Where do I begin…..

I did not sleep well last night. Tossed and turned. Watched some TV. A couple of Tennessee Williams movies.

I generally start my blog talking about the morning, the sun rising, the water, the wind, the colors caused by reflected sun. Key West dawns capture mind and imagination.

I knew Tennessee Williams had lived in Key West for many years. I went to the computer around 2 in the morning to see if the story for the movie I had just watched was written while Tennessee Williams lived in Key West. The movie was Suddenly Last Summer with Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn and Montgomery Clift. I never found out. Though I suspect it was.

What I did discover at 2 this morning was absolutely terrific! Outstanding! The best!

And I could not sleep the rest of the night in anticipation of sharing it with you.

I read an essay. By Madeleine Blais. Based on an interview she had in 1979 with Tennessee Willims. She was a relatively young reporter at the time. She came to Key West specifically to do a story on Williams for the Tropic Magazine of the Miami Herald.

Let me make this observatiuon at the outset. Blais is one of the finest writers I have ever read! She does with words what a great artist does with a brush. I found her essay exciting!

Key West sunrises, for example. Something I knew were special. But never really thought about as such.

Blais quoted Tennessee Williams as saying he loved dawns in Key West. Williams referred to dawn as day time’s “great triumph over night.”

Many describe Key West. I do daily. But compared to Blais, we all merely try. She does it as no one else.

I am going to quote briefly from her essay About Tennessee Williams in Key West. Then you can decide for yourself if you agree with me.

Blais describes Key West as “…the place where we run out of East Coast, where the cabs are pink, the sidewalks buckle, roosters roam free, people applaud the sunset, every local restaurant has the best fish sandwich in town, the t-shitrts are vulgar, the cats have six toes, where in the early 90s Hooters went out of business because it was too Ohio, ceiling fans and balconies abound, the smell of beer competes with the smell of a new catch and the smell of night blooming jasmine, and where the sky and water are involved in some kind of sexy dance, blue on blue, and they let us watch.”

Need I say more!

You can read the entire essay at www.floridabookreview.com/id41.html.

The big hit of the day yesterday was grocery shopping.

I went alone.

Turned out Lisa, Corey and the grandkids were at Publix shopping, also. I asked Robert and Ally if they wanted to shop with Poppa. Yes, they both exclaimed! Lisa and Corey happily went on their way. The grandkids were with me.

A disaster!

The venture only lasted two aisles.

Both wanted to push the cart. I let them. Robert lasted about 10 feet. Then he was off and wandering the aisle. It was necessary for me to keep an eye on him. Ally said I will do it alone Poppa. Good, I thought. She ended up in the right place to push, but did not push. She put her feet up on the cart. I was pulling her and the cart from the front.

I find it difficult to do two things at one time these days. Here I had three. Shop, watch Robert and pull Ally!

Corey came around a corner. I said without hesitation…..they’re yours! He understood and laughed.

Today is Sunday. Always a good day. I approach it as a day of rest. A time to screw off.

Soon I will be engrossed in Meet the Press and the Chris Matthews show. This afternoon pro football at Don’s Place. This evening dinner with Lisa and the famly. In between I will read the Sunday papers.

Enjoy your Sunday!

4 comments on “

  1. I love the description of Hooters as being "too Ohio" for Key West. Never was a literary description more accurate. What surprises me is that TGI Friday's makes it. We still haven't been in there. There are too many great local places that we have yet to sample. The line about every joint having "the best fish sandwich in town" is also true.

    Cheers…

  2. Thanks for sharing the Tennessee Williams essay, I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the passage you chose to quote, lovely.
    Have a fabulous week! C in CR

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