Tropical Moment

It was sunny out this afternoon.  So I took the opportunity to wander around Soho to some of my favourite shops to look at what was new for Spring.  Even though it was quite nippy, I had a tropical moment. At R by 45rpm there was a lovely, lush mini-tropical rain forest at the entrance of the shop.  It made me stop for a second before entering.  Past the greenery, there was their usual special, gorgeous cotton and denim, amid the soothing incense aroma.

R by 45rpm

169 Mercer Street (btw Houston & Prince)

New York, NY 10012

(917) 237 0045

www.rby45rpm.com

Bright Spot

Last night, after dinner, my lovely friend spontaneously presented me with a tulip.  It has brightened up what were two very dreary days.

The Moment When I Realised It Was Easter

I was cruising down Prince Street when I saw this

And this

And this

And then this

Bunnies: The Nymphenburg Porcelain Collection

E.R. Butler & Co.

55 Prince Street

New York, NY 10012

(212) 925 3565

By Appointment Only

Sixties Moment

I ran into the Flowers Cafe twice yesterday to grab some tea and lunch.  By far, the best part of the experience was the 60's collage at the back of the cafe.  The fellow behind the counter proudly told me that his daughter had made it.  I love that "The Birds" and "Zabriskie Point" are included.  I only miss my beloved Beach Boys.

Flowers Cafe

355 Grand Street (btw Essex & Ludlow)

New York, NY 10002

(212) 777 8785

Springtime Reminder

It's another grey, rainy day today.  I'm posting this image of Jefferson Market Garden from yesterday to remind myself that this rain is here to bring out more blooms and make all the gardens more verdant in the coming months.

Another Autobiography

I just tore through another autobiography.  This time, it's not exactly an entertainment biography, but close.  I have just read, "Love Child" by Allegra Huston.  She is the daughter of Ricki Soma, John Julius Norwich and John Huston.  Yes, that John Huston.  And, yes, there are two fathers.  I'm sure the attraction is now obvious - child of famous director, colourful characters, colourful adventures and name-dropping.

The highlights of the name-dropping proportion of the book are Jack Nicholson and Ryan O'Neal.  Her description of O'Neal goes a long way in explaining to me why the O'Neal offspring have been a handful, to put it mildly.

What I am left with, after putting the book down, is the story of a rarefied childhood, spent shunted from one place to another, trying to fit in and keep up with a family of extraordinary characters.  They are certainly fun to read about, but not necessarily to live with.  Her discomfort is pretty palpable throughout.

I'm mulling over Janet Maslin's review of the book in The New York Times.  Maslin points to what can be read between the lines and what is left unsaid.  I would have found the book far more satisfying if there had been more details and more said, but quite a few of the characters are still alive.

Love Child

by Allegra Huston

Illustrated. 289 Pages.

Simon & Schuster

Boyfriend Present

I love the gift-giving process.  Contemplating and selecting the right present for someone I know gives me a lot of pleasure.  I love receiving presents as well, but that's another post.

The boyfriend had a birthday last weekend.  For months I had thought I knew exactly what I was going to get him, having done the research at Christmas.  Then on the spur of the moment, I went to Dashwood Books.  The boyfriend and I have a history of going to photography shows: Lee Freedlander at MOMA; Stephen Shore at ICP; Ten Years in Focus: The Artist and the Camera at the Getty; William Eggleston at The Whitney.  Why not a good photography monograph?

At the store, David Strettell was lovely.  I threw the names of a couple of photographers at him and he pulled books from the shelves for me to consider.  Then I talked about my personal preferences and he pulled more books for me to enjoy.

Forty-five minutes later, I settled on Robert Adams' "The New West" and Henry Wessel's "Night Walk."  Present-hunting aside, I loved learning about why Sam Haskin's "Five Girls" was special.  Apart from the great-looking girls, the printing process produced very rich, grainy textures and deep, deep blacks.  I was more mesmerised by the blacks than anything else in the images.  Leafing through Slim Aaron's "A Wonderful Time" was just a pleasure.  The boyfriend loved the monographs.

There are all kinds of other places to find a boyfriend present or find a photography monograph, but why would I deny myself the great guidance and fun of going to Dashwood Books?

Dashwood Books

33 Bond Street

New York, NY 10012

(212) 387 8520

Early Spring Blossoms

I'm always thrilled when I see the first blossoms on the trees.  Elsewhere, there are little buds on branches, promising more blossoms to come.

Guilty Pleasure

I've been spending the past couple of late nights and late mornings indulging in one of my favourite guilty pleasures: an entertainment autobiography!  Many hours under the covers with George Hamilton's many, many, many lively adventures!  Hamilton led a colourful life before he got into the movie business.  Then...  The book is exactly what I want from a showbiz biography - sex, name-dropping, more sex, colourful characters and more sex.  Hamilton didn't exactly make a lot of really great movies, though I love "Two Weeks in Another Town," and am very fond of "A Light in the Piazza."  Who knew the story of how he got into the latter would be almost more fun than the lovely Florentine travelogue?

I'll just end with why Hamilton's mother never sought to be a movie star herself:

It was too hard, too demanding, and the moral cost was too high.  Sharing an insight with me culled from her earlier movie foray, she once told me that  in 1930s Hollywood, with the casting couch system running full tilt, for a woman to become a star she would probably have had to sleep with the entire studio.  Example: the casting director to get the role; the producers and directors to keep the role; the camera, makeup and lighting men to make sure you looked good; the editor, so he didn't leave your best work on the cutting room floor; and so on and so on.

A very juicy read.

Don't Mind If I Do

By George Hamilton and William Stadiem

Illustrated. 306 pages.

Touchstone