Feldman's Faves: October 3, 2022

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

It feels a little bit like the days before COVID. People are going for lunch, grabbing coffees attending in-person CLEs – I am loving it. I wasn’t able to attend the Pub Night last week (as I was busy watching Aaron Judge make history…) but I heard it was beyond epic and a great night for everyone who attended. We will certainly continue to do more of these events so that people at Goodmans can get to know each other in the same way we did before.

After a crazy two years the summer was a very nice break but it is good to see that activity is picking up again. I am getting more and more requests for help on files so I think we should have another great fall. Feel free to reach out if you need help on your files – JC and I will make sure to get you the resources you need.

No theme this week, just topic of interest.

The Seagull By Anton Chekhov – I have always been fascinated with Russian history and literature (notwithstanding the train wreck of Vladimir Putin). Anton Chekhov is the “William Shakespeare of Russia” and his work has enduring qualities that deal with fundamental and existential questions that impact the human condition in ways that resonate as strongly today as they did when first written and performed. Whether it is the story of unrequited love, class warfare, mother/son drama, whether money can buy happiness, or a failure to express gratitude for good fortune, the characters in Chekhov’s 1895 classic, The Seagull remind me of many people I know today. This play is the first of Chekhov’s four major plays and is performed so often by so many to this day. The basic story revolves around the tragic lives of four main characters, Nina, the young and beautiful aspiring actor who ultimately fails, Arkadina, the once glamourous and falling star/fading beauty desperately clinging to her glory days and delusions of youth, Treplyov her son and playwright who tries and fails to seek his mother’s approval and Trigorin the writer, who while famous has a major inferiority complex about the quality of his work particularly when he compares himself to Tolstoy. There are many love triangles here, failed dreams, shattered relationships and a tragic ending – all very Shakespearean. Chekhov is a master at stage direction, which he uses to shape mood, move time and create emotion. It really is impressive and still powerful and innovative to this day. This play is a quick read with lots packed in there. Here is a good review from Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79649.The_Seagull

Throughline - Getting to Sesame Street – Who among us did NOT grow up watching Sesame Street. The songs, the spelling, the math and the life lessons were just amazing. As a “latch key” kid myself growing up both Big Bird and the Count impacted me significantly (so did the Fonz but that’s for another day). This PODCAST discusses the history and significance that Sesame Street has had on American (and Canadian) culture for over fifty years. Here is an excerpt from the PODCAST itself: “In American history, schools have not just been places to learn the ABCs – they're places where socialization happens and cultural norms are developed. Arguments over how and what those norms are and how they're communicated tend to flare up during moments of cultural anxiety. Sesame Street was part of a larger movement in the late 1960s to reach lower income, less privileged and more "urban" audiences. It was part of LBJ's Great Society agenda. But Sesame Street is a TV show - not a classroom. And it was funded in part by taxpayer dollars. This story is about how a television show made to represent New York City neighborhoods – like Harlem and the Bronx – has sustained its mark in educating children in a divided country”:https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/throughline/id1451109634?i=1000579506971

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon