Saturday, October 1, 2011

For the Love of Fitz

For some time now, I have been obsessed with F. Scott Fitzgerald. Several years ago, I re-read The Great Gatsby, the first time since high school, and instantly became fascinated with its author. Since then, I have read multiple biographies, travelled to areas that F. Scott lived and wrote about, and paid my respects at his grave. In my continuing search into the author’s life, I recently came across a book called The Perfect Hour: The Romance of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ginerva King, His First Love by James L.W. West III. Over time, Ginerva King has been viewed as truly influential on F. Scott’s work; but the shallow characters that were modeled after her as well as her never having talked about her relationship with the author, has led many to think of Ginerva as a cold and superficial woman. However, West’s book brings further insight into Ginerva King and the environment in which she and F. Scott fell in love.

“A fascinating look inside the world of Ginerva King, Fitzgerald’s first and crucially important love. Without her rejection of him, many of Fitzgerald’s greatest stories and novels might never have been written.”


– Review of The Perfect Hour, by Scott Donaldson, author and Fitzgerald scholar.


On the evening of January 4, 1915, Scott met the girl who would become his first great love and who would serve as an inspiration for some of his most famous fictional heroines. Ginerva King was the daughter of a wealthy Chicago stockbroker, grew up in wealth and was a part of the Chicago bourgeoisie. She was considered a beauty, had many adoring beaus, and was a self proclaimed flirt. “During the summer of 1914, in an act of arrogance that could probably only be managed by a group of fifteen-year-old girls, Ginerva and three of her friends had declared themselves to be the ‘Big Four’ – the four most attractive and socially desirable young women in Chicago. They had not consulted anyone about this; they simply anointed themselves” (West, 8). When she met Scott, she was in her sophomore year at Westover, a small Connecticut boarding school. That winter, the sixteen year old was visiting classmate Marie Hersey in St. Paul, MN. During her stay, Marie threw an informal party in honor of her guest; Scott Fitzgerald was on the guest list.

Scott had been on winter break from Princeton and the party fell on the day before he was to return to school. He was so smitten by Ginerva as soon as he laid eyes on her at the party, he decided to postpone his return for another day. After attending a dance the following night, but not having much time alone, Ginerva and Scott said their goodbyes and promised to write. That night, Ginerva wrote in her diary, “Danced and sat with Scott most of the evening”… “He left for Princeton at 11 – oh --!” Following that farewell, they wrote each other lengthy expressive letters, sometimes twenty pages in length; they exchanged photographs, quoted poetry, sent humorous drawings, and gossiped about acquaintances and movie stars. Ginerva was quite taken by Scott’s letters of devotion and the amusing tone of his writing.


Scott and Ginerva’s two year romance was long distance; the couple rarely saw each other in person. Months in, Ginerva wrote to Scott, “We see each other so little that it is funny,”… “I told you, didn’t I, that I figured out that we have seen each other for exactly 15 hours.” However, there were several occasions when Scott managed to spend time with Ginerva. One such visit took place at the King home in Lake Forest, IL, an affluent city preoccupied with social status and family money. F. Scott, an Irish Catholic from modest means was out of his element in Lake Forest, and he knew he was out of place hobnobbing with the rich. It is clear that these early encounters in wealthy circles effected F. Scott’s writings. Ginerva’s father during this visit is quoted as saying to Scott, “Poor boys shouldn’t think of marrying rich girls…” This line ended up in Scott’s first novel This Side of Paradise. In fact, the entire romance with Ginerva appears to have influenced the writer tremendously as the major themes throughout Fitzgerald’s works involve issues of the poor versus the rich and the desire for acceptance and social status.

Over time, the long distance relationship between Scott and Ginerva lost its luster. Scott had become jealous and concerned with Ginerva’s potential other suitors; Ginerva tired of Scott’s lack of confidence in her affections and was interested in other boys who were among the wealthy social set. These factors coupled with the distance, led to the end of their romance in January 1917. Fitzgerald was upset about Ginerva’s rejection and never forgot the sting.

Throughout their correspondence, it is clear that Scott was constantly building a character sketch of Ginerva and eventually idealized her in his mind. She is said to have been the model for the character Daisy Buchannan in The Great Gatsby, who is depicted as a beautiful and charming socialite, but shallow, fickle, and sardonic. It is also said that Fitzgerald also modeled several other characters after her as well; Rosiland Connage in This Side of Paradise (1920), Kismine Washington in “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz” (1922), and Judy Jones in “Winter Dreams” (1922), to name but a few.

