Otto Mayr, one of our collaborators and college friend from Berlin, sets the record straight regarding yesterday's collage. He wrote the following email:"Und die ganze Welt hoch" means literally "and up with the whole world!" Rostov and some of his hussars are joking around with a German innkeeper, who earlier says "Hoch Oesterreicher! Hoch Russen! Kaiser Alexander hoch!" A more idiomatic translation would be "Hail Austria, hail Russia, hail Tsar Alexander" and a moment later, as a cheerful, almost mocking, afterthought, "and Hail the whole world!"
You will see Otto's first contribution in a few weeks, #98. He is currently working on #120 and 137. I love the reach of this project.
I picked up the book again last night. I just started Volume I, Part Three, chapter I. Pierre's father Count Bezukhov died in Part One, while Part Two was taken up with the war. Now we are back to the story of Pierre, who is the only heir in spite of scheming by a few other characters. He is now a wealthy man, and a real "catch" of a husband. Prince Vassily (again) is scheming how he can get Andre to marry his beautiful daughter Helene. Everyone is suddenly his best friend and flattering him. The narrator comments, "He so constantly heard the words: 'with your extraordinary kindness,' or 'with your excellent heart,' or 'you yourself, Count, are so pure' ... that he was sincerely beginning to believe in his extraordinary kindness and his extraordinary intelligence, the more so because, deep in his heart, it had always seemed to him that he really was very kind and very intelligent."
Flattery will get you everywhere! at least with Pierre. -- Lola
Tomorrow promises to be a strong showing in the studio. Lynn, Lulu, Emma and I will all be there. I am so eager to get back to it.
Lola Baltzell
page 167-168 from original text
made 4/24/10
collage, acrylic paint, ink
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