Mexico -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
Dined with Mr. Otto Kahn at his house, a small party, and went on
afterwards to Carnegie Hall to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra which
was heavenly.
At dinner we discussed the psychology of men and women here. He
has a fine analytical mind. We talked of the American woman being
starved emotionally. He said about the position of women in different
countries, “Here they are an ornament, in England they are an object,
in France they are a passion.” It is a good summing up.
We talked about Bolshevism. He had an amusing point of view, so
different from the usual “foaming-at-the-mouth” reactionary. He
said that the Russians are naturally an anarchistic and rebellious
people incapable of self-government. That Bolshevism was a form of
self-expression that would pass, as everything would pass--but why, he
said, take it so tragically? It was none of our business! The world had
lost its sense of humor. Our attitude towards the Russian experiment
should be that of interested spectators. But the idea of getting cross
about it, of exchanging furious notes, of sending soldiers to “walk up
the hill and down again.” It was ridiculous! He talked of Bolshevism
as a great play, and the Bolsheviks as being living actors, fulfilling
their part dramatically, but that play acted in French, or English, or
Italian, was another thing. What would succeed in Russia would fail in
translation....
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1921.
A Heaven-sent day. As warm as the best summer day in England. I went
out without a coat. They tell me it is a cold day in comparison to what
we will get. Never yet have I found anything warm enough. Rome in June
was just satisfying. If I might only go down into Hell and sculp the
Devil, how happy I would be.
Ever since March 21st, I have spent almost every afternoon at
Knoedlers, but today, I jibbed, it was too good a day to stay in.
Besides, I feel as if I can’t bear compliments and praise another
moment. It was wonderful at first, one felt flattered, pleased, amused.
The various remarks were entertaining, but they are almost without
variety, and in the end one longs not to have to smile the smile of
appreciation that will not come off, there seems so little to say in
reply to “How wonderful! How clever you are, how living they are, how
brave you were, what brutes they look-- -- --” I just stand first on
one leg and then on the other and look silly and feel worse. If anyone
bought anything, or wanted to be done, it would be different, but I
feel that Knoedlers have generously taken a great deal of trouble and
been awfully kind, and gained nothing. People treat my exhibition as a
sort of free “Madame Tussaud’s,” and there the thing ends.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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