This blog is dedicated to American south, to my family and friends who live there, to southern writers I appreciate and most of all to Eudora Welty who is my guide in this journey.
Photograph by Kay Bell,courtesy of Eudora Welty LLC
Оn may 14, 2009 Mississippi "ClarionLedger" published an article by SherryLucas. Lucas spoke of the damage done to Greenwood Cemetery by the wind and the help needed to clean the area and restore some of the broken monuments. Lucas quoted Malcolm White,director of the Mississippi arts Comission, who said: “This historical, sacred place is not only the final resting place to many civic and cultural leaders of Jackson and Mississippi, but is the landscape and landmark of Eudora Welty’s final chapter”.
Which reminded me of the beautiful collection of photographs which appeared in 2000 - Country Churchyards. So when I had the chance I checked on Eudora's angel, (this is how my friends from Jackson called angel "Ellen Moore"). The angel was still on the ground, but the broken finger was already repaired.
Venice, Italy on November 17-19, 2009 hosted an International Conference dedicated to Eudora Welty's Centenary. It was due to the efforts of two scholars from the USA and Italy - Pearl McHaney and Rosella Mamoli Zorzi (plus their teams, of course) that the conference was such a success. I was thrilled to be part of the conference. It was also my first time in Italy and I loved it.
I was happy to attend Artists of the Great Depression show in Masur Museum of Art in Monroe,LA this past October. But I was even more happy that all of my family decided to come and the father of my two beautiful grandchildren Eric Lincoln wrote an article about the show. Here are some excerpts:
"I have known some artists with great depressions, yes, but I just never put “artist” and “great depression” together in a historical sense. Who had time to paint when you had to scrabble through the dust searching for grubs to feed your family for dinner? How could you develop film when there was no water and the air was thick with soot?
Nevertheless, I resigned myself to my fate as self-appointed volunteer art blogger for our God-fearin’ northeastern country, and parked in the Masur’s lot with my head hung respectfully low, presuming that I was about to enter into an exhibit of … what, I don’t know, maybe photos of gravestones and still lifes of dried, rotting fruit that’s been crushed by broken wagon wheels.
Moving on, there were some more striking photo portraits from Winans and nice selections from Eudora Welty, particularly “Self Portrait, 1934,” by Winans, and “Sunday School, Holiness Church, Jackson Miss.,” from 1939, by Welty. Moody, black-and-white images like these make me remember why there is still such an allure to film photography. The girls in Welty’s photo look simultaneously angelic and ghost-like."
I send everyone interested to the original post at ArtNella
November 19th was a very special day - I received an email from Mary Alice White with a permission to use three pictures of Eudora Welty for my book! Mary Alice writes:
"I have attached some pictures of Eudora that you may use. These pictures of Eudora were taken in the 1930s and 1940s. If you choose the one taken by Kay Bell, please list her in the credit line. The picture at Wisconsin was her annual photograph. I'm not sure who took the others. I hope this helps, and I hope all is going well. Mary Alice"
I love all the three pictures and I would like to use all of them in my book! The two pictures posted here are the ones I have never seen before. I am overwhelmed and very grateful! So, the posted pictures are COURTESY OF EUDORA WELTY, LLC
When Barbara Smith told Eugenia Summer that I am writting a book about Eudora Welty Eugenia gave me a book signed by Eudora Welty. It was a very generous gift in itself but then there was also a story to go with it. Here it goes. Eugenia Summer is now retired but all of her life and academic career is connected with Art and Design Depatrtmen of Mississippi University for Women. Barbara Smith, then Whitaker, was Arts Student at "W" and she and Eugenia have been friends ever since. Southerners like to talk and share their stories. Here is how Eugenia Summer shared it whith me back in Septmeber of this year. Eudora Welty was comming to "W" for Eudora Welty weekend. It was one of the weekedns dedicated to Southern Authors, she always came and stayed the whole weekend and she gave a talk to open the weekend. A friend of Eugenia Summer was flying from Washington to this event and Eugenia asked her to bring anything by Eudora Welty so that she would get the book signed. The friend was Mary Sharlote Stark, a renouned archivist, and the only book she could get was The Eye of the Story which she picked up at the airport bookstore. She wanted to get something with hard cover, but nothing else was available. As Mary Sharlote got on the plane she found that Eudora Welty was on the same plane and they got to talk with each other. When Mary Sharlote produced the book and asked for the signature Eudora Welty asked for the name and Eugenia's name was pronounced. Eudora Welty recognised the name since she met Eugenia in "W" during previous visits and signed the book. When in "W" Eudora Welty was supposed to be driven around by another friend of Eugenia Summer but that friend's car would not start so she asked Eugenia if she would drive them around. Eugenia Summer gladly agreed. So at some point she found herself in the car together with Eudora Welty and she was overwhelmed for a moment and did not know what to talk about. "Eudora Welty sat in the front seat next to me . We had to wait about 15 minutes in front of some house. And all of a sudden Eudora Welty started to talk. She shared an experience she had once in a small airport (it might have been a city in Alabama or in Florida), where she had to change planes. There was one man there who took care of the airport and he and Eudora Welty started talking. He said that he was a farmer and that he liked to go fishing . Miss Welty asked him a lot of questions and he was happy to share about his life. By the end of their converstation the man was sorry his new friend did not have enough time otherwise he would have taken her to the farm. Eventually as they were parting he asked her name and she said "Eudora Welty". The man was pleased and said "That's a nice name. I have never heard it before. How do you spell it?". Eudora Welty was surprised but she did not show it. She really enjoyed the encounter, she said she wished she could go back and see his farm". Eugenia Summer concluded her story: "I thought that here I am hearing a Eudora Welty story told in her own words. It is an ordinary occurance, but Eudora Welty really listens to everybody and she finds everybody interesting. I will never forget sitting in that car next to Eudora Welty and hearing her story".
