WEEK 18, 2021

Public Domain

In Arthur Conan Doyle’s very short “The Field Bazaar,” Sherlock Holmes (L) deduces what Dr. Watson is thinking by watching him reading a letter, not a newspaper, as in the case, here, of “The Five Orange Pips.” Sidney Paget’s illustration is from The Strand Magazine.

Literature ‘The Field Bazaar’ at 125 Years—Sherlock Holmes and the Importance of Trifles The mystery of the story and the character

Sean Fitzpatrick is very much alive in the story’s tiny mys- The tery, as it furthers the saga-shifting concept characters The n 1886, a struggling 27-year-old phy- of apocryphal writings—a suspicion that Dr. Watson (L) sician named Arthur Conan Doyle has egged scholars on and enticed the intel- and Sherlock towering made a fateful decision that was in- lects of readers for over a century, and shall, Holmes are tended simply to pay the bills, but that God willing, for centuries to come. beloved around mystery of the world. The would end up enriching the world. Sherlock statues, erected IHe published a novella featuring an ec- The Bizarre Origin of in 1997, are Holmes is centric consulting detective by the name of ‘The Field Bazaar’ near the British Sherlock Holmes. With “A Study in Scarlet” While writing these stories proved suc- Embassy in very much appearing in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in cessful in covering Doyle’s costs of liv- Moscow. 1887, the stage was set for what would prove ing, Sherlock Holmes himself came with alive in one of the greatest archetypical creations a price—time and energy. “He takes my the tiny in the history of literature. mind from better things,” Doyle wrote And yet, it was a creation Doyle would before releasing “The Final Problem” in mystery of destroy, only to realize later that he had 1893, where he finally disposed of his prob- started something too powerful for him lem and dispatched Sherlock Holmes for ‘The Field to end. And one of the initial white flags good and all, plunging him to his death Bazaar.’ that Doyle was forced to wave to appease a beneath Switzerland’s Reichenbach Falls disapproving public was a trifle in the form in a struggle with his archnemesis, Pro- of a charming exchange between Holmes fessor James Moriarty. “Killed Holmes,” and his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, Doyle wrote tersely in his diary, and his titled “The Field Bazaar,” published in 1896, readership was shocked and dismayed, 125 years ago this year. wore mourning bands in public, and shed As Mr. Holmes remarked, “there is noth- tears in private over the impossible pages ing so important as trifles,” and if it is any- of The Strand. thing, “The Field Bazaar” is a trifle. The -tow Shutterstock ering mystery of Sherlock Holmes, however, Continued on Page 4 Irina Afonskaya/ VA

B22 | ARTS & CULTURE TUESDAY,Week MAY 18, 4, 2021 TUESDAY,Week 18, 2021 MAY 4, 2021 ARTS & CULTURE |B3 3

BARANQ/SHUTTERSTOCK LITERATURE program or just for enjoyment. ough I can’t put my hands on the book, I remember William Kilpatrick’s “Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right From Wrong” included a  ne list of books for Pointing Us in the younger children and for teenagers, all of them aimed at inculcating morality Right Direction: and virtue in their readers. Good Books ‘Books about books’ constitute one of

