1. Are you a native Australian? How many generations of your family were born there? I was born and raised here - primary school, high school and university. Then I lived for six years overseas, one year by myself and later five years with my brand new husband, largely in Israel and the UK. We travelled all across the Continent, but as poor students, we slept in our car boot.
MY family comes from Southern Russia/now Ukraine. Joe was born in Czechoslovakia, emigrating with family to Australia when he was 4. With a tiny population, Australia decided after WW2 that it was time to Populate or Perish.
2. If you could have dinner with one historical figure, who would it be and why? Emma Goldman (1869-1940) grew up in Jewish Kovno and St Petersburg where she associated with radical students. At 20 she immigrated to the U.S, settling in Rochester NY. She worked in clothing factories, mixing with socialist and anarchist co-workers.
Emma Goldman: Revolution as a Way of Life,
by Vivian Gornick, 2013
In 1893 Emma was gaoled in NY for inciting a riot when some unemployed workers reacted to her fiery speech. Released 2 years later, Goldman lectured across Europe and U.S.
In 1906 she founded and edited the periodical Mother Earth, until its suppression in WW1. Her campaigns were often pro-woman eg contraception. Of course her American naturalisation was legally revoked in 1908. Nonetheless she published Anarchism and Other Essays.
Goldman also lectured on Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg and George Bernard Shaw's dramas, introducing European playwrights to American audiences. Her lectures were published in 1914 in Social Significance of the Modern Drama.
When WW1 broke out in Europe, she saw it as an imperialist war that was sacrificing workers as cannon-fodder. In July 1917 she was sentenced to 2 years prison for her anti-war activities. By her release in Sept 1919, the U.S was hysterical over the rumoured network of communist operatives, and her ideas earned Goldman the enmity of powerful political authorities. Red Emma’s deportation to the Soviet Union seemed like a personal crusade!
In 1920 immigrant Italian unionists, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were convicted of killing 2 men in Mass. Despite worldwide protests denying the defendants’ guilt, the 2 were executed in 1927. Emma remained active, living across Europe, lecturing and writing her autobiography, Living My Life 1931. In 1940 she worked for the anti-Fascists in the Spanish Civil War, then died from a stroke in 1940. What a brave, politically committed and literate woman!
3. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment? I am still married after 52 years, with 2 mature sons and 5 gorgeous grandchildren. That is not just an accomplishment - it is an awesome miracle. Plus the grandchildren understand computers :)
One of my sons and all 5 of the grandchildren
2016
4. Other than your loved ones, what is your most treasured possession? Australian colonial art was very derivative in the C19th, looking like British art with perhaps a kangaroo added in for local colour. As Australia was moving slowly towards Federation, it became clear that artists, writers, musicians and architects would need to develop Australian tastes. From 1888 on, the first young artists moved into the bush north of Melbourne to paint from life. I have 8 of these beautiful Heidelberg School paintings.
5. Before blogging, what, if any, was your main mode of personal expression? I co-started an IRC channel (#30plus) for mature people in Oct 1993. Sydneysider Daniel Ben-Sefer and I had met in another channel (#Israel) earlier that year but we were disappointed with the juvenile, male-focused discussions. So we created a new channel for people 30+ and invited every academic we knew. For the first 15 years of #30plus and channel mailing lists, I was very grateful for the excitement and the intellectual stimulation. Although the channel still functions well, hackers, right wingers and anti-Semites changed the atmosphere from warm to occasionally dodgy.
Now I’ll post these 5 questions to Joanne's Ramblings, for her to answer and then she will post them on to another blogger. Thanks Joanne.
25 comments:
This is like a journalism article for us to learn about your life and history. Very interesting and colourful life you had.
I found this interesting, nice learning a little about you
My answers will be posted tomorrow
Q1 I mostly knew.
Q2 I have read about Emma Goldman before, maybe at your blog. She would be a worthy dinner companion as long as she didn't preach her message.
Q3 Respect.
Q4 Envious is not the right word as they would not be subitible art work in our modern apartment without giving it a makeover, so I will just say I impressed by your ownership of the eight Heidelberg works.
Q5 I miss IRC too; the chat rooms and newsgroups. It could be also quite technical at times and anything but intuitive but other users were often very helpful.
These were interesting questions with informative answers.
I had to look up the Heidelberg School. I can see why you love them, though I did smile at the painting of an Australian native - not quite what I expected from the title.
roentare
I think most Russian families raise their children in Australia (and elsewhere) to value political commitment and cultural skills more than anything. So many of my cousins focused on literature, music or performing arts, even if they had ordinary jobs during the day. Basically a colourful life, yes :)
An interesting blog post, always good to hear some of a blogger's background pulled together. When I was studying British and French Impressionism a couple of years ago I remember learning that some of the Australian painters came over to Europe to paint and then returned home to continue with the same style they had seen over here, what we now know as Impressionism. I was reminded of William Frith when I just looked at some of the Australian paintings. I am very envious of your collection.
