everyone. We can help change an animal’s life! Consider welcoming the love of a pet into your life. Putting our love into action is what adopting is about. Let’s spread the word that adoption is a cool thing to do. Each of us can play a role in creating a better world for animals. Adopting a pet who needs a loving home will make a difference in their lives, and ours.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

Edison Lighthouse
Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes

Start the new year with a big smile! This is one of those songs that just makes you feel happy. Take a listen. You’ll be tapping your feet and swaying from side to side in no time. You feel better already, right?

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

She ain’t got no money
Her clothes are kinda funny
Her hair is kinda wild and free
Oh, but Love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me

She talks kinda lazy
And people say she she’s crazy
And her life’s a mystery
Oh, but Love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me 

There’s something about her hand holding mine
It’s a feeling that’s fine
And I just gotta say
She’s really got a magical spell
And it’s working so well
That I can’t get away 

I’m a lucky fella
And I’ve just got to tell her
That I love her endlessly
Because Love grows where my Rosemary goes
And nobody knows like me

Who rescued whom?

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Donovan quote: Songfacts
Unicorn quote: wall text at the end of the Cluny Museum’s exhibition
Dog News pic: Agnes Harangoza
EndNote LOVE pic: Garden of Love (set of 6 works), 1982 Prestige Art, pub.; Domberger, prntr, pub.
Soundtrack Love Grows lyrics: Tony Macaulay, Barry Mason ©Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Copyright Admin Services Ltd

 January 29, 2019
All Rights Reserved

 

May Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

FOR THE LOVE OF MAY

The beloved artist of LOVE, Robert Indiana (who changed his name from Robert Clark in honor of his home state), died this month on May 19. Originally a Christmas card that was commissioned by The Museum of Modern Art in 1965, his LOVE painting became the embodiment of peace and love of the ‘60s. He turned it into the famous sculpture that is erected in cities all over the world. It even became a U.S. postage stamp issued for Valentine’s Day 1973 … The design was his interpretation of the phrase “God is love” that he heard as a young boy raised as a Christian Scientist. The red and green of his first LOVE version were the colors from the Philips 66 gas sign, in memory of the company where his father worked. In the early 1960s, as a reminder of his mother, he created works with HUG, her word for affection.

 

THE FIFTH OF MAY

Line ’em up! Here’s to the merry month of May, a personal favorite. And of course the perfect toast is a Margarita to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! The holiday recognizes the victory of the Mexican army over the French army on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla.

 

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE

Jacqueline Bouvier always got right back on her horse after she fell. Figuratively and literally, as a child she toppled from her horse on her first day at riding camp. She was bookish and aimed for a career after college. In fact, she ranked being a journalist over landing a man. Until, of course, she met John F. Kennedy. When he became president, Jackie brought progressive ideas about art and culture to the White House. Intelligent and charming, she won over foreign dignitaries … After JFK’s assassination, she displayed unforgettable dignity and the “steel under all that beauty and style,” the steel that was always there. And oh yes, Jackie got right back on that horse, moved her children to NYC, helped save Grand Central Terminal from demolition, and became a revered book editor … Just Being Jackie, a Young Adult book by Margaret Cardillo with illustrations by Julia Denos, is great for anyone at any age as a reminder of this icon’s cool strength and backbone.

 

TRUTH

“If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth…[in a] democratic society, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself…In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation.” (President John F. Kennedy)

It was at JFK’s inauguration in 1961 that Robert Frost became the first inaugural poet, delivering an ode to the dream of including the arts in government which touched JFK deeply. Frost died two years later in January 1963. That fall, JFK spoke at an event honoring the poet at Amherst College. His speech mirrored Frost’s about the arts and celebrating the role of the artist in society.

