Imaginary

Fictional Narratives

Novels illustrating the theme of appreciation:

• Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient: A Novel (Knopf, 1992): “A man with no face. An ebony pool. All identification consumed in a fire. Parts of his burned body and face had been sprayed with tannic acid that hardened into a protective shell over his raw skin." Hana, a young Canadian nurse, stays on devotedly, supplying him with morphine and foraged food.”
• Francisco Goldman, Say Her Name: A Novel (Grove Press, 2011), is a “beautifully written account of Goldman’s short marriage to Estrada, a fiction writer who died in a bodysurfing accident in 2007, two years into their marriage, when she was 30. . .”
• Giorgio Bassani, The Novel of Ferrara (W.W. Norton &  Company , 2018): in these short stories and novellas “We learn the cultural significance of attending the German synagogue (“so severe and contrasting in its almost Lutheran gathering of prosperous, burgherly Homburg hats”) versus the Italian synagogue (“more working-class and theatrical, almost Catholic”) or of vacationing at the bourgeois seaside resort of Riccione versus the more plebeian Gatteo.”
• María Gainza, Optic Nerve: A Novel (Catapult, 2019): “María’s store of information about painters and their lives can make reading the book feel, delightfully, like auditing a course.”
• Zoë Wicomb, Still Life: A Novel (New Press, 2020): “A stunningly original new novel exploring race, truth in authorship, and the legacy of past exploitation . . .”
• Jamie Figueroa, Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer: A Novel (Catapult, 2021): “A Novelist Asks White Tourists to Picture the Black Lives They Overlook” - the theme is of people in other cultures, and how their to-our-eyes primitive lives are as complex as ours.
• Joshua Henkin, Morningside Heights: A Novel (Pantheon, 2021): this “story of a brilliant Shakespearean and his wife — once his student — radiates a tenderness for the city that we, his intended readers, can best appreciate — perhaps now most of all, as we ask our city to return to us.”
• Susan Straight, Mecca: A Novel (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2022), “is a love song for a place and its people.”
• Édouard Louis, A Woman’s Battles and Transformations: A Novel (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2022), “focuses on his mother’s life.”
• Jamel Brinkley, Witness: Stories (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2023), “investigates the impact of seeing and being seen.”
• Percival Everett, James: A Novel (Random House, 2024): “Everett flips the perspective on the events in ‘Huckleberry Finn.’ He gives us the story as a coolly electric first-person narrative in the voice of Jim, the novel’s enslaved runaway.”

Poetry

O to have been brought up on bays, lagoons, creeks, or along the coast,  

To continue and be employ'd there all my life,  

The briny and damp smell, the shore, the salt weeds exposed at low water,  

The work of fishermen, the work of the eel-fisher and clam-fisher;  

I come with my clam-rake and spade, I come with my eel-spear,  

Is the tide out? I Join the group of clam-diggers on the flats,  

I laugh and work with them, I joke at my work like a mettlesome young man;  

In winter I take my eel-basket and eel-spear and travel out on foot on the ice—I have a small axe to cut holes in the ice,  

Behold me well-clothed going gayly or returning in the afternoon, my brood of tough boys accompanying me,  

My brood of grown and part-grown boys, who love to be with no one else so well as they love to be with me,  

By day to work with me, and by night to sleep with me.

[Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass (1891-92), Book XI, “A Song of Joys”]

Other poems:

• William Wordsworth, “Glad Sight Wherever New With Old”
• John Keats, “Happy Is England”

Books of poems and about poets:

• Lucasta Miller, Keats: A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph (Knopf 2022): “By structuring ‘Keats’ around nine specific poems (and an epitaph), and allowing herself a recurring, candid first person, Miller evokes the shifting, various genius of her subject without dumbing-down, while avoiding the conventions of academic biography. Keats, as she says, is never a fixed entity. He's always in motion.'”