Eventually Ginerva married William H. Mitchell, who was the son of a prominent bank president in Chicago; F. Scott famously married Zelda Sayre. However, over the years following their romance as teenagers, they kept tabs on each other’s lives. In October 1937, upon hearing that Ginerva was planning to visit California, Scott arranged to meet with Ginerva. By that time, Scott had been living in Hollywood trying to make a living writing screenplays. In a letter to his daughter Scottie prior to the reunion, he wrote about his nervousness about the meeting.

“She was the first girl I ever loved and I have faithfully avoided seeing her up to this moment to keep the illusion perfect, because she ended up by throwing me over with the most supreme boredom and indifference. I don’t know if I should go or not. It would be very, very strange. These great beauties are often something else at thirty-eight, but Ginerva had a great deal besides beauty.”



They met at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for lunch, reminisced about the past, and it overall went well. Scott had told Ginerva that he was on the wagon and he did not drink throughout the lunch. However, after the bill had been paid and they moved to the bar to meet one of her friends, Scott ordered several shots of gin and a Tom Collins. “At some point they began discussing his fiction, and she asked him which characters he had based on her. ‘Which bitch do you think you are?’ he said. On this note the reunion ended” (West, 87).

It is obvious that Ginerva had left an indelible mark on Fitzgerald, but did he have an effect on her. Although he was perhaps one of many admirers, it is clear from her many diary entries that Scott’s letters really touched her heart. The fact that Ginerva never capitalized on her romance with the author could suggest that she did not care, however, as West points out, “… it must have pleased her, at least a little, to know that he had become a major writer, that she had been his first love, and that he had never forgotten her” (West, 107).




“Honestly and truly, it would be wonderful to have that perfect hour, sometime someday and somewhere.”








– Ginerva to Scott, January 31, 1916

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Another One Bites the Dust...


I am on a continuous quest to visit all places presidential including grave sites. On my recent trip to the East Coast, I am excited to say I saw four presidential graves!

Here I am at John Tyler's grave at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, V.A.

Here is James Monroe's grave at the same Hollywood Cemetery.

This is Thomas Jefferson's grave in a cemetery at his home Monticello in V.A. Jefferson's ancestral family still owns the cemetery so the general public is not allowed to actually go into the cemetery; this picture was taken through bars.

And this is me giving Taft's grave a hug at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Oh Taft.




Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Lovin' da Taft



So I recently have become a fan of our 27th president William Howard Taft. But why you may ask? Why be such a fan of president who has forever been labeled the last of the do-nothing presidents? A man who remains virtually unknown to the everyday American except for a most humiliating episode being stuck in a bathtub because of his large size. Taft's embarrassing tub shenanigans shares a legacy with Elvis dying on the toilet and Mama Cass expiring because of a ham sandwich. After some research I discovered that Taft was a kindhearted, conscientious, and lovable, which made the incessant jabs at his ample size seem even more mean-spirited and annoying. So today I am writing down 5 things about Taft that I love about him and his life; maybe in the end you too will appreciate and think twice about the jovial man known as William Howard Taft.

1. An Intellectual & Overachiever - Taft's first love was the law. He graduated from Yale 2nd in his class, went to law school in Cincinnati, and was admitted to the bar in 1880. He worked in several capacities during his law career; lawyer, judge, solicitor general, professor, Governor-General to the Philippines, and Secretary of War. It is said
in history books that Taft was indeed a poor politician but a fantastic lawyer.
After a rough 4 years in office and failed reelection campaign, Taft found himself realizing his lifelong dream; he was the first and only former president elected to the office of Chief Justice to the Supreme Court. He served from 1921 until a month before his death in 1930.

2. A Lover not a Fighter - Although a stuffed animal was named after his former boss Teddy Roosevelt, it is Taft who was a real-life Teddy-bear. He was known for being loving and generous, and he is said to have inspired devotion and loyalty by those closest to him. He despised emotional games and dishonesty and held personal integrity as his highest priority. After a fierce debate between Taft and Teddy Roosevelt during the 1912 campaign, Taft was reduced to tears after hearing his former close friend belittle him in front of a crowd. This tale endeared me most to Taft and it is a perfect example of his kind-hearted nature.

