I’ve been out of town sans computer, accompanied by a change of shirt and two books, Michael Kennedy’s Portrait of Elgar and the first volume of the Library of America’s forthcoming set of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s short stories, both of which I’m reading at the behest of Commentary.
Portrait of Elgar is an old friend–I’m revisiting it in preparation for writing an essay on Sir Edward Elgar, whom I’ve never before had occasion to discuss at length in print. He’s one of my favorite composers, and I’m trying to make sense out of the peculiar fact that his music has never been popular outside England. As for Singer, I’ve been up to my ears in his early stories, some but not all of which I knew. Not to tip my hand too far, but the author of whom he reminds me most strongly is Flannery O’Connor! About which much more later this summer….
In the meantime, I’ve got a couple of hundred e-mails to answer and three shows to see between now and Sunday, so I doubt you’ll be hearing from me again until next week, when I’ll file a report on my latest adventures in the world of art. In addition to seeing Here Lies Jenny, Chinese Friends, and Sight Unseen, I hope to visit a few galleries on Saturday, and maybe even listen to a bit of music!
See you Monday.