my favorite genres Looking for a for reading. “Honey for a Child’s Heart” good book? About Great suggests books that will Here are terrific instill morality in a child. resources for Online Resources finding terrific books. Here, we need to exercise caution. When Books I Googled “best books for teens,” for example, one site that popped up sug- leLatin.com/ and click on “Books and classes were students unfamiliar with cer- gested 20 books that teens should read Summer Reading.” tain commonplace nursery rhymes. Some JEFF MINICK an impressive list of “Books Read” and before leaving high school. None of the One excellent list of books for teens had only a vague notion of our Founding another of “Books Bought.” Hornby ex- books were older than 80 years, and may be found online at “Best Classic and our Constitution, or had little or no henever I write for presses himself with humor and wit, nearly all of them were written in the Books for Teens (141 Books).” Here, as knowledge of American  gures like John e Epoch Times or and blends passions other than litera- last three decades. When you look over well as classics like “ e Odyssey” and and Abigail Adams, Booker T. Washington, other outlets about ture into these reviews, with soccer and such a list, be vigilant and discerning to “Jane Eyre,” we  nd books by writers and eodore Roosevelt. books, which is fre- music at the top of the list. see if the recommendations align with like Roald Dahl, T.H. White, and Patricia One mission of e Epoch Times is the quently, a reader or two If you’re looking for a collection that your values. Search out online reviews, MacLachlan. celebration and preservation of culture. willW email me asking if I might send includes modern books and classics, an and read the description of the book, its Sections in the paper like “Arts & Cul- them a list of authors and titles worth enormous variety of subjects, and an er- characters, and its plot before handing Shared Reading ture,” “Life & Tradition,” “Home,” and their while. Most of them are looking udite author who like Dirda and Hornby it over to your child. One of the great joys of reading is a book “Mind & Body” all include many articles for suggestions for their children and is an inveterate reader, “1,000 Books to If you’re looking for the classics, the shared with a friend. Using the resourc- that emphasize handing over the gifts grandchildren, seeking to supplement Read Before You Die” should make the “Great Books List” from the Charlemagne es mentioned above, we can easily or- from the past to the present generation. their education with quality literature top of the list as well. James Mustich used Institute o ers a  ne online compila- ganize a book club for ourselves or for We can all take part in this mission by and histories. A few are autodidacts to write the reviews for selected books for tion of such works. Here, editor Annie our children. Young people  nd such actively engaging with history, the arts, who, feeling that they are missing some his catalog, “A Common Reader,” which Holmquist contacted various classical get-togethers to discuss a shared book and the customs of our ancestors; in other fundamental part of their education, was cause for celebration every time it schools, both private and public, asked an incentive for reading the book in the words, by reading books. seek books to  ll those gaps. arrived in my mail. In “1,000 Books,” he what their students were reading, and  rst place, but they also see them as just e guides mentioned here—and these ough my responses are, I am certain, displays the talents honed in producing made a list of the most popular of these plain fun. Several of my grandchildren are but a fraction of what is available— sometimes inadequate, these inquisitive that catalog and creates a treasure house books for grades K–12. Some parents and have participated in these clubs and re- point us to titles and authors that can help folks have in one sense come to the right of titles and authors. teachers might be taken aback by some turn home excited by the conversation accomplish that task. All we have to do is guy. “Books about books” constitute one While writing this article, I randomly of these titles, particularly for the high James Mustich’s book and their friends. pick up these tools and put them to use. of my favorite genres for reading. opened “1,000 Books” and found myself school grades, and shake their heads, includes modern books and e same holds true for adults. A book In my home library are a dozen or in the “K” section. Here, in alphabeti- believing that famous works like “ e classics, on an enormous club can serve as a springboard into Je Minick has four children and a more such books, ranging in size from cal order by author were Roger Kahn’s Aeneid” or Sophocles’s “ eban Plays” variety of subjects. reading the great classics or sharing growing platoon of grandchildren. Men’s Versatile Polo Nick Hornby’s plump “Ten Years in the baseball book, “ e Boys of Summer,” are too di cult for young people today. some worthwhile contemporary works. For 20 years, he taught history, Tub: A Decade Soaking in Great Books” Madeleine Kamman’s “When French Not so. I taught some of the books on literature, and Latin to seminars of to Michael Dirda’s slim and elegant Women Cook,” and MacKinlay Kantor’s the Charlemagne Institute list to classes Who’s Noah? homeschooling students in Asheville, Sign up to our newsletter and “Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Civil War  ctional masterpiece, “An- of homeschoolers, and though some of In one of the books I looked over while N.C. He is the author of two novels, Life.” Roberto Cotroneo makes far fewer dersonville.” ese entries demonstrate my students struggled—and probably a preparing this article—I can’t recollect “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On  eir save 10% off your first order. recommendations in “Letters to My Son Mustich’s broad knowledge of literature few never read the assigned texts—the the book—a professor recounted an in- Wings,” and two works of non- ction, on the Love of Books,” but writes beauti- and his skill in delivering concise and majority had the ability to understand cident from his classroom. At one point “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make fully about the power of literature and exquisite reviews. Along with his evalu- these classics. An example: To see a list during a discussion, a student raised his  e Man.” Today, he lives and writes its e ect on our lives. ation of each book, he also o ers readers of the books I intended to teach at the hand and asked, “Who’s Noah?” in Front Royal, Va. See Je Minick. www.ShenYunDancer.com Somewhere in my collection—messy short lists of other related works. end of my career, please go to Ashevil- is ignorance is not unusual. In my own com to follow his blog. and scattered from packing and unpack- ing for an anticipated For the Kids move that has yet to Many excellent books occur—is Pat Conroy’s of recommended read- user-friendly “My Read- ing for our young people ing Life.” Two books— are available. Given that Emma Beare’s “501 contemporary chil- Must-Read Books” and dren’s literature some- What People Are Saying James Mustich’s “1,000 times favors political Books to Read Before correctness or consists You Die: A Life-Chang- of propaganda for cer- ing List—stand side by tain social causes, par- side and are together ents might consider over 3 inches thick. turning to guides that e public library of- stress either older books fers a wealth of such or morality in literature. titles, and the internet A favorite reference I read The Epoch Times daily. I congratulate you and sports many sites rec- in our family when my I still like hard papers […] and The Epoch Times for the work ommending all sorts of kids were young was I still like to grab that paper in you are doing, especially with literary works. Gladys Hunt’s “Honey my hand, but I get more printed regard to keeping the menace of So let’s grab a chair Author Michael Dirda, who for a Child’s Heart.” and take a look together wrote “Book by Book” won Aimed at children age versions of stories than ever the communist threat in front of us. at some guides to great the  Pulitzer Prize for 14 and younger, “Honey before. You guys have done an DR. SEBASTIAN GORKA literature. Criticism. for a Child’s Heart” has Military and intelligence analyst and sold more than 250,000 amazing job, and really—I think former deputy assistant to the president there’s such a void in media, Advice From 3 Bibliophiles copies over the years, and there’s a rea- We’ll start with Michael Dirda’s “Book son for that success. Hunt is a book especially newspapers. They by Book: Notes on Reading and Life.” enthusiast and an expert on children’s slant so solidly one way that Dirda, who in 1993 won the Pulitzer literature who o ers encouragement to there are very few papers that Prize for Criticism, divides his book parents along with an outstanding book I can really feel that I can rely on, into topical chapters like “ e Pleasures list by grade. To gain a sense of her lit- of Learning,” “Work and Leisure,” and erary voice, let’s listen to her thoughts and The Epoch Times is one. “ e Books of Love,” and  lls each of from Chapter 1: “Children and books SEAN HANNITY I rely on The Epoch Times these chapters with go together in a special Talk show host newspaper for factual and quotations, short liter- way. I can’t imagine any unbiased news coverage. ary essays, and reviews pleasure greater than of many books. bringing to the unclut- LARRY ELDER As Dirda writes in his tered, supple mind of Best-selling author, attorney, Preface, “Over the past a child the delight of and talk show host fifty years I’ve spent knowing the many rich a lot of time—some things God has given us might say an inordinate to enjoy. Parents have amount of time—in the this wonderful privi- The Epoch Times is a company of books,” and lege, and books are thank heaven he did. their keenest tools.” great place where you can His lifetime of reading For this same age understand traditional and writing has en- group, E.D. Hirsch values in a way and in a tone It’s our favorite paper. It’s the first riched our literature. If and John Holdren and through content that is one we read. Thank you so much you like “Book by Book,” put together “Books accessible. It’s smart. for your reporting of the news. try another of Dirda’s to Build On: A Grade- books from my collec- Nick Hornby writes long by-Grade Resource CARRIE SHEFFIELD PAUL GOSAR tion, “Readings: Essays reviews and expresses himself Guide for Parents and Columnist and broadcaster U.S. representative for Arizona and Literary Entertain- with humor and wit. Teachers.” Hirsch, who Original artworks, canvas wraps, ments,” his collection of is known for his advo- art posters, and framed prints of essays on the joys of books and reading. cacy of cultural literacy and as the au- Learn more at EpochSubscription.com Novelist Nick Hornby’s “Ten Years in thor of a book by the same name, and Award-winning oil paintings the Tub” has introduced me to many who edited the Core-Knowledge Series, now available for purchase at authors and books unfamiliar to me. gives us in this compendium of book Hornby wrote these long reviews, which recommendations for math, language InspiredOriginal.Org TRUTH AND TRADITION re ect his own tastes and eccentrici- arts, history, geography, and more, all ties, for the literary and arts magazine by school grade level. Here is good, solid “ e Believer.” Each review begins with material useful for a home education B44 | ARTS & CULTURE TUESDAY,Week MAY 18, 4, 2021 TUESDAY,Week 18, 2021MAY 4, 2021 ARTS & CULTURE |B5 5

PUBLIC DOMAIN LITERATURE The closest Sherlock Holmes comes to saying “Elementary, ‘The Field Bazaar’ at 125 Years—Sherlock my dear Watson,” although he doesn’t, is in Holmes and the Importance of Trifles “The Crooked Man.” The British Library. The mystery of the story and the character

PUBLIC DOMAIN Continued from PageB1 1 all remember the indignation aroused cricket club’s field, the very matter that by the death of the redoubtable detec- Doyle himself was undertaking in writ- Soon the widespread anguish over tive, a few years ago. This is the only ing the story, giving it a charming self- Holmes’s demise gave way to wide- ‘Sherlock Holmes’ story published since referential aspect, which is furthered by spread anger. The rebellion of readers then, and we have to offer our best Holmes’s hypothesis that Watson has was rumored. In the words of Doyle: thanks to the writer for his kindness in determined to recount their exchange as “I was amazed at the concern ex- thus helping us and the Bazaar.” his contribution to the bazaar—again, pressed by the public. They say a man Though Holmes was still dead, for the the very thing that Doyle did. is never properly appreciated until he is time being, “The Adventure of the Empty This vignette, which presents an untold dead, and the general protest against my House” of 1903 proved the ultimate con- interlude before the Reichenbach affair, summary execution of Holmes taught juring and capitulation as the lead story is immediately familiar and rings with me how many and how numerous were in what would become the glorious col- authenticity. Holmes’s character is as it his friends. ‘You Brute!’ was the begin- lection of stories known as “The Return ever was, and the doctor of Bradshaw ning of a letter of remonstrance which of Sherlock Holmes.” and bowler, too, is both as awestruck one lady sent me, and I expect she spoke and self-possessing as ever. Even so, the for others beside herself … I fear I was The Controversy of ‘The Field Bazaar’ devotees of the “sacred writings” have utterly callous myself, and only glad to Arthur Conan Doyle, The sketch recounted by Doyle in “The long debated the canonical quality of Sherlock Holmes’s have a chance of opening out into new creator, in 1914. Field Bazaar” is wonderful, even though “The Field Bazaar,” with many Sherlock- fields of imagination.” it is little more than a thousand words ians and Holmesians alike refusing to As Doyle considered the pain of long—but it is not without its detrac- recognize the piece as worthy of inclu- his followers, and also contemplated tors. In it, we have the great characters sion in the recognized accounts of the what would become of 1901’s inimi- themselves just as they are best known career of Sherlock Holmes. table reminiscence, “The Hound of the and most beloved: at breakfast with The In some ways the tale is too irregular Baskervilles,” Doyle got his feet wet by Times and pipes in the sitting room of even for some Irregulars, leaving “The offering a tiny Sherlock Holmes story to 221B Baker Street. Sherlock Holmes is Field Bazaar” as one of those contested The Student—a publication of his alma up to his old tricks—a term he would territories in “The Great Game,” keeping mater, the University of Edinburgh—to certainly repudiate as a logician and no company with other disreputables such help with a fundraising bazaar for a new Holmes and Moriarty magician. as the dubious “The Mazarin Stone” and pavilion for the cricket field. The 1896 struggle at Reichenbach Using his well-known methods of ob- “The Lion’s Mane.” These latter episodes Falls, in a drawing by issue introduces the piece with glowing Sidney Paget from “The servation and deduction, Holmes seem- have endured bristling objections due pride: Final Problem,” 1893, ingly reads the mind of his frank friend, to their literary quality and glaring “Dr. A. Conan Doyle, another of our by Arthur Conan Doyle, as Dr. Watson considers whether or not inconsistencies with the other published graduates, has contributed an original which appeared in he should assist in an effort by the Uni- cases, which make them highly suspect story of the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ type. We The Strand Magazine. versity of Edinburgh to expand his old as to their authorship and canonical CC BY SA-4.0 worthiness. While “The Field Bazaar” wish to be. He is lofty enough to be an PUBLIC DOMAIN is not as controversial or outrageous, it aspiration, and low enough to be cred- The cover illustration of tends to be ranked with considerable ible. He is an emblem of every man’s de- Beeton’s Christmas Annual misgivings. sire to wage war with evil and be a noble magazine, 1887, featuring Of notable mention among the objec- righter of wrongs—to be a hero. Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A tions to “The Field Bazaar” is Holmes’s As a seemingly posthumous tidbit be- Study in Scarlet.” Beinecke strangely rude dismissal of Watson’s title fore revealing to the world that Sherlock Rare Book and Manuscript of “Doctor,” even though he did report- Holmes was not dead as presumed, “The Library, Yale University. edly receive a Doctor of Medicine degree Field Bazaar” stands as one of the im- ROSS E. DAVIS/ CC0 1.0 in “A Study in Scarlet.” And while there is portant trifles—if trifles are, as Sherlock evidence that Watson played rugby from Holmes insisted, important—denoting “The Sussex Vampire,” there is noth- this literary legacy of irresistible shadows. ing to corroborate that he ever played Only a master detective can disperse cricket. This latter point may be the true such shadows, and it is our footsteps that smoking gun (a term actually coined by should echo on those 17 steps and knock Doyle in “The Gloria Scott”). In its own at the door, seeking illumination, and small way, “The Field Bazaar” challenges responding to the call Watson heard in Holmes scholars as they test the authen- the darkness: ‘Come, Watson, come! The ticity and quality of the various cases, game is afoot.* sounding the depths of their knowledge to identify so-called apocryphal writings *For Holmes scholars: the Case of the Miss- with an eye that “sees and observes,” as ing Apostrophe. Holmes was ever wont to say. Sean Fitzpatrick serves on the faculty of Greg- Built in 1897 partly with The Mystery of Sherlock Holmes ory the Great Academy, a boarding school funds raised by sales of the issue of The Student in which But the greatest mystery of the Sherlock in Elmhurst, Pa., where he teaches humani- Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Holmes stories is, certainly, Sherlock ties. His writings on education, literature, Field Bazaar” appeared, the Holmes himself. While the stories of and culture have appeared in a number of Craiglockhart Pavilion in Sherlock Holmes conjure up a solid journals including Crisis Magazine, Catholic Holmes and Watson having a chat, very much as they do in “The Field Bazaar.” Illustration by Edinburgh, Scotland, was in world with salient iconography—the Exchange, and the Imaginative Conservative. Sidney Paget for “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.” Wellcome Library, London. 2016 being refurbished. fireplace, the pipe, the revolver, the violin, the Persian slipper, creeping fog, rushing hansom cabs, stiff corpses, subtle criminals, the outré, the exposé— the endless paradoxes and intricacies of Holmes have given rise to a fascination BEHOLD THE BEAUTY to crack the case of this extraordinary COURTESY OF THE ART RENEWAL CENTER man, to comb Watson’s memoirs for “Patient clues uncovering Holmes’s history and ‘Patient Observer’ Observer,” his inmost character, to systematically 2018, by eliminate the impossible until the truth, by Camille Engel Camille Engel. Oil on panel; however improbable, remains. 30 inches by It is not elementary, my dear Watson. LORRAINE FERRIER her oil paintings that instill 30 inches. (Neither, incidentally, does that im- depth and luminosity as light Engel’s mortal sentence exist anywhere in the In the painting “Patient bounces off the paint below, painting was canon. Holmes’s saying the word “El- Observer,” an American she states on the Art Renewal featured in ementary” in closest conjunction to his barn owl has been captured Center website. It’s a tech- the 14th saying “my dear Watson” appears in gracefully stretching out its nique called indirect paint- International “The Adventure of the Crooked Man,” wing, revealing a fan of gray, ing, which began during the Virtual where they are separated by 52 words.) white, and brown feathers Northern Renaissance with ARC Salon Despite such studies and discover- that could almost disappear Flemish masters such as Jan Exhibition ies, Holmes remains a puzzle of a man, into the stone barn wall. The van Eyck. (2019– 2020). full of contradictions and inconsisten- owl gazes out of the painting According to her website, cies, a problem in and of himself that as if something has caught its Tennessee-based Engel is cries for solution. He is a dispassionate attention, making us wonder captivated by details, and it’s machine commanding a melodramatic if we are observing the owl, or due to that passion that she’s kingdom, scientifically replacing drama if the owl is observing us. won many awards. In 2018, with science in the most dramatic fash- Ordinarily, a painting’s title she won the International ion—both sluggard and swordsman, simply reflects the subject Guild of Realism 13th An- a civilized Bohemian, a cold-blooded matter, but in this case “Pa- nual Juried Exhibition’s Best musician—in short, a romantic ratio- tient Observer’’ can also be Wildlife Award for “Patient nalist. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave the applied to the artist, Camille Observer.’’ Last year, the world 60 Sherlock Holmes mysteries, but Engel, who must have spent same painting was featured more importantly, he gave the world the an inordinate amount of time in the 14th International mystery of Sherlock Holmes. absorbing every nuance of Virtual ARC Salon Exhibition The bizarre duality of Sherlock Holmes the owl’s colors and textures (2019–2020). is precisely why he is an important against the abandoned barn. acquaintance to both young and old To capture such details, To find out more about readers of today. Holmes is a symbol of Engel applies glazes (thin Camille Engel’s paintings, everything we are and everything we transparent paint washes) to visit Camille-Engel.com B66 | ARTS & CULTURE TUESDAY,Week MAY 18, 4, 2021 TUESDAY,Week 18, 2021 MAY 4, 2021 ARTS & CULTURE |B7 7

