57066--like a lizard on a window pane

[zyzyly]

The other day someone mentioned that they had read Tortilla Flat, by John Steinbeck. It was the first Steinbeck book I read. My grandfather had it on his shelf and I read it during a weekend visit to their house years ago. I don't remember much of the story, other than it took place down around Monterey. After reading it, I picked up many of his other books, and forgot about this one.

I was moving books today from one room to another. We are finishing up painting the other side of the house. We decided to move one of the big book cases from the spare bedroom out to the living room, to make it feel more like a reading room. As I was moving the books I looked for Tortilla Flat. After my grandpa died, I got his books, and it was among them.

There it was, up on the shelf with a few of its dusty old friends. I took it down and thumbed through it. This edition was published in 1947. In addition to the story, it contains 17 full-color illustrations by an artist named Peggy Worthington. Google sheds very little light about her, other than two of her illustrations are hanging in the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas.



The title page for the book with an illustration. As I read the book, I will take pictures of some of the other illustrations.

I was going to write something about an experience with windowpane acid in the 70s, and tie it in to the Olympics, but it doesn't seem to fit here. Maybe another day.

Comments

[howeird]

I love bookish nostalgia. I never read Tortilla Flat, though I read most everything else Steinbeck wrote. I think one reason I never read it is the title struck me as redundant. Tortillas are flat - what's to write about? :-)

As for the artist, some digging revealed a tiny bit more. She became Peggy Worthington Best, and was a sketching partner of Norman Rockwell's. This gem is for sale on a collectors' site:

NORMAN ROCKWEL
Norman Rockwell writes to a friend and announces his engagement to be married.
Autograph Letter Signed: "Affectionately/Norman", 2p, 6x8, front and verso. Stockbridge, Massachusetts, no date (but accompanying envelope is postmarked September 28, 1961). To Peggy Worthington Best. In full: "Dear Peggy - Since we are such good friends, I just don't want the news to reach you second hand. Molly Punderson and I are engaged to be married. I guess every one in town will probably know this before long. I know you'll be pleased for Molly and me." Fine condition. Accompanied by 6¼x4 envelope. Addressed in Rockwell's hand to: "Mrs. Peggy Worthington/Best/Stockbridge"

http://historyforsale.com/html/prodetails.asp?bw=0&documentid=265267

And this:
1960- Publishes autobiography My Adventures as an Illustrator in collaboration with son Thomas. NR paints his self portrait for the February 13, 1960 Post cover. Participates in Peggy Worthington best sketch class in Stockbridge. Meets Mary Punderson in poetry reading class

http://www.nrm.org/finding-aid/collectedcurtis/collectedcurtis_m3.html

And this:
In 1960 Norman Rockwell joined a group of artists in the Pine Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts studio of Peggy Worthington Best on Thursday mornings. According to Rockwell historian Laurie Norton Moffatt, "The purpose of the class was for him to experiment in loosening up his tight, detailed style in which he felt he had become too rigid," and she has further noted, "Some of the portraits were sold in a gallery shop at the studio. Many were given to the models who had posed during the session. The remainder are part of the Norman Rockwell Paintings Trust at the Old Corner House."

http://fineart.ha.com/c/catalog-print.zx?saleNo=7015

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

Interesting! As I first read Norman's words to her that he was getting married, it made me wonder if there was more between them than just being sketching partners.

It's also interesting that they would be sketching partners, because she really has a loose style, compared to his attention to detail.

[howeird]

Some other snippets I saw said Rockwell actually enrolled in her class so he could loosen up, and he gave most of his work to the models.

windowpane acid

[crookedfingers.livejournal.com]

Many many years ago I was on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley and a black dude comes up to me and ask if I want to buy some windowpane acid. I said Sure so we go to a near by cafe to seal the deal. The black dude shows me the windowpane acid and I buy about 20 hits. The fellow takes my money and I drop a hit of LSD. I wait and wait and nothing happens. I was ripped off. The acid was not LSD. I lost $20.00 dollars to a con artist. Back in those wild days I did buy acid off the street and got hooked up to some nice stuff. Sometimes I wonder what would be like to take acid now. Would it be a sin to drop acid? Smoke a joint? I do not know.

I have many books by Steinbeck because one of our sons left all his Steinbeck books with me. I have not read Steinbeck since High School.

Re: windowpane acid

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

Same thing happened to my friends and I when we went to the Rolling Stones concert at the Cow Palace in 1975. We were pretty disappointed, but the show was good.

I don't think I would dare to get near the stuff now.

[auntysocial.livejournal.com]

What a handsome illustration. I'm looking forward to the windowpane acid story. The last acid I did was Orange Sunshine.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

Orange sunshine! I'd forgotten all about orange sunshine.

I'll tell it one of these days.

[shutterbug.livejournal.com]

I loved the Steinbeck books I was forced to read in high school. I would love to read others...one day.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

I told a story to my students the other day about how when I was in nursing school, I started reading "the classics" that I never bothered to read in high school. 45 minutes a night before I went to bed. I kept a book journal. I managed to read 50 books while I was in school.

[rockbirthedme.livejournal.com]

I really like Steinbeck, although I think "East of Eden" is his masterpiece, not "The Grapes of Wrath." I just recently read several of his books, including "Tortilla Flat" and "Cannery Row." They aren't exactly novels; more like a series of sketches about a group of characters. Very evocative of place and time.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

Yes--they capture a moment in time. Of all Steinebeck's work, my favorite is the first chapter of The Grapes of Wrath. As I first read it, I became conscious of the power of good writing.

[howeird]

Steinbeck is one of the rare authors whose style grabbed me so much that I would read anything by him. The Pearl struck me as his best writing, Travels With Charley an example of him stepping out of his comfort zone but still great writing.

[rockbirthedme.livejournal.com]

I think "The Pearl" was the first Steinbeck I ever read, when I was about 14. There was a beat-up copy of it on the shelves in the attic, and I was always pulling books out of there. It is the first time I remember noticing the use of symbols in a book -- even at 14, the symbology of the pearl was perfectly clear, without being obvious.