Music: Composers, artists, and major works

Folk music is the common music of a people; it celebrates people in their everyday lives. Great examples include:

• Steeleye Span, “Good Times of Old England: Steeleye Span, 1972-1983” (665’)
• Luke Kelly, “The Definitive Collection” (Ireland)
• John Prine, releases
• Tom Paxton, playlists
• Judy Collins, releases
• Dave van Ronk, playlists
• Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, playlists
• Buffy Sainte-Marie, playlists
• Gillian Welch, releases
• Nasida Ria, playlists
• Frankly Sahilatua, playlists
• Kirill Bogomilov, playlists
• Skäggmanslaget, playlists
• Tiriltunga, playlists
• Notis Sfanianakis, playlists
• Glykeria, releases
• Lucilla Galeazzi, playlists
• Anabel Santiago, playlists
• Gabriel Yacoub, playlists
• Gerardo Ortiz, releases 

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, featuring Paco de Lucia, Vitoria Suite (2010) (95’): this work draws on the orchestra’s experiences in Vitoria, Spain, and offers their musical impression of the people, their culture and their music, from an American jazz perspective. “Marsalis uses the impulse of the blues as a foundation to jointly explore the music of 2 worlds and 2 cultures: The jazz and blues of North merica and the indigenous Basque music and flamenco of Spain” 

Puerto Rican composer Ernesto Cordero composed Caribbean Concertos, reflecting an appreciation for Caribbean culture:

• Concierto Festivo (2003) (approx. 24’) for guitar and string orchestra
• Ínsula: Suite Concertante (2009) (approx. 16’) for violin and string orchestra
• Concertino Tropical (1998) (approx. 11’) for violin and string orchestra 

Other works:

• Antonín Dvořák, String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96, B 179, "American" (1893) (approx. 24-27’): a visit to the United States inspired this work, which draws on Native American and African-American themes. Here is a list of recorded performances.
• Dvořák, Hussite Overture, Op. 67, B 132 (1883) (approx. 14’): “The form of the work was originally to have corresponded to Subert’s planned trilogy: 'The rise of the Hussite movement, the struggles of the Hussites and, after the wars, reconciliation'”
• Richard Strauss, Aus Italien (From Italy), Op. 16 (1886) (approx. 41-45’): young Strauss’ impressions of Italy
• Alfred Hill, String Quartet No. 16 in B-flat Major, "Celtic" (1938) (approx. 24’): appreciation for a people and its music
• Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Scenes from the Song of Hiawatha (1900) (approx. 150’): “The Song of Hiawatha is a trilogy of cantatas by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, set to the lines of US poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.” Here is the text of Longfellow’s poem.
• Gustav Holst, Egdon Heath (Homage to Hardy), Op. 47, H172 (1927) (approx. 13’): at the top of the score, Holst penned these words, from Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native: “A place perfectly accordant with man’s nature – neither ghastly, hateful nor ugly; neither commonplace, unmeaning nor tame; but like man, slighted and enduring; and withal singularly colossal and mysterious in its swarthy monotony.”
• Brett Dean, Epitaphs for string quintet (2010) (approx. 20’): the composer describes these pieces as “as much a celebration of personal qualities, characteristics and achievements as it is also an expression of loss and contemplations of energetic lives fulfilled as well as of lives cut short.”
• Theodore Chanler, Eight Epitaphs (1937) (approx. 13’)
• Morton Gould, Foster Gallery for Orchestra (1939) (approx. 35’) – after Stephen Foster
• Michael Torke, Miami Grands, for ten pianos (2014) (approx. 48’): “Each of the twelve movements tries to reflect not only different locations in Miami, but different times of day in those locations.”
• Ernest Bloch, America: An Epic Rhapsody (1926) (approx. 39-50’): “Bloch has written that the idea had first occurred to him when he arrived in New York Harbour back in 1916. He wanted to compose an anthem that 'should rightfully belong to and reflect the country for which it might stand.'”
• Meredith Willson, Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, “A Symphony of San Francisco” (1936) (approx. 39’) “was written to commemorate the city's revival thirty years after the earthquake of 1906.”
• Katherine Hoover, String Quartet No. 1 (1998) (approx. 23’): the composer drew on Native American images, as she saw them.
• Manuel de Falla, 7 canciones populares españolas (7 Spanish Folksongs) for voice and piano, dedicated to Madame Ida Godebska (1914) (approx. 12-16’): “All the songs in the Siete canciones populares españolas set derive from different regions of Spain, maintaining their original character and appeal without ever falling into a cliché. All of them deal with love and everything that comes with it, joyful or painful.”
• Egon Wellesz, Symphony No. 2, Op. 65, “English” (1948) (approx. 42’): the composer had moved to England and was immersing himself in its literature and culture.
• Marc Satterwhite, percussion works, as presented on the album “Nazca Lines: Journeys for Percussion” (2021) (approx. 45’): the album presents works inspired by Peruvian, Japanese and Finnish cultures.
• David Stock, Concierto Cubano (2000) (approx. 19’)
• Joel Engel, Dybbuk Suite, Op. 35 (1922) (approx. 24’): “. . . a tale about a ‘dybbuk,’ the soul of a dead person possessing a living one. Captivated, Ansky went on to write the play The Dybbuk, and Engel wrote the incidental music . . .”