Couple of days ago I emailed pictures taken in Jackson back in 1994 to Suzanne Marrs (Eudora Welty's excellent biographer) and asked if by some chance this was the Greek restaurant which Eudora Welty liked so much. The answer was great and funny. Suzanne wrote: "The pictures you attached were taken at Denery's Restaurant, and that was not Eudora's favorite place. She preferred Bill Burger House (aka Bill's Greek Tavern). There is a story about Dennery's however. It was this restaurant that refused to seat two rather long-haired students that Eudora took there. She and the two boys left, and she never returned". Well, even if I knew the story back in 1994 the choice of the restaurant was not mine - I was the guest of Pastor Bill Gover and other members of Christ United Metodist Church. And I am certainly grateful for the great dinner and the connection to Eudora Welty!
среда, 14 октября 2009 г.
The notes are done in pencil and it was special to get to see the books which Eudora Welty read.
Touring the house I asked about the books by Chekhov. The list had about 30 items - almost every good translation of the Russian Writer printed in the United States since 1920. Wow! Some books are covered with Eudora Welty's notes. She did read into them!
Eudora Welty sure loved books. They are everywhere in the house. I was told that there were even more - some had to be removed to the storage. Everyone who wanted to sit down at Miss Welty's house had to move books to make room.
It just worked out that way that the only day I could visit Eudora Welty's House was on Wednesday, September 9th. It was only that evening that I realised that the date was pretty special 09/09/09. The visit was special too. It is certainly one of the highlights of this year for me. Mary Alice White, the niece of Miss Welty, was really hospitable. She spent some time visiting with me and we had a picture taken. Here it is. I am very grateful to Mary Alice who by now retired from the position of the director of the House and feel very blessed that I met Mary Alice in person two weeks prior to the retirement.
I have just finished reading Eudora Welty's reviews collected by Pearl McHaney under one title A Writer's Eye. The book collects all sixty-seven of Welty's reviews of seventy-four books. They are really beautiful. As Pearl McHaney puts it "Though they are in her own view, a minor chapter in her life's work, Welty's reviews are as sensory-laden, as thoughtful, and as well crafted as her stories". I can not agree more. I really enjoyed Welty's review of Nine Stories by J.D.Sallinger. Any student of William Faulkner should read Welty's reviews of Intruder in the Dust and Selected Letters of William Faulkner by Joseph Blotner. I checked the article on the photographs taken in Russia by Henri Cartier-Bresson, on the collection of Russian Fairy Tales and my only complaint is that she has not reviewed more books. I would love to know what she thought about some. Such an intelligent, knolegeable, tactful and sensitive lady of letters! I should probably work on copyright permission for translating of some of the reviews into Russian.
This year for the first time since 1990 (when my article on Louise Erdrich was published) I made two more "public appearances". The first one was in April. I posted a report on photography in Eudora Welty's life. The Conference took place in Perm (Southern Siberia) at Perm State University. Here is how it looks in Russian: "Фотография в жизни Юдоры Уэлти" Постерный доклад на международной научно-практической конференции "Пограничные процессы в литературе и культуре". Пермский государственный университет, 16-19 апреля 2009 г.
Encouraged by the success I had an article on Eudora Welty and Photography published in a book printed in Krasnodar. For me it is a major milestone. At some point I thought that I would never go back to academic life. If it were not for Miss Welty I probably wouldn't. And now the more I read the more I want to share what I have found out! Anyway I am proudly displaying the cover of the collection with a very learned name: "Inerdisciplinary Aspects of Linguistic Studies" Krasnodar, 2009. My article is in Russian and I have posted it on my Russian language website dedicated to Eudora Welty http://sites.google.com/site/eudoraweltyinrussia/fotografia-v-zizni-udory-uelti
Are we more connected then we think we are? Henry Green's quote used in the title of this blog and then posted below came to my mind today as I was reading a book by Russian thinker, historian and specialist in medieval literature Petr MikhailovichBitsilli (Петр Михайлович Бицилли). In the Foreword to his book "Elements of Medieval Culture" (Элементы средневековой культуры) he says that "any scientific book is to some extent the result of mutual work of a group of people, though the members of this group might not be aware of their cooperation". This is so true! As I am getting ready with my article on Eudora Welty and Anton Chekhov I am overwhelmed by the number of people whose work I use... Why are we so surprised when coincidences happen? Are we really that separate?
