"Carolina Israelite" by Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett (2015)

I was first introduced to the writings of Harry Golden by Leonard Herman when I was 15 years old. He was the father of one of my friends when I was growing up in Brooklyn. Come to think of it, he also was the first person to expose me to Isaac Singer’s wonderful short stories. Years later; something like 40; I went to live in Charlotte, N.C. where Mr. Golden is somewhat of a legend; if only for the fact that he lived through the Civil Rights Movement here while writing about it like a liberal Jew from New York.

His home/office on Elizabeth Avenue was even burnt down in reaction to something he printed in his self-published newspaper the “Carolina Israelite” which is the tile of this book. The authors’ mother actually worked for Mr. Golden for a brief period in the 1940’s and uses the title in the way Mr. Golden meant it. It wasn’t the title of the paper as much as it was a description of Mr. Golden himself; he was the Carolina Israelite; roaming the wilderness of North Carolina espousing his views on racial and social equality, much as the Israelites roamed the desert for 40 years in search of a home.

The author does a wonderful job of chronicling the life of this enigmatic man; including his years in New York where he rose from the Lower East side selling newspapers on the corners, to engaging in some very astute stock market swindles which landed him in jail for a time. It was after his stint in prison that he began to roam, looking for a new start somewhere. For some reason he chose Charlotte, North Carolina as the place to transform himself.

As a spokesman for African-Americans he penned the controversial, and hysterically funny piece of satire called “The Vertical Negro Plan”, in which he solves the whole lunch counter seating problem which was then engulfing North Carolina by simply recommending that all seats be removed from restaurants and schools, as the only time black and white people seemed to have problems concerned seating arrangements; even on buses. Make ‘em all stand.

His friendships’ with some of the most influential men of his time are well chronicled, and the author does a great job of reviewing those relationships and even how some of them came about. His habit was to add a famous person’s name to his subscription list and then mention that they were subscribers, thus enhancing his own stature. Shades of his Wall Street days come to mind here. Surprisingly, most of those he befriended in this way actually did become friends with him. The Kennedy’s, both Bob and Jack; Carl Sandburg, who also lived in North Carolina; Adlai Stevenson; even Billy Graham all were proud to count him among their friends.

As far as Jewish-American relations go, Mr. Golden was not idle in that theater of operation. His most stunning piece of work; at least in my eyes; is his essay “Teaching Shylock”, in which he shows the reader how the “Merchant of Venice” and its portrayal of Shylock were not anti-Semitic at all. In fact Shakespeare has lampooned the Christian aristocracy in such a subtle way that people have been reading that play all wrong for 500 years. This is some accomplishment and I urge you strongly to read that piece. I will include a link to it at the end of this review.

In short, this is a wonderful book, long overdue, about one of the most underrated and unappreciated writers in American literature. It is only in the past 20 years that he has begun to be recognized as such. Lenny Herman was way ahead of the curve when he introduced me to the works of this wonderful man of letters.

Here is a link to the “Teaching Shylock” piece, which I really hope you will take the time to read.  If you are a Shakespearean scholar, or just a humble Jew like me, this piece will simply blow you away.

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2014/05/teaching-shylock-by-harry-golden-1961.html

And for a review of “For 2 Cents Plain” use this link;

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2009/05/for-2-cents-plain-by-harry-golden.html

"Awaiting Delivery" by John Wiley

I don’t remember which book I read this in, but it was way back before I was blogging, or even e-mailing for that matter. It meant enough to me that I Xeroxed the story and have kept it for many years, so it’s worth sharing. It was written by John Wiley of Charlotte, North Carolina and was in a book which I had obviously borrowed from a library.

I found it  the other day in a stack of stuff I was putting in order; something I find myself doing more and more these days. Not for any particular reason; except to have a complete picture of who I am and the things which I like. This is one that I like. It cuts right to the random nature of our lives and how one tiny thing can affect another, underscoring; once again; that we are all connected. Here is  Mr. Wiley’s tale;

Awaiting Delivery by John Wiley

I work as a Postal letter carrier in Charlotte, North Carolina. One day a couple of years ago, I drove up to a mailbox. Christy, the young divorcee who lived there, was waiting by the side of the road. She said that she had a story to tell me.