ALL PHOTOS BY NEAL PRESTON/TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE THEATER ‘Oedipus Rex’ and the Natural Theater

PUBLIC DOMAIN ROBERT COOPERMAN

ophocles’s “Oedipus Rex” predates us by approximately 2,500 years. By today’s standards, it should have little, if anything, to teach us. After all, it does not speak to Sthe realities of contemporary life. And if we go by today’s “realities,” almost anything cultural or philosophical has the shelf life of a cellphone: We must trade it in every year in order to remain relevant. The fact is, however, that like the inalien- able rights that Thomas Jefferson outlined in the Declaration of Independence, which the founders believed were guaranteed by “Nature’s God,” “Oedipus Rex” has stood the test of time by exemplifying what I am calling “Natural Theater.” This is theater that understands the permanence of hu- man nature and seeks to portray humanity with all its flaws, countered by all its joys, with the ever-present hope of redemption. Despite a nearly 2,300-year difference, (Left) (L–R) Matt Damon, Carla Gallo, Scarlett Johansson, Patrick Fugit, Elle Fanning, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, and Colin Ford in “We Bought a Zoo.” (Top right) Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is a the American experiment looked back to Southern Californian father who moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and reopen a struggling zoo, assisted by Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson). (Above right) Colin Ford (L) and the ancient world for an understanding Matt Damon play son and father. (Below) (L–R) Patrick Fugit, Matt Damon, and Scarlett Johansson star in this family favorite. of what it means to be human. Using this knowledge, the Founders were able to cre- ate a government and societal construct Mark Jackson grew up in Spring Val- unequaled in history. “Oedipus Rex,” then, ley, N.Y., where he attended a Waldorf FILM INSIGHTS school. At Williams College, his pro- contains the necessary elements of both fessors all suggested he write pro- the Natural Theater and the American fessionally. He acted professionally founding, making it a play that should reso- WITH MARK for 20 years instead. Now he nate strongly with American audiences. writes professionally about JACKSON acting. In the movies. Natural Theater Versus Theater of Misery The Natural Theater celebrates life as worth living. How surprising it is to reflect upon PUBLIC DOMAIN the horrors that Oedipus endures and in Thebes. In this respect, the play closely re- his destiny fulfilled, the plague upon The- POPCORN AND INSPIRATION come to the same conclusion! sembles the way many people today, unfortu- bes ends, and order is restored under the Oedipus One great difference between the Natural nately, think the government should operate. level-headed rule of Creon. With the world chooses his Theater and the Theater of Misery (the lat- Oedipus is shackled by the Oracle’s proph- righted and the design of the universe con- fate of blind- ter is the common contemporary theater ecy, even though he does not realize it at firmed, the play concludes with the chorus ness. “Blind All You Need in formula that presents unrelenting doom first. Ultimately, he is not able to escape his both praising Oedipus (“Who could behold Oedipus and gloom as the norm of everyday life) is predetermined fate, and yet he is afforded his greatness without envy?”) and showing Commend- that the Natural Theater shows suffering as one act of free will: He decides to blind empathy for him (“Count no man as happy ing His Chil- dren to the Life is 20 Seconds being, first, natural to the human condition himself rather than commit suicide when till he dies, free of pain at last”). Gods,” 1784, and, second, redemptive, as opposed to he understands that he is the murderer of As is typical of Natural Theater, there is by Bénigne unnatural and decidedly one-sided as in Laius, the former king and his father. Thus, sadness, terror, and struggle (or else, truth- Gagneraux. of Insane, Embar- the Theater of Misery. he exercises his free choice while acknowl- fully, would we have theater?). But there National edging that which is beyond his control: is also the sense that the world can be set Museum, right, just as Jefferson assumed in the Dec- Stockholm. “Apollo, friends, Apollo— laration of Independence when he noted rassing Courage Natural Theater He ordained my agonies—these, that human beings are naturally entitled Louis Bouwmeester as my pains on pains!| to “the separate and equal station to which Oedipus in a Dutch pro- understands the But the hand that struck my eyes the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God MARK JACKSON ‘We Bought a Zoo’ duction of “Oedipus was mine, entitle them.” Rex,” circa 1896. Photo permanence of human mine alone—no one else— The founders of America used their rec- D i r e c t o r by Albert Greiner. “We Bought a Zoo” (2011) was an instant Cameron Crowe nature and seeks to I did it all myself!” ognition of human frailty as the founda- children’s movie classic based on a true tion for our republic, lest we forget James story. Englishman Benjamin Mee is a Starring (Left) Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) convinces daddy that a zoo is exactly where they should live. portray humanity with The chorus challenges this decision: “How Madison’s assessment in Federalist 51 that thrill-seeking adventure columnist for The Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Colin (Right) Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) befriends Spar the tiger in the zoo he now owns. all its flaws, countered can I say you have chosen for the best/ Bet- if “men were angels, no government would Guardian newspaper, who’s made a living Ford, Maggie Elizabeth ter to die than be alive and blind.” And Oe- be necessary.” So, too, do the great plays of doing things like hunting killer bees and Jones, Thomas Haden ing. The Mees soon discover that life is no tribe—when working, they’re all equals, by all its joys, with the dipus, as is typical of him, scolds them: Natural Theater acknowledge the imper- flying into the eye of hurricanes. He lives Church, Patrick Fugit, Elle longer all about “me”(es); they have to put regardless of age. In the movie’s most dra- “What I did was best—don’t lecture me.” fections of humankind as well as the ability in the South of France. Fanning, Angus Macfadyen, the needs of others first: Multiple animals matic scene, Damon blasts young Colin, ever-present hope of His ability to choose his destiny—even for it to thrive despite those imperfections. Newspapers eventually didn’t have John Michael Higgins, J.B. need constant feeding and medication. and Colin chews the scenery right back at Smoove, Peter Riegert redemption. while accepting the natural order (as exem- This recognition is the gift that Natural The- enough money for this type of extravagant Benjamin’s older, accountant brother (the him with equal power. plified by the Oracle’s prophecy)—becomes ater bestows upon us, and it is all the more reporting, so Benjamin quit. His wife died Rated hysterical Thomas Haden Church) tries to The romantic chemistry between Benja- a badge of honor in Natural Theater. Imag- precious when we realize that our founders from a brain tumor six months prior to the PG steer his brother clear of the impending fi- min and Kelly keeps you rooting for them, The way in which Oedipus, the man, de- ine a modern-day Oedipus as depicted by looked at humanity in a very similar way. time that this story starts, leaving him to Running Time nancial disaster: “Travel the stages of grief, and the puppy love between Dylan and Lily fines himself shows us the distinction be- a practitioner of the Theater of Misery: He We must, therefore, enshrine “Oedipus bring up their 7-year-old daughter, Rosie, 2 hours, 4 minutes but stop just before zebras get involved.” is very touching. tween a Natural Theater hero and a Theater would blame all his misfortune not on God Rex” in the canon of Natural Theater. The and rebellious 13-year-old son, Dylan. Release Date There’s much preparation for the upcom- of Misery antihero. Oedipus defines him- (because God doesn’t exist) but rather on world in which Socrates wrote looked Said son is not handling his mom’s death Dec. 23, 2011 ing zoo inspection. Snooty, tape-measure- self with the simple “I am Oedipus” twice: the political machinations of a world mired nothing like the world of our founding and well, and when Dylan’s dark and disturbing brandishing state inspector Walter Ferris once at the very beginning of the play when in hatred, bigotry, and meaninglessness. In certainly not at all like our contemporary drawings of decapitations get him expelled (John Michael Higgins) is somewhat pre- ‘We Bought a Zoo’ will he is asserting his fame and prestige, and that world, Oedipus is the innocent victim world. Yet we have not been able to cast off from school, dad Benjamin gives himself dictably but also delightfully arch as the not require covering your again at the end of the play when he has irrespective of his crime of murder. the relevance of “Oedipus Rex,” nor should over to a whirlwind of change. He goes house villain, who is, naturally, a main source of discovered his own terrible destiny (“Oedi- This is, of course, not the world Sophocles we. It remains a valuable teacher whose hunting. After a long search, his real estate tension driving the movie. Higgins as Ferris children’s eyes and ears pus the King,” Robert Fagles’s translation). is depicting at all. Rather, he is portraying lessons cannot be dismissed unless and agent shows him a fantastic house in Devon, has a ton of fun nitpicking, hair-splitting, His first boast exemplifies the Theater of a world order that has temporarily lost its until humanity somehow breaks the hold England. It’s got one major complication, and reveling in his power to veto licenses every two minutes. Misery: “I am a person of infinite value”; way and must be set back on its natural that Nature’s God has on it. Don’t expect though—it comes with a zoo attached, and for such small-fry, mom-and-pop zoos. his second proclamation illustrates the path, much like our American Founding that to happen anytime soon. Benjamin ends up spending his savings, All in All

