Author: Nicole Carpenter
Word Search – Westport Firefighters
Obnoxious Fledglings: Reviews for May 14th
Jerks in Connecticut History is an entertaining introduction to some of Connecticut’s most infamous characters, including circus man P. T. Barnum and the treacherous Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. Each chapter focuses on a single figure from the Nutmeg state’s past, whose personalities certainly prove themselves to live up to title, and recounts their notorious antics. While the profiles are comical and might be a good first read for casual audiences, those looking to get into the true stories of these individuals would be better served in picking up another piece of writing.
I’m an art lover but never counted myself as a person interested in the ins and outs of how art is collected or curated. The Collector’s Apprentice opened up what I soon learned was the fascinating world of artists, agents, collectors for me.
Set in the 1920s in Paris and Philadelphia, the book makes use of many true facts about the world-renowned Barnes Foundation in Pennsylvania– widely considered one of the most important catalogs of modern art in the world. Barnes was a visionary who saw the value of modern artists we accept as masters today but who were mocked in their hearly careers: Matisse, Picasso and others. —Both a museum and educational institution, the Barnes has also been the focus of controversy over its nearly 100-year history.
In B.A. Shapiro’s novel, the Barnes becomes the “Bradley” and Dr. Barnes becomes Dr. Bradley. The institution’s struggles also take the stage while main characters are thinly veiled versions of their real-life counterparts. A good number of the book’s events are only barely altered from life. Real individuals such as Matisse, Gertrude and Leo Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Zelda Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway also make appearances.
The plotline centers on protagonist Pauline Mertens/Vivienne Gregsby who runs from the scandal and ruin she brought upon her wealthy Belgian family and then reinvents herself as apprentice to Dr. Bradley. But Vivienne finds herself in the midst of more scandal as his right-hand woman. The Collector’s Apprentice has sex, scams and murder all of which make for tantalizing reading but these were not the most thrilling parts of the book. Instead, seeing giants of modern history with all their human foibles rather from behind a velvet museum rope beyond which their work is hung, was exciting and inspired me to read and learn more about their world. The Collector’s Apprentice will appeal to art-lovers, aficionados of the Roaring Twenties, modern art mavens and anyone who likes a good story.
Set in the 1920s in Paris and Philadelphia, the book makes use of many true facts about the world-renowned Barnes Foundation in Pennsylvania– widely considered one of the most important catalogs of modern art in the world. Barnes was a visionary who saw the value of modern artists we accept as masters today but who were mocked in their hearly careers: Matisse, Picasso and others. —Both a museum and educational institution, the Barnes has also been the focus of controversy over its nearly 100-year history.
In B.A. Shapiro’s novel, the Barnes becomes the “Bradley” and Dr. Barnes becomes Dr. Bradley. The institution’s struggles also take the stage while main characters are thinly veiled versions of their real-life counterparts. A good number of the book’s events are only barely altered from life. Real individuals such as Matisse, Gertrude and Leo Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Zelda Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway also make appearances.
The plotline centers on protagonist Pauline Mertens/Vivienne Gregsby who runs from the scandal and ruin she brought upon her wealthy Belgian family and then reinvents herself as apprentice to Dr. Bradley. But Vivienne finds herself in the midst of more scandal as his right-hand woman. The Collector’s Apprentice has sex, scams and murder all of which make for tantalizing reading but these were not the most thrilling parts of the book. Instead, seeing giants of modern history with all their human foibles rather from behind a velvet museum rope beyond which their work is hung, was exciting and inspired me to read and learn more about their world. The Collector’s Apprentice will appeal to art-lovers, aficionados of the Roaring Twenties, modern art mavens and anyone who likes a good story.
Focus On: Diane Benke & Family
“We have lived in Westport 10 ½ years. I am a stay at home mom & amateur triathlete/swimmer. My husband works in finance in NYC. He is working from home.
We’ve settled finally into a routine after 5 weeks. My biggest challenge is keeping my two boys 1) academically engaged/challenged with the homeschooling, 2) having them physically active and 3) preventing them from spending too much time on video games! Managing a household and maintaining “order” with everyone home is a challenge – my work has increased in terms of parenting, rule and chore setting but also keeping everyone in good spirits, etc.
I feel like folks are managing the best they can. Some are giving back by setting up donations to Gillespie Center or making masks and distributing them, collecting for food banks etc. Others are helping their neighbors in need (who are vulnerable and can’t leave their homes). Folks are trying to reach out to one another with zoom calls, and small acts of kindness (just checking in on how we are doing) etc. Like anywhere else, situations like this one can bring out the best and worst in people. I try to look for the good. We’ve participated in birthday drive-by parades for my children’s friends.
My father is a holocaust survivor and my mother grew up in Slovakia under communism so I try to keep perspective that this situation could be way worse. Seeing bare shelves at the supermarket gives me a sense of what it was like for my mother growing up with limited produce and grocery options. I try not to complain because my father told me he was under house arrest for two years (only able to get out once a week for two hours). I am trying to teach my children resilience, perseverance and gratitude by example. I’ve learned how to dig deep from endurance sports and the long-distance races I’ve participated in. There is a moment in the training or race where it gets tough, and you get through it. Life is a roller coaster. There is hardship and suffering, but experiencing the lows, make the high points that much richer.
