Wednesday, March 3, 2010

More Words, References & Meanings

Hilton Head Howards versus the Vineyard LeVays (p. 6)
After the Civil War, many blacks bought land on Hilton Head Island and, similar to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, developed their own self-contained community.http://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/02/us/tourism-enriches-an-island-resort-but-hilton-head-blacks-feel-left-out.html

sycophantic relationship to the well heeled (p. 6)
A sycophant is "a servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people"--a "suck up" or "ass kisser," in other words.http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sycophant


Romare Bearden (pp. 11-12)Romare Bearden (1911-1988) was an African-American artist and writer from Charlotte. He also played baseball with the Negro League and once refused an offer to play for the Philadelphia Athletics if he would agree to "pass as white."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romare_Bearden


wharf (p. 21), lift (p. 32)
Both brothers use regional idioms like "wharf" ("town") and "lift" ("elevator") that might be perceived by some as pretentious.

James Bradley Scott's The Bonds of Freedom (pp. 27-28)
Taylor's famous father: fictitous character and book

Harvard Review (p. 33)
Harvard Review publishes poetry, fiction, essays, drama, graphics, and reviews. It is published twice yearly, in spring and fall.
http://hcl.harvard.edu/harvardreview/


twenty-twenty Brayburry (p. 48) & Oak Bluffs (p. 67)
The fictional LeVays live at a fictional address somewhere on Martha's Vineyard. When Taylor refers to her father having a "place over in Oak Bluffs," however, this is a real town on the island.

Weber's theories on social dominance (p.55)
Max Weber (1864-1920) was a "German political economist and sociologist. [...] Weber believed that social hierarchy was inevitable, and that its analysis lay in the relationship to be found between the analytically distinct dimensions of status, property and political or organizational power."
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/max-weberthe-life-and-work-of-a-social-theorist-18641920-75492.html


bell hooks (p. 58)Gloria Jean Watkins (born 1952), "better known by the pen name bell hooks, is an American author, feminist, and social activist. Her writing has focused on the interconnectivity of race, class, and gender and their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and domination."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_hooks


Exeter and Harvard (p. 60)
(As some might argue, the "best of the best" as go reputations.) Phillips Exeter Academy is a private boarding school for grades 9-12 located 50 miles north of Boston. Historically, Exeter was the primary feeder school for Harvard; today, more Exeter alums attend Harvard than any one other college.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_Exeter_Academy


Desert Storm (p. 75)
An historical glitch in the play. Cheryl notes that her father supposedly died 18 years earlier during Desert Storm. Given that the Persian Gulf War, also known as "Desert Storm," began August 2, 1990, history here coincides with the 2008 publication of the play, but not the setting of play, which, according to the playwright is probably 2003. (See "Questions for Lydia.")
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War

Chanel and Ferragamo (p. 77)
High fashion: Chanel for handbags and perfumes, Ferragamo for hand-made shoes. Sold today at stores such as Bloomingdales, Saks, and Neiman-Marcus.

The Black Dog (p. 90)
The first year-round restaurant on Martha's Vineyard. The Tavern, opened in 1969 and now with multiple locations, features local fare with entrees in the $30 range.
http://www.theblackdog.com/pages.php?pageid=5

galleys (p. 94)
"A galley is simply a collection of unbound signature pages. A bound galley is a galley that has been bound into book form. Bound galleys are generally produced after a manuscript has been typeset but before proofreading, and are used by publicists to send to book reviewers, distributors and book clubs that like to see a copy of the book three or four months before its official publication date."
http://publishingcentral.com/articles/20030409-1-0a1c.html

Lilly Pulitzer & Kate Spade (p. 97)
Trendy clothing and handbag stores.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilly_Pulitzer; http://www.lillypulitzer.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Spade; http://www.katespade.com/home/index.jsp

D.H. Lawrence, rainbows, and lesbians (p. 101)
Flip is probably referring to Lawrence's 1915 novel, The Rainbow, which focuses on the sexual relationships of its characters (lesbians included). Controversy resulted in an obscenity trial, and the book was subsequently burned and banned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._H._Lawrence

Jack and Jill (p. 102)
Jack and Jill of America is an organization of "elite" (as Taylor notes) black families that includes 218 chapters around the world (most in the U.S.) and around 30,000 members.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_and_Jill_(organization)http://www.jack-and-jill.org/

mojitos (p. 109)Trendy cocktail made with rum, lime juice, sugar, mint, and soda water.
http://www.webtender.com/db/drink/1435