Natural Theater’s stance on worthy human Fathers encountered when their natural inheritance, and the money he made from TWENTIETH CENTURY Cast One of the movie’s best teachings is the character: “I am responsible.” right to liberty was being threatened by Robert Cooperman is the founder of Stage selling his previous home to get it. FOX FILM CORPORATION It’s a talented A-list cast creating well-de- concept that if one commits to “20 seconds It is this latter realization that allows us to the mother country, which had become a Right Theatrics, a theater company dedi- That’s all actually from the book. The fined characters, which meshes nicely with of insane, embarrassing courage” to attain sympathize with yet still admire Oedipus. hostile and invasive government. cated to the preservation of the founders’ movie version is set in California; Benja- the animal-actor cast, each of which also things one desires, good things will always Any protagonist who accepts himself or Oedipus’s fate—a combination of the vision through the arts. Originally from min Mee is played by Matt Damon, and the becomes a well-defined personality. come of it. We see examples of this demon- herself as the primary reason for his or her laws of the divine and his own free will— Queens, New York, he now lives in Colum- real estate agent is played by the hilarious Damon, 41 at the time, is hugely sympa- strated on various occasions, especially as own downfall is at home in Natural Theater. culminates not in hopelessness but in re- bus, Ohio, where he earned his doctorate J.B. Smoove. thetic, working through his grief (“If only a pep talk from father to son to get Dylan demption of society’s greater good. With at The Ohio State University. Ben’s daughter, Rosie, cuter-than-cute I could talk to her about getting over her”). to go a-courting the lovely Lily. The Founders and Free Will RICK GRAINGER/SHUTTERSTOCK (Maggie Elizabeth Jones), twists daddy His character is, of course, constantly chased Will Rosemoor Animal Park be returned The question that not only permeates “Oe- around her little finger thusly: “You don’t have by many hopeful women; his refrigerator’s to its former glory? Will it pass muster? Will dipus Rex” but also remains a dilemma Robert Fagles’s to take a picture. We’re going to live here.” packed to the gills with lasagnas of longing. the sick tiger live? Will the escaped grizzly through the ages is that of destiny versus translation of “The The zoo crew includes Kelly’s 13-year-old cause the zoo to get shut down? Will people Three Theban Plays.” free will. There is no question as to where The Zoo cousin Lily (Elle Fanning), who waitresses show up? Will Benjamin and Kelly hit it off? the founders, particularly Jefferson, stood The zoo still has a skeleton crew, the back- at the zoo restaurant; a mechanical whiz Ditto for the younger couple? on the issue. They were followers of John bone of which is the ever-responsible, who drinks too much (Angus Macfadyen, One thing is for certain: “We Bought a Locke, who believed that men and women 27-year-old workaholic Kelly (Scarlett Jo- Robert the Bruce from “Braveheart”); and Zoo” will not require covering your chil- are free in a state of nature and that by way hansson). She’s initially skeptical of Ben- a staff guy who’s always got a capuchin dren’s eyes and ears every two minutes. of our inborn reason are able to decide the jamin’s ability to stay the course once the A great film for the family: monkey on his shoulder (Patrick Fugit from It’s guaranteed to deliver some solid life direction of our lives, unimpeded by gov- massive commitment he’s undertaken “We Bought a Zoo.” “Almost Famous”). lessons and leave everyone a little bit teary- ernment. Our freedom is endowed to us dawns on him. As mentioned, the animal “actors” are an eyed and smiling. by Nature’s God, but God, like the govern- Closed for two years, the zoo’s got lions, integral part of the cast: It’s a bit magical to Yes, there’s no denying 2011’s “We Bought ment envisioned by the founders, neither a tiger, and 48 other species, many endan- get up close to the regal Bengal tiger “Spar” a Zoo” is a movie by Cameron Crowe and intrudes nor directly controls, allowing hu- gered. It needs a major overhaul and some- and hear his wide range of animal speech. shares most if not all of the Crowe formula, man beings to set upon a course of action Thomas one serious about investing the time, ef- Priceless for children is the scene in which such as the main character reassessing his and determine our fate. It is government’s Jefferson fort, and finances to take charge of it, or the Johansson demonstrates how tigers “chuff” life, a fun love interest, an adorable child, included in the job to secure these natural rights. Declaration animals and remaining staff won’t survive. instead of roar (like lions), and how they and super-infectious pop tunes compli- At first blush, this is not the way “Oedipus of Independ- It’s a challenge that Benjamin is willing chuff in response, when someone speaks ments of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Cat Ste- Rex” operates. The populace, represented ence the idea to take on, even though he has only four their language. vens, and Tom Petty on the soundtrack. by the chorus, looks to Oedipus (that is, the of inalien- months to get all the various dilapidated The dramatic scenes between father and Think “Say Anything,” “Jerry Maguire,” and government) to save it from the plague raging able rights. structures up to spec in time for a July open- son demonstrate that actors really are a “Almost Famous.” 8B8 | ARTS & CULTURE WEDNESDAY,Week MAY 18, 5, 2021 WEDNESDAY,Week 18, 2021 MAY 5, 2021 ARTS & CULTURE |B9 9