3. He Changed the Lives of Filipino Peasants - Working under President McKinley, Taft was sent to the Philippines to help stop rebellion and bloodshed. Taft viewed the military control of the islands as brutal and unfair to the islanders themselves. He drafted a constitution and a Bill of Rights that were similar to the U.S.'s, helped establish a civil service system,

assisted in the construction of schools and transportation networks, and secured a new governing structure. He even negotiated with the Vatican for acres of church property which he divided up and to tens or thousands of peasants through a system of low-cost mortgages. In fact, Taft turned down the a Supreme Court appointment from Teddy Roosevelt twice in order to continue his work as Governor General in the Philippines.

4. He Made Strides for Mother Nature - Although Taft disappointed many conservationists by opening up lands that had been set aside in the interior for commercial use. However, Taft appointed Gifford Pinchot as Chief Forester and under his leadership, thousands of acres of natural wilderness were added to the reserves.

5. He Worked Hard for the Working Man - Taft strengthened the protection of government employees. He made postmasters civil servants which saved vast amounts of jobs during the changing over of his administration. Previously those jobs had been politically appointed and were subject to dismissal at the end of his term.
“Don't write so that you can be understood, write so that you can't be misunderstood.” - William Howard Taft

Friday, October 9, 2009

My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean...

Anne Bonny: Female Pirate and "Fierce Hell Cat"

She caused scandal with her birth with her illegitimacy, she became a teenage bride to a sea captain, gained a reputation as a tough female pirate, travelled in disguise as a man, and before meeting her fate at the noose, she disappeared from history. This is the tale of Anne Bonny...

She was born in County Cork, Ireland on an undetermined date between 1697-1700. Her mother was a maid named Mary Brennen and her father was a lawyer William Cormac; a married man and father and known adulterer. There is nothing like a woman scorned and Cormac's wife was no exception; she was very vocal about her husband's infidelity and destroyed his reputation. William then fled Ireland in disgrace with Mary and Anne headed for America. They eventually settled in Charleston, South Carolina. Once there, William opens his own practice with much success and with the wealth and prestige he gained, he moved his family to a plantation. All was well until Mary died during Anne's teenage years, and Anne was left to take care of the large household.

It was during her teenage years that Anne developed a ruthless reputation. At age 14 she was supposedly accused of killing one of her maids that spit on her with a knife. Also at 14 she is said to have left a young man bed ridden for several weeks after she attacked him for making unwanted romantic overtures towards her. At 16 and a said to be beauty, Anne was swept off her feet by a small-time pirate named James Bonny; she fell in love. Although it appeared that James was only after her estate and her father strongly opposed the match, Anne remained stubborn and married the man. In response, her disappointed father then turned Anne out of the house.

James takes his wife to New Providence (now Nassau), a pirate den in the Caribbean. Once they arrived, James found it difficult to support his new wife, so he took a job as a pirate informer with a local privateer and once governor of the Bahamas, Woodes Rogers, who made it his mission to suppress piracy. Anne was angered with his new affiliation since by then she had made numerous friends amongst pirates. She soon tired of her husband and her surroundings and started an affair with a wealthy man named Chidley Baynard who showed her the good life and showered gifts on Anne. One night, Baynard escorted Anne to a ball; there she ran across the then governor's sister-in-law who snubbed Anne and told her to keep her distance. Anne responded by punching the lady in the face, knocking several of her teeth out. Chidley was unimpressed with this display and stopped courting Anne.

Anne's next love affair involved was with a small-time pirate and known ladies man named Captain Jack Rackham, who was also known as Calico Jack. With the help of her friend Pierre, a known and celebrated homosexual who ran a popular ladies establishment, Anne ran away with Jack. Disguised as a man in fear that the other pirates would oppose a woman aboard, Anne left on Jack's ship the Revenge. Although their relationship was not originally public, it was extremely passionate it led to Anne becoming pregnant. It is believed that Jack dropped Anne off in Cuba to deliver their baby with a friend's family and there are several theories as to what happened to the fate of the infant. Some say that she abandoned the baby or that the family friend agreed to raise the child; others contend that the baby died at birth.

