Not quite the 40 foot waves at Mavericks yesterday, but fabulous to watch.
Photograph Copyright 2014 Alexander Chow-Stuart.
Photograph by Dwayne Moser. This beautiful apartment complex in Los Angeles is called the Hightower or High Tower Complex (the High Tower name refers to the central elevator, I believe), and was designed in 1935-1936 by architect Carl Kay - and made famous in 1973 by my favorite film, Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (see Why I Love Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye ). Although Altman used the building as Philip Marlowe's apartment in his somewhat post-modern Long Goodbye (the film plays with references to Old Hollywood and opens and closes with the song, Hooray For Hollywood ), the building has another direct connection to Raymond Chandler. It was apparently the inspiration for Chandler in his book, The High Window (the first Chandler novel I ever read), in which Chandler describes the residence of Philip Marlowe as being on the cliffs above High Tower Drive in a building with a fancy elevator tower. (Thanks to the Society of Architectural Historians Southern...
Ah... the ever-changing ocean. I visited your site, Alexander, because 25 years ago, as I lay in a bathtub in Dover, where I was preparing to swim the Channel, I came across an article of yours in the Observer about Joe Buffalo and the sea that talked back. It made me cry at the time, your evocation of the innocence and wisdom and fragility of that lovely being. Also, I must surely have been moved by the love you and your partner showed in caring for him during his last days.
ReplyDeleteI clipped your article and kept it in a folder of inspiring stories which I only recently unearthed after long years in the archives. Going through it now, I re-read the article. Just before I put it in the recycling box, I thought I'd drop you a line to say thanks. I'm happy your life has been blessed by more children and I wish them and you, good health and happiness.
David F.
Dear David, thank you so much for your kind words and thoughts and for remembering Joe Buffalo, Ann and me - and that Observer article - after all this time. I greatly appreciate your thinking of me and making the effort to comment on my blog. I have had enormous difficulty replying (it has to do with the settings on my browser), but hopefully this will appear and you will see it!
ReplyDeleteI feel incredibly blessed to be the father of two young children and I treasure every moment. Being a parent is the core of my being.
I wish you well and wish you also good health and much happiness.
Very best, Alexander