Petr MikhailovichBitsilli was born in 1879 in Russia. He became a professor in 1917 and taught and lectured in Odessa. He could not agree with the changes which took place in Russia after October Revolution of 1917 and in 1920 had to leave Russia. Since that time lived and taught history and literature in Sofia University, Bulgaria. In 25 years of his teaching career he developed 78 lecture courses on different historical issues. He is also an author of one of the most interesting works on Russian writers, Anton Chekhov included. P.M. Bitsilli he passed away in 1953 and is buried in Sofia. His books are gradually returning to Russia, the first one published in St.Petersburg in 1995.
When asked if she had any favorite stories Eudora Welty would always say that her favorite was the one she was working on. But if the interviewer insisted she would often mention "A Still Moment" a story which was published in her collection The Wide Net and Other Stories (1943). It is about an imaginative meeting of three historical figures Lorenzo Dow, John James Auduborn and James Murell the Bandit. It is a very unusual story. There is a bird all the three see - it is a white heron. The heron in the story is snowy white, it is solitary and it feeds beside the marsh water. The time of the day is sunset and the bird is sen by the three in its serene, shy beauty. "But before them the white heron rested in the grass with the evening all around it, lighter and more serene than the evening, flight closed in its body, the circuit of its beauty closed, a bird seen and a bird still, its motion calm as if it were offered: Take my flight..." It seemed to me that this picture taken by Eric Lincoln is a perfect embodiment of what Eudora Welty described.
I am often asked if there are any books by Miss Welty in Russian. Yes there are. Her novel Optimist's Daughter is translated and piblished twice. As a separate edition in 1975 and in one volume together with fiction by Katherine Anne Porter, 1991. A collection of stories was also published in 1981
When Barbara Smith told me that we are going to Eudora Welty's Birthday party I did not know what to think of it. After all we were not invited, right? No, said Barbara, everyone is invited! Well, I did not know what to think of it plus I have never been to a Birthday party of a famous writer... so we both put our Sunday clothes and went. Lemuria Bookstore parking lot was packed. The hall within was air conditioned and decorated with balloons and flowers. Everyone was excited. There were at least 500 people present and everyone was waiting for Miss Welty to arrive, which she did in due timing. I am glad there was just one candle in her cake - rather then 85 and after it was blown away the party was open. There were lots of telegrams from friends and admirers from all over the world, among which was a telegram from US president Bill Clinton.
In April of 1994 I was greeted at Jackson International Airport by a group from Christ United Methodis Church (CUMC), on whose invitation I came to the USA. We met each other in Krasnodar where a group from CUMC was on a missionary outreach. They came to share God's love and then, in the long run, maybe establish a Methodist Church in Krasnodar, Russia. The church was never established, but many friendships got started then. The friendship of my extended family with Bill and Barbara Smith is one of those. Now we think of ourselves as family, blood relations, and we are very happy and grateful for bringing us together - God does work in mysterious ways. It was a wonderful visit - a dream comming true. The Smiths were my host family and if I have ever been in a state of bliss this is certainly in their hospitable home. I had speaking appointments and I shared about Russia with whoever came to listen - hope it was not a waste of time and money for them. And Barbara Smith took me all over literary Mississippi and introduced me into real southern hospitality - what a special treat! Today 15 years down the road the memories of that April in Jackson warm my heart and I am grateful for everyone who made the trip possible and Bill and Barbara most of all!
I was invited to give a lecture to a group of missionaries from Christ United Methodis Church from Jackson, Mississippi and I was thrilled. The lecture was to take place in Krasnodar Natural history museum and it was supposed to be about the history of the area where I lived. I greeted the group and gave them the historic update but then, by the end of the lecture as I was about to finish I told them that I was happy to meet them. I told them that their group was special since it came from Jackson, Miss. And Mississippi has been on my mind since I read All the King's Men by R.P.Warren. I have also told them that I loved W.Faulkner and E.Welty and my PH.D. was in literature of the American South. The group was impressed - they were not prepared to meet in some distant Russian Krasnodar someone who would know much about them and their place even if only through the eyes of the southern writers. I was invited to come to Jackson to make the first hand acquaintance. This is how I came to visit Jackson Mississippi in the spring of 1994.
I love language and literature, I love reading and sharing about what I have read. I am posting in English for the English speaking part of my friends and family. I have a website in Russian with eactly same posts
