Still more adventures in research

A way long time ago, during the British Invasion of the mid-'60s, I had a medium-size crush on a British rock-n-roller named Ian Whitcomb. His big hit was "You Turn Me On" and I remember he was a pretty enthusiastic showman on programs like Shindig and Hullabaloo. But even on his first rock album, he had what was probably an old British music-hall song called "Poor But Honest", and he later had a hit with an old Al Jolson tune, "Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go With Friday on Saturday Night?" And of course, he went on from there to become a much-respected historian of old British music-hall tunes, with his own radio show: I saw him in concert at the Huntington Library several years ago, gray-haired, slender, and cute as ever. He passed away in April of 2020 - I have heard, from COVID, though on-line it's listed as complications from a stroke suffered 8 years previously.


He had an office and did research at the Huntington Library, and this book - After the Ball - is an enormously entertaining and well-researched history of popular music, from the origins of Tin Pan Alley in the 1890s (and what came BEFORE Tin Pan Alley) up to the 1960s. I have no idea if anyone out there is interested in the history of music, but it's great fun and makes a good break between reading student research papers at the end of the semester. (Not that the research papers aren't very good also...)

Back when I was attending the University of Bordeaux in the early '70s, the American students in Dorm B used to take "study breaks" in the evening - meaning we'd cruise to the kitchenettes on the 2nd and 4th floors and spend 15 or 30 or 45 minutes just talking to each other - something the French girls generally didn't do. Reading "After the Ball" is in the nature of "taking a study break." The other "study break" reading I'm doing is this:

a fairly horrifying but extremely entertaining survey of the more appalling things that people used to think would cure illnesses. (Crocodile-dung suppositories, anyone?) 

That said, it's pouring-down rain here in LA and time for me to get back to work. Study break's over.




 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sample Post

Image
     A girl once went to the fair to hire herself for servant. At last a funny-looking old gentleman engaged her, and took her home to his house. When she got there, he told her that he had something to teach her, for that in his house he had his own names for things.      He said to her, "What will you call me?"    " Master or mister, or whatever you please, sir," says she.      He said, "You must call me master of all masters . And what would you call this?" he said pointing to his bed.      "Bed or couch, or whatever you please, sir."     " No, that's my barnacle . And what do you call these?" said he, pointing to his pantaloons.     "Breeches or trousers, or whatever you please, sir."     "You must call them squibs and crackers . And what would you call her?" he said pointing to the cat.     "Cat or kit, or whatever you please, sir."     "You must call her white-faced simminy . "     &quo
Read more

The Iron Princess

Image
  The Iron Princess - my first fantasy novel in 16 years - will be available February 28: pre-order on Amazon is available now. It's a story I've worked on, on and off, for almost ten years, and I'm delighted that it's finally going to see print. As I think I've said before, it involves Princess Clyaris - Clea, known to her friends and followers as the Iron Princess (in contrast to her older sister, the Golden Princess) - and her complicated battle against not only otherworld monstrosities, but her own family. Like Queen Elizabeth I, she has to pick her way around the debris of her father's matrimonial chaos while trying to figure out who is responsible for the appearance of these deadly - and rapidly multiplying - creatures, when it may in fact be Dear Old Dad... or somebody who's using him as a pawn. The fact that she has to blackmail the most evil wizard in the world into working for her doesn't help matters. Fingers crossed!
Read more

An Evening in the Park

Image
My apologies, yet again, for the long delay between posts. On top of it being a very stressful semester (since February) the past two weeks have been - not good. Once the final mopping-up is done all will be well. A welcome high spot was a twilight picnic with friends at the Old Zoo Meadow in Griffith Park, to see the Independent Shakespeare Company do "Julius Caesar." It's not my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, but I always enjoy the ISC (who are in a different union than the Screen Actors Guild, and they came out and announced their solidarity with SAG and the Writers before the show). The production was wonderful - in many ways very Shakespearean, because it was all done on a single stage with nothing but four or five cubes for props; all done with words, and sound effects, and lighting, and sheer excellent, creative direction. (The costumes had a vaguely Klingon vibe that was very effective). I had a couple of minor quibbles with some of the choices made in the p
Read more