I am back home after my second two-week stint at the Chautauqua Institution. The final week was especially memorable since we had our three children and three of our grandchildren together for the first time in several years. Sara and her daughter Claire flew in from Colorado; John and his daughter Lai An, all the way from China. Beth’s daughter Rachael had arrived the previous week after spending the summer in a workshop in New York. The three granddaughters are an interesting trio, each about to enter a new phase of life. Rachael graduated from Bryn Mawr in the Spring and will begin a year-long junior fellowship at a “think-tank” in Washington D. C. (the Carnegie Endowment for Peace) next month. Claire recently graduated from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins and will move into a dormitory at Denver University late this month; she is enrolled in Arts and Sciences with an interest in Psychology. Lai An will begin seventh grade in an international school in California where half of her classes will be in French. The bond between the three girls was immediately evident despite the difference in their ages and experiences.
The morning lecture programs followed themes both weeks that were quite appropriate for me. For the first week the theme was “America at 250”, a celebration of the birthday of our nation, with major emphasis on the preparation of the Declaration of Independence and the revolutionary concepts it embodied. The headliner for that week was Ken Burns; he and Constitutional historian Jeffrey spent two mornings using clips from Burns’ recent documentary on the Revolutionary War to illustrate their presentations. The theme for the second week was “Global Power and Our Evolving International Order”. A series of distinguished experts reviewed the subject from different perspectives – domestic, Iran, Great Britain, and China. Their general conclusion was one of major concern regarding our reversion to isolation and abandonment of our allies. Both weeks were extremely thought-provoking, generating long discussions among our family members. These lectures are quite popular; the Burns/Rosen sessions drew well over four thousand people into the Amphitheatre. Both weeks were perfect examples of the Institution’s slogan. “Self-enrichment through lifelong learning”.
Sara and I took a course in the Special Studies program, “Great American Voices: the Males”, taught by my good friend Phil Atteberry. Attending Phil’s classes is always a highlight of my annual visits to Chautauqua. He is a retired English teacher in the University of Pittsburgh system, jazz buff, and host of my favorite radio program, “Saturday Swing Session”. Phil is a legitimate expert on the Great American Songbook, the collection of classic songs of the Swing Era of the middle of the Twentieth Century (my formative years). His course covered five male vocalists from that period –Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat Cole, Mel Torme, and Bobby Darin. Each lecture was enjoyable and informative, and underlying them all was a perceptive overall review of American popular culture in those years. The combination of his knowledge of his subject, his extemporaneous teaching style, and his skillful use of music and video clips invariably produces a rewarding experience.
One evening we all went to the Bratton Theater to see a production of August Wilson’s one-man play, “How I Learned What I Learned”. Gifted actor Lance Nichols portrayed Wilson recounting his experiences growing up in the Hill District. His performance coupled with the Wilson script produced a memorable experience. The play ran the gamut from Misterogers to John Coltrane. Our whole family went, and I think each one of us was equally impressed.
The younger, athletic members of the family took advantage of the lake for swimming, kayaking, and paddle boarding. Some of the more intellectually inquisitive folks (mostly Rachael, a sponge for knowledge) attended other lectures. The evening musical programs at the Amphitheatre were popular with all of us. I particularly enjoyed Dvorak’s Violin Concerto and Tschaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony at a pair of Chautauqua Symphony concerts. Another highlight was dinner on the porch of the Athenaeum Hotel, my all-time favorite dining venue.
The very first service at what is now the Chautauqua Institution was held on August 4, 1874; that date has been designated as its official birthday. We were fortunate to be at Chautauqua one hundred and fifty-two years later to participate in its celebration. And what a perfect day that was! Despite earlier predictions of rain, we were blessed with brilliant sunshine, a crystal-clear atmosphere, pleasant temperature, and gentle breeze off the lake. If only we could contact James Russell Lowell and challenge his proclamation that perfect days occur only in June! Following the morning lecture, we went to Bestor Plaza and experienced a legitimate slice of traditional Americana – an old-fashioned community brass band playing in the town square, much to the delight of hundreds of listeners. All it lacked was Professor Howard Hill in his bright red uniform. If there ever was a time for the astrophysicists to demonstrate time slowing down, it was that day. We relished every moment, wishing we could indeed slow down the passage of time and stretch it out as far as we could.
Prior to the assassination attempt on Salman Rushdie, security at Chautauqua was an afterthought. Sadly, that is no longer true; even there one must still go through metal detectors to see a celebrity like Ken Burns or high-at-risk speakers like a pair of Iranian dissidents we heard last week. Nonetheless it is almost humorous to be greeted at one of the gates by a dumpy, middle-aged woman who looks like a typical fourth-grade teacher, wearing a shirt that boldly proclaims “Security”.
I thoroughly enjoyed each of the four weeks we spent at Chautauqua this summer during “the Season”; having such a large part of our family together last week was an unforgettable experience. I am blessed with a family that made it possible.