About six months earlier, it seems that I had delivered a letter to her which had her street number on it but was addressed to another house with the same number on a different street in the neighborhood. She had to run some errands, so she decided to drop off the letter at the correct house.

It turned out that the letter had been intended for Stan, who happened to be single. They talked for a little while, and later on he called. They started dating and had been going out together ever since.

I was embarrassed about delivering the letter wrong, but I was pleased that I had brought these two nice people together.

A few months later, a For Sale sign went up in Christy’s yard, and then the wedding invitations were sent out. In short order the house was sold, the wedding happened, and Christy and her kids moved into Stan’s house.

A few months later, I saw a For Sale sign in their yard. I feared the marriage might be in trouble, so I made an excuse to go to their door and check on them.

Christy opened the door, smiled broadly, and pointed to her stomach. “We’re having twins!” she said. “This house won’t be big enough, so we have to move.”

As I walked back to my truck, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the thought that my one mis-delivered letter was now giving two little yet-to-be-born people a shot at life. Awesome.

Note: The above story was originally published in "I Thought My Father was God" which was edited by Paul Auster of NPR's "All Things Considered." The book was released in 2002 and was part of NPR's National Story Project.

Nick Lowe - "The Old Magic" - In Concert

Last night Sue and I treated ourselves to a mutual birthday gift. We saw Nick Lowe at the McGlothon Theater, which is located in Spirit Square in “uptown” Charlotte. Nick Lowe; for those unfamiliar with him as an artist; is one of the key people who kept rock and roll alive and kicking during the 1970’s disco craze. And when the end of that decade rolled around; with Punk Rock all the rage; Nick Lowe, along with Dave Edmunds, formed “Rockpile”, once again keeping the genre viable and raucous. And, people like me are glad they did. But sometime during the late 1990’s, Mr. Lowe re-invented his approach to some of his older tunes, and at the same time, developed a new way to express his more current thoughts.

For a while I had heard that Mr. Lowe was alive and well, living in Amsterdam for obvious reasons. (You can puzzle that one out for yourselves.) But last year he released a brand new album; on vinyl no less; titled “The Old Magic.” It is aptly named, as Mr. Lowe proved last night here in Charlotte. With a mixture of old songs, along with the new, he beguiled the audience for several hours, performing old favorites solo, and telling stories between numbers.

His performance of some of the new material; including “Sensitive Man” and “Somebody Cares for Me”; which are my two favorites from the new album; was absolutely wonderful, and would have been enough to satisfy me. But, at the audience’s insistence, Mr. Lowe came back for 3 encores. I was thrilled to see him play solo, using only 1 guitar throughout his extraordinary performance, and no capo to boot. His voice is as strong and expressive as ever, and his easy attitude with the audience was a delight to all.

I haven’t been able to find a video that does justice to last night’s solo, acoustic performance, but here he is performing with Wilco, a band which consists of Patrick Sansone, Mikael Jorgensen, Jeff Tweedy , Nels Cline, Glenn Kotche, John Stirratt. While this video may sound lush and full, there is nothing better than seeing your favorite artist striped down to the bare minimum, highlighting just what you love about their work. Seeing Mr. Lowe perform last night reinforced my suspicion that the “old magic” is not only back; but for some of us, it never left in the first place. It was a wonderful concert, in one of our favorite venues. What a great way to celebrate our birthdays together; listening to music which we both love. (And that’s not always easy to find!)

 

Well, it only took a day for someone to post this video from the concert at McGlothon on October 9th in Charlotte. So, here is Nick Lowe as I saw him from the 6th row.