Life is a roller coaster. There is hardship and suffering, but experiencing the lows, make the high points that much richer.
My fears are that our lives will never be the same – that we won’t be as social or interact with one another as much as we did before. I fear that the new norm will be life behind a computer screen, phone, face mask and closed doors. I mourn less travel and larger group events like concerts or Broadway shows. I don’t want to lose what is special about the human experience – connecting with each other on a personal and deep level. My greatest hope is that we learn from this pandemic in multiple ways. I hope we learn to be more present, to treat the environment and one another better. I hope we practice gratitude and come out of this stronger, better prepared to deal with adversity.
I am grateful that we have made a home in Westport and it is a true community. During this pandemic and stay at home order, we’ve been able to connect with our local friends, support local restaurants and businesses. I believe that what you put out in the world comes back to you — and the relationships we’ve made in town are helping us get through this together. Westport has so much to offer from its beaches to its cultural and educational resources – much of this still exists but in a different format. I am grateful for my children’s’ teachers and the daily assignments they’ve created (how quickly the Westport education system prepared for this!).”
Focus On: Michelle Murphy & Family
As I write this, we are in week six of social distancing. Although I have less fear than six weeks ago, I am still wary of the unknown and what the future looks like. The lead up the week schools closed knowing it was coming but not knowing how long it would last and what social distancing “looks like” was a bit daunting. I still don’t understand the right answer to that, which is tough. I do think (and hope) there are responsible ways that we will be able to visit with family and friends as we come out of this quarantine, but in the meantime, we will just wait and see. We are fortunate that the weather is warmer and hopefully sunny days will allow for outdoor social distancing.
The biggest change for us has been to be able to sit down to dinner with my kids every night. I had started traveling a fair amount for work before this started so between that, volunteer work and other social commitments I was always on the go. Time is something that we don’t get back and I look at this chapter of our lives as a gift because I am able to slow down and spend time with my children that I wouldn’t otherwise have had.
Professionally, I have shifted my work hours to accommodate the needs of my family but fortunately I have the flexibility to do that. Socially, I am still able to connect with family and friends thanks to technology so it is not as isolating. And to some degree there are people I “see” more now than I did before we were told to stay at home. The other big change is school! I come from a family of educators so I have always had an appreciation for teachers and their roles in the development of children…but this takes it to a whole new level. The older kids (7th and 9th grade) are more self-sufficient but working through 4th grade learning is tough so a big thank you to all the teachers out there working hard to keep our kids on track. For the kids, I think missing the routine of school, friends and social activities is tough. We were looking forward to a spring of baseball, lacrosse and dance.
I think that everyone is doing the best they can and that is all we can hope for. This is unchartered territory for all of us – town leadership, educators, first responders, small business owners, parents, children, even pets! All we can do as a community is look out for each other and have empathy. Everyone handles stress differently and we have to accept that without judgement, which is easier said than done. Town leadership has been very communicative from the beginning and I feel that has helped alleviate some of the unknowns, along with the many resources available. Watching the community come together for organizations such as Westport Food Fund and Food for the Front Lines has been heartwarming and inspiring. We need to help our neighbors because we never know when we will need them to help us.
All we can do as a community is look out for each other and have empathy
Becoming a divorced mother of 3 when my kids were under the age of 7 forced me to accept that which we have no control over. I learned that I could feel all the emotions that one has, going through traumatic experiences, but I couldn’t marinate in those feelings as I needed to be present for my children. Every day I reminded myself it could always be worse, and that is true in today’s current environment. We can’t let fear bring us down, we need to stay strong and positive and take comfort in knowing that we are truly all in this together. I was taught a long time ago and try to instill it in my children now to find something beautiful in every day. Just because there are clouds, it doesn’t mean the sun is gone. When people ask me now, how I am doing, my answer is always – I am healthy, my kids and my loved ones are healthy, I am still employed with a roof over my head, food on the table and for the most part I am still sane. I have nothing to complain about.
I hope that a year from now the country is in a place where we have the vaccinations and immunities needed to combat this virus. I hope that families that have lost loved ones during this time find peace. I hope that my children remember this period of time fondly albeit challenging. I hope when they think back, they remember the gift of time they got to spend with family. I hope that we all come out of this as better people. It is amazing how quickly this pandemic has changed the way many view the world. Things that used to seem so important no longer are. It’s all about perspective and I hope that people remember that. My hope is that hope beats out fear. My greatest fear is not knowing if I am doing enough to keep my kids safe both mentally and physically, or something happening to me that would prevent me from being there or being able to provide for them.
I recently did one of those “what does your birthday month say about you” gimmicks and the message for mine was: “no matter how tough life gets you have a way of always keeping hope alive for yourself and your loved ones. You smile, even when you’re sad because you will never give up, even when the going gets tough.” I think this is very apropos to who I am not just today, but every day. Hang in there Westport – we are strong and we will get through this together. Sending a big virtual hug to you all.