Vol. 33 - Maybe
Our Monthly Newsletter
What’s New
And We’re back!
Maybe it was bad of us to have stayed away so long? Maybe, after the high of the launch of Le Rêve, our new capsule, we had nothing but February to keep us warm (maybe the careful reader will recall our somewhat dim opinions on February as a month in general?), and so, maybe we took March off to have a lie down and catch up on some reading. But now we’re back, with a very literary edition of Communiqué for you. But first, news!
Our homepage has been reimagined to more fully capture the whole picture of who we are. We are designers and manufacturers of bespoke furniture, we are purveyors of antiques and fine art, we are the curators of a Los Angeles showroom, we are the hosts of stimulating events full of gourmet food and fine libations, and, if this newsletter can be trusted at all, we are advocators of high quality film, television, books, and artists (this is, after all, a publication that gave equal real estate to Ridley Scott’s Napoleon and Hunger Games #5). We strive to do it all at that place where comfort meets style.
Maybe we've captured that with our new homepage, but you’ll have to pay us a visit and let us know for sure.
FEATURED PIECE: Dumas
As a reward for all your patience, this month we are featuring a piece not from our just launched capsule, Le Rêve, but from our next capsule. We hope readers of Communiqué will find themselves pleased to be ahead of the curve on this one. Taking inspiration from our literary jaunt, we calling this new piece Dumas. This new design most closely resembles a bench, but the truth is, it’s so much more. Shown here in Dedar fabric, it fits in an entry way, or as the centerpiece to a living room. The perfect perch from which to catch up on your 18th century French literature. Or to let Lily Kershaw’s new song wash over you, but more on that later.
WHat We’re Loving
ON THE PAGE : JAMES by Percival Everett
If you are feeling that Dumas (the author, not the bench) is nice but your are in the mood for something with slightly more modern sensibilities, then you should consider James, by Percival Everett. James is a retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told from Jim’s point of view. Jim, in case you don’t recall, is the runaway slave who accompanies Huck down the Mississippi River. Percival Everett, as it turns out, is a literary giant.
The novel is at times poignant, funny, philosophical and exciting. Everett's portrayal of Jim is full of nuance, intelligence and thoughtfulness.
One of the most well known characters of the American canon is given tremendous depth, without every contradicting Twain’s original portrayal. On a thematic level, the book is deeply concerned with language, Jim code switches to seem less intelligent around white people. In his dreams, he debates John Locke and Voltaire on the nature of man and the immorality of slavery. And Jim’s own desire to write plays a key role in the story and in its meaning.
Dare we say, James stands as an equal companion to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and considering that the latter is often considered among the greatest of American novels, that is quite an achievement.
IN OUR EARS: Salman Rushdie on the Ezra Klein Show
Can a single interview re-contextualize most of what you know to be true about art and politics?
Just listen to Erza Klein and Salman Rushdie’s conversation from the New York Times journalist’s podcast last week. While the dialogue is ostensibly about Rushdie's new book, Knife (on the list but not read yet) it’s really about the cowardice of religious fundamentalism and the impact and importance of art.
The words of these two intellectual titans can’t properly be distilled into this short paragraph. No summary could do it justice and their analysis dwarfs ours. Give it a listen at your earliest convenience.
FEATURED ART: LILY KERSHAW
This section is usually reserved for visual artists who we know and admire. But this month, we are making an exception. Lily Kershaw’s new recording, Poem Song is a transcendent piece of art that will transform any room you play it in and you too, if you listen to it with your eyes closed. This piece cuts us open, and lays us bare, in the most amazing way. Can it be just us? We find it shattering, affirming, honest, motherly, and kind. It takes all the restraint we’ve got not to simply reprint all the lyrics. Except that could never capture the emotional impact of the exquisite descending arpeggios and the powerful simplicity of the melody. Oh no, are we gushing? Is it too much? This isn’t like us at all. We’ll stop, but please, for your own sake, just listen and let all the recurring maybes wash over you. If we are overdoing it, at least we are not being trendy. As of this writing, the official music video has less than 2k plays on youtube. If ever we brought you a piece buried treasure, this is it.
A closing to thought to carry with you:
“I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I been there before.”
You know who said that...
Stay Chic,
KD + LR