 

THE DARCY DEFENSE

Would you be surprised to learn that many judges cite Jane Austen quotes in court? It is as an authority on relationships that her influence prevails in the courtroom. Although Harper Lee and Mary Shelley also show up in legal decisions, each is quoted from one work (Mockingbird and Frankenstein). On the other hand, quotes and references are taken from all of Austen’s many books such as Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, and, of course, Pride and Prejudice. As well as from Jane Austen herself … In a fraud case involving friends who formed a partnership that went really bad, the judge cited Emma: “business…may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does,” and concluded that had the litigant “been mindful of the words of Jane Austen,” he would not have gotten himself involved in the lawsuit … In a gender discrimination case where a female plaintiff alleged her managers “did not tolerate intelligent and articulate female subordinates,” the judge quoted Northanger Abbey: “A woman especially, if she has the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.” Doing so, the judge used Austen’s satire to shine a spotlight on what the civil rights law at stake aimed to end … And to emphasize that “looks can be deceiving,” the judge wrote in a legal malpractice case: “…one must get the whole story in order to have an accurate picture of events. The seemingly haughty and prideful Fitzwilliam Darcy turned out to be a pretty nice guy by the end of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.”

 

AND THEY’RE OFF!

In May there’s also the Kentucky Derby. So here are some common phrases you might not know come from horse racing! … Hands down: To win something hands down means to win it easily. It comes from the practice of horse racing jockeys loosening the reins when it seemed certain that they would win … Give-and-take: The art of compromise or a lively exchange of ideas originally referred to horse races in which bigger horses were given more weight to carry, lighter ones less … Dark horse: In addition to meaning lacking light, dark also means concealed, secret, or mysterious. So a dark horse is a horse about whose racing powers little is known. And in politics, a dark horse candidate is one who unexpectedly comes up from behind … Front runner: The leading candidate in a contest or election and comes from the horse racing term referring to a horse that runs best while in the lead … Running mate: Another political term that we get from horse racing refers to a candidate for the lesser of two associated political offices such as a vice-presidential candidate is the running mate of a potential president. In horse racing, a running mate is a horse that sets the pace for another.

 

MEMORIAL DAY

“On Memorial Day, I don’t want to only remember the combatants. There were also those who came out of the trenches as writers and poets, who started preaching peace, men and women who have made this world a kinder place to live.” (Eric Burdon, musician)

 

DOG NEWS

Alexandra Horowitz, the author of Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell, explains how dogs perceive the world through their extraordinary organ. What every dog knows about the world comes mostly through his nose. Every breath of air a dog takes is loaded with information.

How can we tap into our dogs’ world of smell and enrich their lives? “Let them smell. If you live with a dog, start thinking about what the world is like from an olfactory point of view. Let them smell you (you are your scent, to your dog), let them smell each other (that’s how they find out who it is), and let them smell the world. Take walks for smelling (not just for peeing, or for exercise). The pleasure that comes from watching a dog snuffling down a path, nose to the ground and nose in the air, guided by nothing more than the filaments of odors that come his way, is to me unmatched.”

 

ENDNOTE: PHILIP ROTH
(March 19, 1933-May 22, 2018)

“The only obsession everyone wants: ‘love.’ People think that in falling in love they make themselves whole? The Platonic union of souls? I think otherwise. I think you’re whole before you begin. And the love fractures you. You’re whole, and then you’re cracked open.” (The Dying Animal by Philip Roth)

 

WE CAN HELP

Muhammad Ali, The Greatest, used his greatness as a catalyst to do great things for the world and, in turn, inspire us to do the same. The Muhammad Ali Center promotes respect, hope, understanding, and love, encouraging everyone everywhere to be as great as they can be. Your donation will help them continue to preserve and share Ali’s legacy and values.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

The Beatles
All You Need Is Love 

Love fills May’s fair spring air. At Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding, people all over the world saw the blossoming of love. Robert Indiana’s sculptures and paintings remind us of the endurance of love … John Lennon’s All You Need is Love was written for Our World, the world’s first ever worldwide televised satellite link-up broadcast to 25 countries. Its optimistic message captured the mood of the Summer of Love (1967), and its simple lyrics and disarming chorus perfect for a global audience. 

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game
It’s easy
Nothing you can make that can’t be made
No one you can save that can’t be saved
Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time
It’s easy
All you need is love, all you need is love
All you need is love, love, love is all you need

 

 

Who rescued whom?
So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Jane Austen pic quote: Emma: A Novel, Jane Austen (1867)
Jane Austen references: Matthew H. Birkhold, Electric Literature
Dog News quote: Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell by Alexandra Horowitz (Scribner October 2016)
Philip Roth pic: Philip Roth
Soundtrack lyrics: John Lennon/Paul McCartney ©Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC 

May 28, 2018
All Rights Reserved