Albums:

• Jan Garbarek, “Ragas and Sagas” (1991) (52’): “. . . Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek surely turned not a few heads by collaborating with legendary Pakistani vocalist Ustad Fateh Ali Khan . . .”
• Art Ensemble of Chicago, “Urban Bushman” (1980) (93’)
• Russ Lossing, “Metamorphism” (2021) (68’): the players appreciating each other, and paying tribute to jazz greats Paul Motian and Andrew Hill.
• Russ Lossing, “Motian Music” (2019) (63’): “The group is a great fit for Motian’s tunes, which are ripe for creative interpretation . . .”
• Harris Eisenstadt, “Canada Day” (2008) (56’): “Drawing upon some of the best new talent in the Brooklyn scene, Eisenstadt's formidable quintet is as capable of adventurous timbral explorations as they are of in-the-pocket swing.”
• Harris Eisenstadt, “Canada Day II” (2011)
• Harris Eisenstadt, “Canada Day III”
• Harris Eisenstadt, “Canada Day IV” (2015) – “. . . idiosyncratic, hybridized jazz . . .”
• Harris Eisenstadt, “Golden State” (2013) “is a polyrhythmic presentation that unites jazz and an ultra-modern chamber perspective . . .”
• Harris Eisenstadt, “Golden State II” (2014) was “recorded live at the 2014 TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival”.
• Kelan Phil Cohran and Legacy, “African Skies” (1993)
• William Goldstein, “Living Treasures of Japan” (2010) (27’) soundtrack for National Geographic
• Elena Casanova, “Ensueños De Cuba” (Daydreams of Cuba) (2021) (70’)
• Hartwin Dhoore Trio, “Valge Valgus” (2021) (35’): in the liner notes, Dhoore writes that the album “is a musical reflection of all the beautiful landscapes and people I’m surrounded with. I hope the peace, love and joy I find here will reach you through this instrumental story.”
• Warsaw Village Band, “Sun Celebration” (Święto Słońca) (2015) (66’): “An inventive and often thrilling exercise in breaking down musical borders.”
• Miguel Zenón, “Música de las Américas” (2022) (65’): “. . . he broadens his vision to celebrate the history of the American continents, north and south, as well as the multiplicity of America's Atlantic Ocean islands, to delve into the history of this expanse of lands—before and after the European invasion—with his energetic Latin jazz sound.”
• Black Oak Ensemble, “Avant l'orage: French String Trios 1926-1939” (2022) (127’): the works are Henri Tomasi, Trio à cordes en forme de divertissement; Jean Cras, String Trio (1926) (24’); Goué, String Trio; Jean Francaix, Trio (1933) (16’); Robert Casadesus, String Trio; Henri Samazeuilh, Suite en trio for Violin, Viola, and Cello; and Gabriele Pierné, Trois Pièces en trio (23’).
• Lincoln Trio has recorded two albums capturing Chicago’s busy energy: “Trios from Contemporary Chicago” (2022) (52’); and “Trios from the City of Big Shoulders” (2021) (68’) (the works are by Chicago-born composer Ernst Bacon: Piano Trio No. 2 and Piano Trio, H. 312).
• Craig Davis, “Tone Paintings: The Music of Dodo Marmarosa” (2022) (51’): “Michael 'Dodo' Marmarosa, bebop pianist, composer and arranger who retreated to his childhood home in Pittsburgh after years of touring with several major big bands . . . as well as leading his own bands in the 1940s due to mental health issues.” This album is a tribute to “an exceptionally talented pianist whose promising early career was cut short by the crushing weight of mental and emotional problems that proved too unbearable for him to overcome.”
• Martin van Hees, “Remgewogen” (2018) (52’), is an album inspired by the composers of the pieces. “Since (he was a Masters student, van Hees) showed a growing interest in these composers (represented on the disc). A desire to learn about their work, questioning how the composers imagined the playing style of their compositions. This important work paves the way for a unique and coherent sound throughout the album.” His quiet and sensitive guitar playing make it seem as though the artist had reached into their lives.
• Richard Beaudoin, Rohan de Saram & Neil Heyde, “Digital Memory and the Archive” (2023) (45’) consists of seven pieces after artists and composers.
• Anastasia Kobekina, “Venice” (2024) (72’): “Everyone has their own impressions of Venice. Those of the young Russian cellist Anastasia Kobekina, which inspired her Sony debut album, appear to centre more around dark lapping water and sinister shadows than colourful masked balls.”
• Hajda Banda, “Hajda!” (2023) (52’) “is a captivating journey into the rich musical traditions of the Podlasie region in eastern Poland, the western parts of Belarus, and Polesye on the Polish-Ukrainian-Belarusian border. The album showcases the band's commitment to preserving and innovating rural music from the borderlands, infusing it with their unique style and ideas.”