“Ian Usmovets Stopping BOOK REVIEW an Angry Bull,” 1849, by Evgraf Semenovich Sorokin. Far Eastern Art Museum, Khabarovsk, Russia. A Great Man From the Greatest Generation

coURTESY oF STEllA BRooKS LinDa WieGenFeLD

Tom Brokaw’s inspiring book “Th e Great- est Generation,” about those who came of age during the Great Depression and World War II, revealed an American generation who gave so much and asked ‘Unbelievable: for so little. Th ey lived in extraordinary, the Unmasking challenging times but managed to build of Dr. harrison a better world with the shared values of Miller Moseley’ duty, honor, courage, service, and love of Stella Brooks family and country. Above all, they ac- June 16, 2020 cepted responsibility for their choices. Although “Unbelievable: Th e Unmask- 418 pages, paperback ing of Dr. Harrison Miller Moseley” tells its story through the eyes of one man, like Brokaw’s book, it reveals an inspir- ing generation that is sadly soon to be completely gone from this earth. When Stella Brooks, who wrote this fascinating biography, was looking to obtain a historical marker for two high Sorokin depicted school stadiums in Fort Worth, Texas, she discovered information about Dr. the Russian Harrison Miller Moseley, who happened to live near her. After several interviews, folk hero Ian Brooks was surprised to learn that Mose- Usmovets—the ley’s past had always been a closed book to his family, friends, and acquaintances. large muscular Brooks decided that Moseley’s life story figure standing needed to be told, and she devoted two Stella Brooks devoted two Harrison Miller Moseley in his navy days. years of her own life to do the telling. years of her life to write the to the right of the And what an interesting tale Moseley biography of Harrison Miller on the football team. Although the team member of the federal government’s S-1 Moseley. composition. had to share. Th e book demonstrates was regularly outweighed by their op- Uranium Committee. PUBlIc DoMAIn triumph in the face of adversity and that ponents by 30 to 50 pounds, the coach, It wasn’t until Moseley heard the news the perpetual victim mindset so often Rusty Russell, used ingenuity in his reports of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that Reaching Within: What traditional art offers the heart seen today was absent in the past. duties. To complement the team’s small he learned his group’s research had been a size, Coach Russell cooked up the most pivotal part of something that had changed Th e Young Harrison Miller Moseley imaginative plays, and the team reached the course of the war and world history Moseley was born on the plains of Texas football glory. forever. He downplayed his involvement, in 1921. At a very young age, he lost his Russell himself had an interesting sto- saying, “I was just doing my job.” The Power of Restraint father, and although his mother tried to ry. Th e World War I vet had been blinded continue business as usual, she couldn’t. during his service, but he promised God Life After the War All of her children had to help out. Mose- that if his eyesight were to be restored, he After the war, Moseley fi nished his doctor- ‘Ian Usmovets Stopping an Angry Bull’ ley’s younger brother Cecil, 5 years old at would make a diff erence in a child’s life. ate and returned to Fort Worth, where he the time, picked cotton. His vision was restored in one eye and he landed a job teaching at Texas Christian One day, a cotton buyer asked Cecil to Brooks’s kept his promise. University and remained there until he eric Bess by the running bull that he grabbed with his efforts end up in vain; we are trampled by our achieving the best version of ourselves. show him his hands, which were close to Despite his amazing triumph as part of retired. “Most of the students sitting in the bare hands, ripping the skin and flesh of the the very things that impede our progress. Is it the case that to get closer to our best bleeding due to the work. Shortly after, enthralling book this team, Moseley would become part of class with this quiet professor had no idea ometimes we have the best in- animal. The Pechenegs fled in defeat. And what things impede our improve- selves, we must restrain our impulses and Moseley’s mother, because of the fi nancial still a greater group. that he had been an A-list player working tentions and push ourselves into In the painting, Usmovets’s feet are plant- ment? Impulsive desires—those desires possess a calm mind? Does calm restraint pressures of the Depression, put all three gives readers a with the most-read-about men in history becoming the best version of our- ed into the ground; his upper body leans that control us instead of us controlling provide us with a power we would other- of her children in the Masonic Home and front-row seat College and War on the most important mission in the selves. We look in the mirror and back, and with a calm rather than an angry them. For me, the raging bull represents wise lack? School of Texas. She hoped her sacrifi ce Moseley was the valedictorian of the world,” Brooks told me in a short interview. say, “Today is the day I take a good face, he tightly clenches the flesh of the bull our impulsive desires. Is it the case that this type of calm restraint would give her children a better life. to one of the Masonic Home’s class of 1938. He then During his time as a professor, Moseley Slook at myself and make the necessary to restrain it. For example, how many times have we will not only benefit our own lives but will Orphanages have a dreary reputation went to Texas Christian University on a met his wife. She was a widow with three changes in my character to become who The bull lunges forward and is caught decided we were going to live a healthier also carry over into the lives of others? Able in literature, but not this one. Th e Ma- most signifi cant full academic scholarship and eventually daughters. “He went from the bachelor I know I can be.” mid-flight by Usmovets. The backward lifestyle? We may have the initial determi- to approach situations calmly and with re- sons took pride in taking excellent care of scientifi c became a physics and chemistry major, living in a small apartment over a garage For many of us, we try, but it’s not long movement of Usmovets contrasts with the nation to get started in this endeavor, but straint, will we be able to better consider widows and orphans, and they referred graduating at the top of his class. He pur- to a large home with four females, a cat, before we find ourselves slipping back into forward movement of the bull and creates the impulse to eat junk food, for example, others in all that we do? Like the spectators to all the orphans as “their Jewels” and achievements in sued graduate studies at the University of and a dog.” Brooks said. those character flaws that prevent our im- tension in the middle of the composition. eventually resurfaces and prevents us from in the background, will those around us acted accordingly. North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Moseley had a loving marriage and provement. On the ground between Usmovets’s legs achieving the goal. see and take pride in our improvements? Tom Brady, now 96, and a fellow resident modern history. In 1939, less than four months after brought stability to his stepchildren’s I came across a painting called “Ian Us- is the strongman whom the bull appears What if, instead of pushing ourselves to with Moseley at the Masonic Home and Miller graduated from the Masonic Home, lives, as the death of their dad had left movets Stopping an Angry Bull” by the to have trampled. The red matador cape our limits, we focus first on pulling our- The traditional arts often contain spiritual School, said in a brief phone interview: “I Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Th at year, them in limbo. He was kind and loving, 19th-century Russian painter Evgraf Se- falls and covers the bull’s victim. selves back from our impulses, that is, re- representations and symbols the mean- have so many happy memories of my time Albert Einstein successfully convinced with a mild manner and a positive at- menovich Sorokin. This painting, for me, The spectators in the background may be straining ourselves? Usmovets represents ings of which can be lost to our modern in the home, it would be hard for me to President Roosevelt that the United States titude. Moseley died in 2014. is a visual representation of certain aspects the grand duke and the Pechenegs. Some this restraint. His feet are planted into the minds. In our series “Reaching Within: choose just one. I lost my father, like Mose- might be in grave danger if Hitler built the Brooks’s enthralling book gives readers of personal improvement. are dressed in elite or military attire, which ground, which suggests inner resolve; and What Traditional Art Offers the Heart,” ley, and I was saved from devastation.” most powerful bomb in the world fi rst. Th e a front-row seat to one of the most signifi - suggests that this is an event of national he is restraining the bull with his whole we interpret visual arts in ways that may At the home, the boys and girls lived in race to see which nation could produce cant scientifi c achievements in modern ‘Ian Usmovets Stopping an Angry Bull’ pride that the people intentionally came body, which suggests his strength. be morally insightful for us today. We do separate dormitories. Everything was well the fi rst atomic bomb thus began. history. Her descriptions are vivid, and Sorokin depicted the Russian folk hero to watch. Usmovets’s whole body is committed to not assume to provide absolute answers to organized, and the children had assigned Nathan Rosen of the University of her skillful use of language helps readers Ian Usmovets—the large muscular figure restraining the bull, but his face is calm, questions generations have wrestled with, tasks. Th e emphasis was on good habits North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who had form detailed mental pictures. Her book standing to the right of the composition. The Power of Restraint which suggests that his mind is clear and but hope that our questions will inspire and sound character. Religious faith was been Albert Einstein’s collaborator and has the potential to become a wholesome As the story goes, Usmovets helped de- Quite often, we try to push ourselves to ac- quiet despite the raging bull in front of a reflective journey toward our becom- a requirement. Each Sunday, the children friend, was called upon to help. Rosen family fi lm. feat the Pechenegs, thought to be a Turkic complish our goals. We want to be the best him. He is left unbothered by the tension ing more authentic, compassionate, and went to the school auditorium for Sunday For more accepted and brought along his brightest Brooks refers to Moseley’s life as unbe- people, in 992. The Pechenegs summoned version of ourselves, so we attempt to push expressed between him and the bull, and courageous human beings. school, and sermons were delivered by the arts and culture student, Moseley. Moseley then found lievable and inspiring. Th e readers of her their strongman to challenge any hero of ourselves to our limits. his calm expression makes him seem even religious heads of varied churches, which articles, visit himself working with the upper ech- amazing book will certainly agree. Grand Duke Vladimir. However, with this approach, we may more powerful. Eric Bess is a practicing representational gave them an opportunity to hear from TheEpochTimes. elon of the Manhattan Project. He was An old man presented his youngest son, find ourselves tired and stressed from our This isn’t to suggest that our efforts to -ac artist and a doctoral candidate at the their own denominations. com assigned a job to work directly under Linda Wiegenfeld is a retired teacher. She Usmovets, who was angry and ready to fight, efforts while gaining little actual improve- complish our goals are always for naught but Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Standing out among Moseley’s adven- Ross Gunn, the technical adviser of the can be reached for comments or sugges- to the duke. Usmovets’s strength was tested ment. Like the figure on the ground, our only to ask what place calm restraint has in Arts (IDSVA). tures at the Masonic Home was his time U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and a tions at [email protected]