After a few months, Anne returns to the ship and finds that another woman has come aboard, another female pirate named Mary Reed. The women became fast friends and were even rumored to have a lesbian relationship later on. Both gained the reputation as formidable fighters fighting along side the men and earning the title of "fierce hell cats".

In 1720, ex-pirate and commander of the British Navy Captain Barnet, made an attack on the Revenge while the entire crew were completely drunk. They had been celebrating all night following the capture of a Spanish commercial ship and everyone on board was in a drunken stupor and unable to fight. It is said that only the women wanted to try and fight, but when the men gave in, the women stayed aboard and proceeded to continue on a drinking binge until they were captured.

The pirate ship was taken to Port Royal where the crew were to stand trial. Everyone was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging, however, Anne and Mary made a surprise announcement which caused a sensation. Both women claimed that they were with child. Learning this news, the judge decided that the women would be held in prison until they gave birth and then would face the noose. Before Jack was executed, Anne was granted a last visit where she gave him an earful saying something to the effect of, "If you would have fought like a man you would not being dying like a dog."

Although Mary never was hung, she unfortunately died in prison, either from illness or in childbirth. Anne Bonny's fate however is known only in myth. There is no existing record of Anne every being executed or giving birth. There are several versions of what may hav
e happened to her. One theory is that having learned of his daughter's imprisonment, Anne's father William paid to arrange her release, where she returned to Charleston and had her baby, even possibly remarried. The other theory is that Anne had learned that her first husband James had died in a hurricane and she was now a free woman. It is believed that she remarried a wealthy man, Dr. Michael Radcliffe, who paid for release; the two boarded a ship in Norfolk, Virginia heading west and were not heard from again. Of course, Anne could have died and the true record has simply been lost in time.

Regardless of Anne's fate, she remains a fascinating figure in history as a strong female character who was ahead of her time.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

The Bear Necessities of California

"From 1836 to 1846, California no longer took orders from Mexico." - Kevin Starr


In 1846, American rebels were successful in taking California from Mexican rule. To legitimize their conquest they raised a flag that consisted of a a star, a stripe, and a grizzly bear. But why did they choose these symbols to represent the new republic? I did some research and here is what I found...



Mary Todd Lincoln's nephew, William L. Todd was in charge of overseeing the making of the flag and is said to have painted the pictures on it himself. A Californio woman had donated a rectangular piece of brown cotton muslin about a yard and a half in length. The wife of Captain John Sears, tore a four inch strip of a red petticoat and sewed it to the bottom of the muslin; this was to be reminiscent of the American flag. It is speculated that the star was supposed to be in solidarity with Texas, who was battling with Mexico at the time. The crude drawing of a grizzly bear was colored with a mixture of brick dust, linseed oil, and Venetian Red paint. Todd's rendition of the bear was actually made fun of; in his memoirs, the Recuerdos (Recollections), General Vallejo calls the flag's design "strange" and says, "the bear looked more like a pig than a bear." The words "California Republic" was written in black in the middle.

Some people say that the grizzly bear was chosen to strike fear into the hearts of the Californios since supposedly they feared the bear as the ultimate predator. Others contend that the mountain men who participated in the revolt favored the grizzly because they thought the bear was the fiercest and most determined creature in the animal kingdom. Even others contend that the original design was not even a grizzly but a black bear. Regardless of its roots, the grizzly quickly came to represent the rebellion and inspired the name the Bear Flag Revolt and it remains the symbol of California today.

Unfortunately, the original flag was destroyed in the fires resulting from the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. A famous replica of the flag was created in 1896 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary. It is still on display at the Presidio de Sonoma, which was established in 1836 by Vallejo as a part of Mexico's attempt to halt Russian incursions into the region.



Sunday, September 13, 2009

I'll Take It Chicago Style


For those who are history majors or history writers out there, learning to write in Chicago Style format is a feat to be conquered. So many rules and criteria! However, I found this site to be totally helpful for the Chicago Style novice:

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Are You As Smart As a Sixth Grader?


I found this site that has endless history quizzes ranging in difficulty. I spent some time on it last night and I found it hard to look away. WARNING: the quizes labeled something to the effect of 'Sixth Grade Level History' may leave you feeling quite inadequate and slightly retarded.