Music: songs and other short pieces

• John Lennon, “Woman” (lyrics)
• Shawn Phillips, “Woman” (lyrics)
• Theobald Böhm, Andante pastorale, from “Souvenir des Alpes”
• Paul Simon, “In the Garden of Edie”
• Don McLean, “Vincent” (lyrics)
• Yungchen Lhamo, “You Are Beautiful”

Visual Arts

• Tania Guerrera, Basquiat (2006)
• Sir Henry Raeburn, Young Girl Holding Flowers
• Alexander Deyneka, Portrait of an Old Man (1916)
• Rembrandt van Rijn, Bust of a Bearded Old Man
• Guido Reni, Portrait of Old Woman (1630)
• Peter Paul Rubens, Old Woman (1616-18)

Film and Stage

• The Shop Around the Corner: a man and a woman long for their pen pals, who are each other
• Chimes at Midnight(Campanadas a medianoche): Orson Welles’ tribute to Shakespeare’s Falstaff, looking past the superficial wit and debauchery to “the tragic character beneath” the veneer
• The English Patient, abouta nurse who helps a wounded man face his memories
• Never On Sunday: affection(for a culture) as an aspect of appreciation
• Sexy Beast: a violent episode by one character against several other “heightens your sense of their characters' vulnerable humanity”
• Starman, on learning to appreciate an alien
• Stevie, a “very big, beautiful film about a restlessly rambunctious soul”, poetess Stevie Smith
• The River, Renoir’scinematic ode to India. 
• Green Book: a gay, black pianist and a Bronx-Italian tough guy learn to appreciate each other, in the early 1960s