PUBlIc DoMAIn PUBlIc DoMAIn MUSIC that represents the protagonist’s blazingly lengthened into something more personal Adagietto for strings and harp is a tender, optimistic beginning. than mere ritual. romantic moment in the protagonist’s life. I recommend Claudio Abbado’s magnifi - He has found love and intimacy. cent rendition of Mahler’s Symphony No. MOveMent 2: ‘Stürmisch bewegt, Mahler and Music’s Meaning 5, from the 2005 Lucerne Festival. mit grösster Vehemenz’ MOveMent 5 ‘Rondo-Finale (Allegro – Looking back on the protagonist’s life, we Allegro giocoso. Frisch)’ Mahler’s Fifth Symphony hear in the opening bars the tortuous de- Th e horn, instrument of joy in the scherzo, feat and stormy rage that dominated the announces at the start the optimistic blos- Kenneth LaFave of specific physical or mental objects in the Feb. 24, 1901, Gustav Mahler suffered an last years of his life. And then, a surprise: soming of the protagonist’s life. Mahler dis- manner of verbal signifiers. Music does intestinal hemorrhage and nearly died. He Can a symphony Th e strings intone a variant of the lament plays the polyphonic knowledge he had A myth about music, made popular by not fit that definition because its mode of later wrote: relate a man’s entire from the fi rst movement. Near the end, the recently acquired in his study of J.S. Bach. modern and postmodern 20th-century meaning is vastly different. brass latch onto a subject that becomes a Th e Adagietto theme is recalled, a portent critics, is that it consists merely of certain Felix Mendelssohn knew this. “It’s not “While I was hovering on the border be- life, foreshortened triumphant chorale, known in English as of the protagonist’s love life. At the very end, frequencies deployed in various rhythms that music is too imprecise for words, but tween life and death, I wondered whether “How Brightly Shines the Morning Star,” we hear “How Brightly Shines the Morn- by a range of sources. This positivist view that it is too precise,” he said. To confirm it would not be better to have done with it to fi t a snug time in pure, clear D major. ing Star” from the second movement, the of music holds that music alone, without this, one has only to listen to Mendels- at once, since everyone must come to that frame? logic of its earlier appearance now made the aid of words or visuals, cannot refer or sohn’s F minor String Quartet, composed in the end.” MOveMent 3 ‘Scherzo (Kräftig, nicht clear: It is the young protagonist’s asser- point to some experience outside itself. This after the death of his beloved sister. It is zu schnell)’ tion of newfound power in the world. Th e is averred with nearly self-evident smug- grief expressed, to be sure, and grief in its Little wonder, then, that Mahler’s next Symphony No. 5 Th e scherzo, in bright and confi dent D ma- symphony ends with the protagonist on the Gustav Mahler in 1907. ness by, for example, Igor Stravinsky in his many forms—from confusion and anger to symphony opens with a funeral march. jor, is a folkish “ländler” or country dance, cusp of his youth, unaware of the tragedy “Poetics of Music.” sweet memories to outright sorrow. But it Mahler started sketching Symphony No. 5 MOveMent 1 ‘Trauermarsch (In dominated by a solo obbligato horn in F that will befall him. A portrait of Felix Mendelssohn, 1846, by the that is one of the great bravura parts for Taken literally, this means that a funeral is none of these things generalized; rather, in the summer of 1901. He had just turned gemessenem Schritt. Streng. Wie ein German painter Eduard Magnus. Berlin State march would do for a wedding celebration, it is precisely the composer’s experiences 41, was lucky to be alive, and doubtlessly Kondukt)’ that instrument. Mahler tosses around Former music critic for the Arizona Re- library. while a sunny scherzo could serve to com- and no one else’s. Its communication to felt inclined to meditate on the meaning of A solo trumpet announces death on a many related themes in masterful coun- public and Th e Kansas City Star, Kenneth memorate a tragedy. It is nonsense even on us listeners is the very heart of the miracle a life that had nearly ended mere months C-sharp minor arpeggio. Th e orchestra terpoint. Th e protagonist is at the peak of LaFave recently earned a doctorate in the face of it. that is music. before. What better way to address this takes up the funereal cry, which leads to his life, and even the thought of death is philosophy, art, and critical thought from Like all nonsense, though, it stems from than in a symphony that opens with death a lament intoned by the strings. At length, distant. the European Graduate School. He is the a self-evident truth: Unlike words, music Reflections on a Life and then proceeds—in reverse chronol- the trumpet, with its distinctive triplet fi g- author of three books, including “Expe- denotes nothing. That is what the modern Can a symphony relate a man’s entire life, ogy—to consider the episodes in the dead ure, reasserts itself, and again the song of MOveMent 4 ‘Adagietto (Sehr langsam)’ riencing Film Music” (2017, Rowman & critic means by “meaning,” the indication foreshortened to fit a snug time frame? On man’s life, ending in a triumphant finale lamentation ensues, varied this time and A relatively brief intermezzo, the famous L i t t l e fi e l d ) . 10B8 | ARTS & CULTURE TUESDAY,Week MAY 18, 4, 2021

