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Exploring the Allegory of Dorothy Gale in the Life of Louise Brooks
For fans of Louise Brooks, the mention of Kansas may conjure up images of her humble beginnings in Cherryvale, where she was born in 1906. Despite the small-town setting, Brooks was a rebellious and independent spirit from a young age, and she knew from an early age that she was destined for something greater than the quiet life of a Kansas girl. In 1922, at the age of 16, Brooks left Cherryvale to pursue her dreams of becoming a dancer in New York City. She quickly made a name for herself on the Broadway stage, and within a few years, she was discovered by Hollywood and offered a contract with…
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The Diner Diaries: The Muse’s Muse and the Muse of Muses
Art is the only means by which we can escape from the miserable condition of life, in which everything is but emptiness and deception, and attain, at least for a moment, to a higher state in which we can feel that we are in harmony with the universe and experience a happiness that is beyond the reach of chance. Art is the highest task and the truly metaphysical activity in this life. Arthur Schopenhauer Louise Brooks and her friend, Clara Bow, were sitting in a busy diner, sipping on milkshakes and discussing their careers in the film industry. They were chatting about the latest gossip in Hollywood when the topic…