Two years ago, I wrote an article for KONK Life involving Tennessee Williams and Frank Merlo. Merlo was the love of Williams’ life. The relationship tender and then tumultuous.
Tennessee Williams’ birthday is being celebrated this month. Many activities. One last night at Studios of Key West. His Words and Letters. Words and letters written to Williams’ closest female friend, Maria Britneva. Substantially involving the Williams/Merlo relationship.
Merlo’s influence on Williams is reflected in the fact that Williams wrote his finest works during their time together. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Rose Tattoo, and Night of the Iguana.
I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. A production well done.
Williams also wrote The Glass Menagerie. The Glass Menagerie was playing across the street at the Key West Theater while I was enjoying His Words and Letters.
Prior to the Williams’ show, I enjoyed La Concha’s happy hour while browsing the Sunday newspapers.
One of the items mentioned in yesterday’s Key West Lou video on Facebook involved outhouses. Details immaterial here. Final video comment was that Hemingway had the first indoor plumbing in Key West. Put in his home on Whitehead when he purchased it in 1931.
Bad day at Black Rock. Two basketball giants felled at the NCAA Tournament. Louisville and Duke.
So it goes
Congressional hearings begin today re Russia’s interfering in a U.S. Presidential election. Not the first time. Occurred once before. The election of 1796.
John Adams and Alexander Hamilton running for President. Great Britain and France had just concluded a war against each other. Bad feelings rampant in each country.
For some reason, U.S. support was important to each nation. John Adams, with the support of George Washington, backed Great Britain. Hamilton, France. Hamilton’s position was that France’s assistance during the Revolution mandated U.S. support.
France threatened open warfare with the United States if U.S. support was not forthcoming.
Adams was elected President. No war occurred.
I mentioned yesterday that Florida reported the screwworm problem was no more. A tried and true process had defeated the maggot type insects. The release of sterile screwworm flies. One hundred forty million since October.
Jean a female loggerhead turtle found sick in December. Taken to Marathon’s Turtle Hospital. She was impacted.
The hospital named her Jean. Cared for Jean till friday. A recovered Jean was released back into the ocean at Sombrero Beach.
Enjoy your day!
Louis, I read in Yesterday’s Key West by Stan Windhorn and Wright Langley 1973 that KW had electricity before a sewer system. I am always fascinated with outhouses. Up North I see outhouses serving as shelters now to keep the kids warm while waiting for school bus. These are decorated in such interesting ways. A reminder of the past. The book that I mentioned above is full of old Key West black and white photos showing outhouses attached to conch cottages or situated unattached if the property had sufficient land space. It must have been smelly with the heat and high humidity. My grandmother and her sister grew up in rural Montpelier, Indiana with an outhouse for use. I used one once as a child at a summer camp. I sat on a wood panel with round hole of one foot diameter. The hold led down to another hole in the ground. When the hole in the ground got full of human excrement, they would move the outhouse to a new location and start all over again. Memories of my past.
Outhouses are a piece of history. I’ve used many over the years. I guess its creative to call school bus shelters as outhouses. Some do have half moons cut into them though don’t they.
Sterilized flies are OK to use, but, not sterilized mosquitoes. Hmm.