The National Whitewater Rafting Center

Aliyah and Trinity went to the National Whitewater Rafting Center which is located here in Charlotte. It’s a man-made spur off the Catawba River that diverts the flow of the river through a series of man-made concrete formations. This recreates the effects of a natural “whitewater rapids”. It also brings a lot of people to town to train for the Olympics. 

In addition they also have rock climbing facilities, and as you can see, our two little warriors, under the watchful eyes of their Aunt Sarah and Uncle Michael, are all suited up and ready to tackle the wall. The Whitewater center is a major attraction here in Charlotte, and Aliyah and Trinity are proof that there is something there for all ages.

For more about the center hit their site at the following link;

http://usnwc.org/

"La Cabeza" - Public Art

Sue and I went to see this unusual piece of public art in downtown Charlotte on Saturday. It's colorful, and slightly weird visage helps to brighten up the corporate world of glass and steel buildings which seem to house all the banks in the world.

"La Cabeza" is the creation of artist Niki De Saint Phalle, who is married to fellow artist Jean Tinguely, a close friend of Andreas Bechtler, of the Bechtler family. They are the force behind the Bechtler Museum of Art, which is located here in Charlotte. This sculpture, which is currently on tour, sits diagonally across from their famed glass sculptered "The Firebird", which sits at the entrance to the museum.

Inspired by the imagery of Mexico’s Day of the Dead, it was created in 2000, and stands 14 feet high , embedded with a colorful array of abalone shells, glass pebbles, mirrors, and stained glass. You can walk through it, marveling at the mirror encrusted interior, which includes a bench molded into the wall. You can look out from the eyes, or dangle parts of yourself out of La Cabeza's mouth. It's a friendly ogre, which is inspired by the artists interest in other cultures. The style is Mesoamerican and would be right at home in San Antonio, near the Riverwalk.

La Cabeza is only one of several pieces exhibited by Ms.Phalle and her husband. There is another walk through piece of the Cat, as well as a larger than life Golf Player and the majestic depiction of Miles Davis, all done in the same style with pebbles and glass fitted together in mosaic patterns.

It's a fun exhibit, one in which the art is clearly identifiable for what it is, and accessible to all the children who wish to climb on the figures. Public art should be fun, offering a counterpoint to the daily travails of the world around us. When placed in business districts, as is this exhibit, a downtown area can be transformed into a playground on weekends, with families strolling about while tourists take photos and children climb in and out, as well as all over the sculptures. At one point I even saw "La Cabeza" flash a smile at Miles Davis, but it happened so quickly that I don't think anyone else noticed.

The best part of viewing any type of art is the chance to indulge in some self reflection, that is, a chance to find out what any particular piece of art says to you as an individual. And what better place to do that than while seated inside the bright, and naturally lit, mirror lined head of "La Cabeza"? With the brilliance of a fall day all around her, Sue seems to like what she sees. I know I do..

The Mint Museum

The Mint Museum here in Charlotte is having a Coco Chanel exhibit, so Sue and I thought we'd take a look at it. This is one of the emblematic Chanel Number 5 bottles manufactured between 1940 and 1955.

These dresses are part of a larger exhibit showcasing the various modes of dress from about 1900 through the years immediatley following World War One. Pre-Coco is not an inapt description of them in their definition of the modern woman just emerging in the 1920's. And the difference when you walk into the Chanel portion of the exhibit is astounding.

Not just a perfume designer, Coco Chanel was known for her clothing styles, men's included. The collection was dimly lit, and photographs were prohibited with a flash, so this photo does not do the collection all the praise which it is due. It is a wonderful collection, encompassing the years between the two World Wars, and then on from the mid 1950's when Chanel re-opened, to the heady years of the 1970's and beyond. She has achieved a certain sense of immortality through her creation of clothing as an art. This suit alone shows the difference in her perception of women as equals in the world of business, as well as academia, than anything which pre-dated it.

This early 18th Century tureen, at least I think that is what it is, is my idea of Early American grace. If I could, I would own, and use, this piece on a daily basis. It's simply that beautiful.

The collection at the Mint Museum is very varied for a museum of such small size. Here's a beautiful wine pot from the Song Dynasty in China. It's hard to believe that these things were formed by human hands now long gone. How wonderful it would be to go back and see it being used by the original owners. The Eastern and Western Cultures have so much in common. Their needs are largely the same, but the Eastern Cultures advanced so much more quickly in the area of art than their European counterparts. At the same time that this wine pot was in use in China, the Vikings were drinking from gourds and crude tin steins.

But now we come to my favorite piece of the entire day. The Turtle. This is an 1856 piece from my home town of Brooklyn New York. How odd that I should find it here in Charlotte. If there was ever a piece of ceramic that appealed to me more than this one does, I don't remember it.

There were plenty of paintings to look at, but with the flash not allowed, and the lighting so dim, it was hard to get any pictures worth printing here. But the entire Museum, as well as the Coco Chanel exhibit, was a real treat to see.

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art- and George Terry's Shirt

Sue and I went to the grand opening of the new Bechtler Museum of Modern Art here in Charlotte today. I'm not much of a modern art fan, being more receptive to the traditional landscape artists and early impressionists. But art is always interesting in any form- even if I don't "get it" I can usually have a good time. And art should have a funny side, so laughing at some of it is, in my opinion, a valid reaction.

The place is large- 4 levels including the Lobby area. The main route takes you up a cage like stairwell with an annoying metal sculpture at the base. The annoying part of it was the electronic beeping at variable intervals and tempos. The flashing lights were just tacky.

The third level was interesting- I remarked to Sue that it was nothing more than a living room set from IKEA. When we got home and read about the exhibit, guess what? The furniture is from Mr. Bechtlers Swedish home! Who says I don't understand modern art?

There were some things by Degas and other more traditional artists as well as the modern works. Of course the Andy Warhol stuff was cool to see. It's so prominent in our lives- on posters, in movies, etc. It was even on the shirt of a guy in line to go down one level to sculptures. His shirt was a print of the old artist himself- Andy Warhol. It drew as much attention as the exhibits- people were even taking pictures of it.

The shirt was worn by George Terry of The Zealots, a band out of Asheville, North Carolina. We had a pleasant chat on the way down. He got the shirt as a gift 12 years ago and still wears it regulary. See how art brings people together? We will be going to see him play on the 15th at the Muse here in NoDa.

The place was crowded for opening day- it was free. We'll have to go back again when it's not as frenetic to give it a fair assessment. But all in all it was an enjoyable experience and it's nice to have an Art Museum downtown where it is accessible to all.

For 2 Cents Plain by Harry Golden

There is an exhibit in the Library at University of North Carolina Charlotte on the life and writings of Harry Golden, an author first introduced to me by the father of a friend when I was about 16. Mr. Herman had several volumes of Jewish American humor and Harry Goldens "For Two Cents Plain" was among them.

In 1940 Harry Golden arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina and shortly thereafter he began to publish a 16 page monthly newspaper called The Carolina Israelite. This was no small feat in the Jim Crow South of the day. The name of the paper alone was instantly controversial, as were the subjects of his articles, which ran the gamut from satire of race segregation to the still sensitive subject of Anti Semitism and inter marraige.

One of his most remembered articles is the Vertical Negro Plan, in which he notes that since whites and blacks are not permitted by law to be seated next to one another, and since this was causing so much trouble at lunch counters across the South- why not simply remove the stools and let everyone stand together? This would violate no law and the problem of segregation would be solved.

But he had a more serious side too. He could evaluate and eviserate with a surgeons skill, as evidenced in his famous (at least to me) "Teaching Shylock." This interpretation of Shakespeare's work stands, in my mind, as the final word on what the Bard was intending when he wrote "The Merchant of Venice."

His books are at once insightful, thought provoking and in some instances just plain funny.For those who have never read Harry Golden, this is a chance to look at some writing, done by a lone journalist (typesetting and all advertisements included)who wrote and self published in the style of O. Henry. His stand against bigotry and ignorance will be with us for a long, long time.