Jo-Anne
I really look forward to your post!
At the bottom of your post, add the blog name of the next person you have sent the questions to.
Andrew
I would agree 100% about preaching, whether I agree with the speaker or not. There is nothing worse than someone sitting at a pleasant table gathering and getting stuck into repetitive, self righteous and moralising language. Sorry if I made Emma Goldman's stuff appear preachy.
jabblog
When art history was taught decades ago, it was almost always based on British, French, German, Italian, Dutch and Russian etc works. Early Australian art, especially from the Melbourne artists who moved out into the Heidelberg bush houses, was utterly refreshing.
My retirement from the workforce has had some very fine moments, but going to art auctions has unfortunately no longer been one of them.
Rachel
spot on! Although Australian artists could do their training here, they really had to move to Europe for a few years to build their skills and reputations. Margaret Preston, for example, lived in France and was thrilled to absorb Cézanne and Matisse influences. Tom Roberts lived for 4 years in Britain, Spain and France, absorbing Impressionism. And Grace Cossington Smith had the most wonderful time in Germany, bringing the coloured modernism she saw there back home.
Helen I agree with the others that it is helpful to know something of the blogger's background. It makes your writing make even more sense. But be careful of spammers and hackers.
Rog
Yes you are right! Every private person and organisation has to be worried about their privacy, these days.
I have been spammed for weeks now; Telstra Japan threatened to cut off my telephone account if I didn't send them money and this week, they did! I can only hope that adding my favourite books and music to the bloggersphere doesn't endanger my internet safety.
There was a period in my life when I toyed with the idea of emmigrating to Australia, considered sort of a paradise. However, being born in Europe, I could never go too far from Europe, and Australia seemed to me in those days, like the end of the world. I can't explain that, except that I believe Europe is the center of the human mind and spirit, and one doesn't easily distance oneself from the center.
This is a very good photograph of your fortunate family. To stay good is the best. Have a nice summer, for you and all your family.
Hello Hels, You have led a full and interesting life, with the intellectual curiosity to make the most of your history and the culture around you, which fortunately you share with your readers. The grandchildren are a bonus!
.
I understand your admiration for Emma Goldman (I just put her autobiography on my reading list), but other than to meet and congratulate her, are there any specific questions you would like to ask her?
--Jim
DUTA
I had a similar dream :) i.e to live in Europe at least for 3 months of every year. Paris, Tel Aviv, Vienna, Odessa, Florence.. I tried them all and fell in love. But my mother wanted her grandchildren in her suburb, not 12,000 ks away! I suppose a person can absorb European cultures and languages via yearly trips and via the internet.
Parnassus
I know of Emma Goldman's sacrifices, gaol sentences, deportation and ill health, but did she feel she had a significant impact on her contemporaries?
J.S. Vila
I put an old photo of the grandchildren because teenagers don't want to appear on social media and be open to inspection. But they are such lovable kids and make me very proud. We are in mid winter now, but I am looking forward to beaches and pools next December :) Is Mallorca suffering from over heating just now?
Nice questions and answers Hels. One day I want to go to Australia. And staying married so long and having a lovely family is definitely a fabulous #1 accomplishment. Happy new week Hels.
Thankyou Helen , That was really interesting . I fear Ms Goldblum might be rather a fiery dinner companion . I think Maybe Dinner would need to be rather bland to offset the spice of the dinner conversation . As for your Heidleberg school paintings , you very lucky buckie . Is there a story to be told as to how you got them ??
Erika
If you would like to answer the country-relevant question #1 (USA, not Australia) and all the other questions, just drop me an email note at helenw@bigpond.net.au I would love to read the responses in the blogs of people from other countries.
Re long marriages, people in my family (and my in-laws' family) might have died early, but they never divorced. Now I am finding how traditional and old fashioned that never-divorce idea was.
mem
For the first 10 years of marriage, Joe and I were travelling around the world, having babies and finishing post grad degrees. Once our two incomes were decent, I went to every art auction in Melbourne with reasonable prices, to study late 19th century Australian art and to buy the occasional painting. Plus one or two treasures came from family, bless them :)
Now let me repeat my request to Erika. If you would like to answer the five questions, drop me an email note at helenw@bigpond.net.au The more we know about bloggers' lives, the clearer our reading of their blogs will be.
xaydung
my pleasure :) What is the name of your blog?
Nice to see my name…
Dabas
thank goodness all those 1990s participants, channel reunions, photos, channel politics, marriages and funerals were all recorded and placed in the public libraries :) I thought all the information would remain intact for ever, but the 70+ brain is less efficient than the 30+ brain
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