PoPcorn and InsPIratIon Keeping One’s Compassion in a Time of Genocide ALL PHOTOS BY UniTeD ARTiSTS AnD LiOnS GATe FiLMS Ian Kane George has a knack for rousing drama and there are several scenes that can only recently watched a tourism video that be described as close calls, such as when focused on the capital of Rwanda, a Paul’s family is being evacuated via a U.N. beautiful city called Kigali. One of the convoy and is ambushed by a Hutu mili- things that stood out to me was how tia group. But due to the excellent perfor- immaculate it is—it reminded me of mances by Cheadle, Okonedo, and the rest Ia quaint Japanese town. I knew about the of the supporting cast, these scenes never 1994 genocide but had never seen director feel emotionally manipulative. Terry George’s “Hotel Rwanda,” and felt a bit guilty about knowing so little about what went down in the tiny, land-locked country. The film not only shows what -oc The tragedy that people curred back then, but it also manages to humanize many who were involved in that can inflict on one another tumultuous period of the country’s history. is well-documented, but The film mainly focuses on Paul Rusesa- bagina (Don Cheadle), who manages the the film doesn’t dwell on four-star Hôtel Des Mille Collines located Don Cheadle stars in “Hotel Rwanda.” in Kigali. From the outset of the film, Paul the misery for too long. is portrayed as a wheeler-dealer who makes the stage is already set for high drama. As The film definitely doesn’t flinch—the associations with some very influential the Hutu extremists commence to commit tragedy that people can inflict on one an- Also, the movie isn’t as brutal as I thought people. And many of those relationships genocide on the Tutsi people, Paul man- other is well-documented—but it doesn’t it would be, with the violence playing out come in handy as the film progresses. ages to utilize the many favors he is owed dwell on the misery for too long. There are on-screen happening for reasons that are We hear on the radio that Rwanda’s presi- to house over 1,200 Tutsi refugees. At first, also many examples of human selflessness, clearly explained, rather than sensational- dent at the time, Juvénal Habyarimana, an this mainly consists of families, but later in kindness, and compassion. izing wanton genocide. ethnic Hutu, is killed when the plane he is the film he also takes in children who have Director George doesn’t paint his charac- “Hotel Rwanda” has an important message traveling in explodes. Habyarimana’s death been orphaned as a result of the conflict. ters as absolutes but rather, in many cases, to get out, one that tells of a now little-remem- compels the extremists of his tribe to publicly In doing so, he risks his own life. as multidimensional people with their own bered event in world history. It’s also an ulti- blame the Tutsi, whom they refer to as despi- However, as the chaos intensifies, Paul’s hang-ups and idiosyncrasies. mately uplifting movie that we can all learn cable cockroaches. As the country further relationships with other main characters Soon, all of the white people who were from, no matter what tribe we find ourselves destabilizes, the United Nations intervenes become frayed, especially when the hotel staying at the hotel are evacuated and we in. My only regret is that I didn’t see it sooner. but is soon rendered relatively worthless as it begins to run out of both money and re- see how the society is stratified along racial becomes paralyzed in bureaucratic red tape. sources, two things Paul used to garner lines. But what is remarkable to see is how Ian Kane is a filmmaker and author Paul is a Hutu man who is married to a support for his cause (along with bottles loyal Paul is to his fellow countrymen (and based out of Los Angeles. To learn more, Tutsi woman, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo), so of pricey single malt Scotch). women), no matter their tribal affiliation. visit DreamFlightEnt.com

‘Hotel Rwanda’ Director Terry George Starring Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix Running Time 2 hours, 1 minute Rated PG-13 Release Date Feb. 4, 2005 (USA)

Selflessness and kindness are highlighted in this film, based on a true General Bizimungu (Fana Mokoena, L) negotiates with Paul Rusesaba- story. gina (Don Cheadle), who is trying to save lives.

PRELIMINARY SEMI-FINAL & FINAL TAIWAN JUN, 2021 NEW YORK SEP, 2021 NEW YORK SEP, 2021

REGISTER NEW YORK +1-888-477-9228 , [email protected] TAIWAN +886-2-5571-3838#1133 , [email protected]

UPDATED HELP IS JUST A CLICK AWAY! TRUTH and TRADITION It’s quick and easy! TheEpochTimes.com/help You will never have to wait again. FROM THIS PAGE YOU CAN: FIND ANSWERS FROM A COMPREHENSIVE FAQ SECTION SUBMIT REQUESTS ONLINE* • Troubleshoot common problems • Report delivery and other subscription issues • Learn our terms and conditions • Provide editorial and other feedback

USE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE LIVE CHAT ACCESS THE CUSTOMER PORTAL • Tell us your subscription inquiries or concerns • Manage your subscription account

*Cancellations are processed on the hotline only.