Wilfrid

The horribly renamed New York Historical is hosting a magical, enchanting show based around Betye Saar's remarkable collection of Black dolls. As you would expect from Saar, there are several assemblages on hand; less expected, recent watercolors representing the dolls. The dolls are very much present and one fun thing to do is connecting the actual dolls with their (subtly changed) images in the paintings. Many of the dolls present racial stereoptypes or just tensions -- as in the reversible dolls where you can look at the toy's white face or Black face but not both at once. Saar finds many ways to restore agency and dignity to the dolls. That sounds heavy, but there are many funny elements to the show too. The show is in the small second floor gallery, but there is a lot to see. Saar says that when she was posing the dolls and adjusting their costumes to paint them, she realized she was essentially playing with the dolls at the age of 95. She will turn 100 on July 30 this year.

I remember reading him every week in the New York Observer when it had a galaxy of star writers. Hello, Moira Hodgson.

A few notes on food, because I was impressed by the quality and originality of some of the cooking. (Pictures on IG, but if anyone wants more details or pictures here, just ask). Brasserie by Niche. Open on a Monday, which is uncommon, and is also why the manager told me they were busy and selling out of stuff. I had planned on the duck confit, but that was already 86'd. I switched to braised beef with pommes purees and carrots, but was told the potatoes were gone. The manager suggested fries or mac'n'cheese but I asked for another vegetable. Green beans with almonds? Sure. When the plate arrived, it was accompanied by the beans and an extra (huge) side dish of carrots -- and the pommes puree were there after all. Even so, the manager comped the entire course. More importantly, the beef was good. Went away feeling positive. Before dinner, Brennan's is a popular, very well run cocktail bar. Olive + Oak. This was a drive from the center and I expected a little neighborhood restaurant. No: vast and very busy on a Tuesday evening. Visiting the restroom I passed a door to a massive and bustling pub. When I mentioned this to my server, she told me they also have an event space down the street. They have a pizzeria too, so big family empire. Oysters offered six ways and you can name the number you want and mix them up (I took raw Pacific coast and "Buffalo fried"). Server recommended a small green tomato salad and she was right: the small was plenty big enough. Then the originality: copious braised rabbit leg meat piled on a large but delicate crepe, the latter interleaved with almost melted gouda. Very good dish, unseen elsewhere. Robin Restaurant. This is a small neighborhood restaurant, but quite cool and modern. About 24 covers plus four bar seats, open kitchen. Four course prix fixe for $75. Add a plate of delicious little snacks (liver and corn cookie sandwich) for $8. Wines by the carafe rather than glass. The originality here: a take on Minnesota hot dish, the potatoes replaced by crisp puffed rice, the ground beef by mushrooms in a cream sauce. Before that, venison tartare, after it lamb loin and rib with garnishes including a spinach and ramp sauce. After cheeses, a complimentary serving of "gooey butter cake," not something I would have ordered but good to taste it. Pappy's Smokehouse. Touted as best ribs in the city and I have no argument with that. I went early, between 11 and 12, and the dining room was almost full, there was a (short) line to get in, and I saw constant pedestrian and drive-thru pick-ups. I guess they can afford the large and charming wait staff. Half slab of ribs, $19.99 including two sides. Might as well mention Planter's House, more about excellent cocktails than food. Manager was excited enough by my order of a St George Botanivore martini that she had the mixologist make two, one for her. And 'ssippi, the delightfully named natural wine bar; the kind of neighborhood place where the arrival of a stranger seems surprising. Finally, two historic delicacies. Hot salami at Gioia's (1918): hot fresh sausage and Provel cheese on crisped bread. If you melted some cheese on fried Dominican salami, it would be similar. St Paul sandwich at Chong Wha: a generous egg foo young omeletter sandwiched between two ordinary slices of bread. This you could definitely make by ordering from any Chinese take-out and providing your own bread. But it was a little bit of history. Overall, good trip (flawless travel). Must have been because I could have added a day or two to see more.

I have not watched TCM in a while, but about to fire it up for The Ozu Diaries.

My first trip to the States was to Atlanta and his name seemed to be everywhere.

I planned on only the relatively modest Contemporary Art Museum and the vast St Louis University Museum of Art today, but then I found the Pulitzer Art Foundation with plenty of modern European art and a Serra on the terrace. STL Uni had a very good show of modern Australian art, but I was relieved the 4th floor was temporarily closed. I am all arted out.

Those who can tolerate Instagram will have seen me posting about the trip. I can add photos here for anyone Instagram-phobic. This is not a walking city, even downtown. There are a few neighborhoods with street life -- I have seen Central West End and The Grove -- but it's pretty spread out and apparently empty. Sad to see so many boarded up businesses, especially downtown, as well as neighborhoods which were clearly once densely populated kind of emptied out. People tell me the effects of last year's tornado are still felt, but the demolition of some neighborhoods goes back much further. Museums are spectacular and for the most part huge. I thought I could do the Missouri History Museum, the Kempner museum at WashU and the St Louis Art Museum today. Too much for one day. The latter is on a scale approaching the Met so I just did the contemporary galleries (heaps of Beckman) and surrendered.

There's almost nothing to actually read. They update their lists and post a couple of news items. All the reviewers are gone, of course.

Dover Mitchell and Andy Wardole.

In St Louis right now and people are talking to me about the Knicks.

Reminded now that we are mainly dealing with short story collections. Looks like about fourteen volumes, fewer than I thought. Apparently World of Jeeves, which I have, contains all but one of the stories; but not the novels.

I am on top of the lingo. I need to check how many Jeeves novels there are. I do have The Inimitable Jeeves, presumably the first, but I didn't know about the title change. You make me want to re-read it. Not the whole series. I think my entire collection of J.H. Prynne might approach $13k in value, in a few years anyway.

My favorites: Kamrooz Aram, some serene abstracts and a lovely folding screen; Mao Ishikawa, a powerful photographer -- American troops and the local population in Okinawa and images of the American south. A larger sample of Ishikawa's work is on show at Alison Bradley Projects through June 6. The gallery assistant gave me a poster:

No, I already had one.

@relbbaddoof I did think of you today, finding a lot of Wodehouse at the Antiquarian Book Fair. Signed copy:

At the Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory today I found this exact edition at a booth hosted by UK sellers. Of course, their copy was pristine. $50. Oh well...

Great to see Lenny still out there. Talking about still out there, The Flamin' Groovies have a Shake Some Action 50th anniversary tour coming up. An old friend suggests we go to see them (somewhere: it's an international tour). I checked on Cyril Jordan and he is indeed still leading the band, aged 77. Everyone else is long gone. I have significant memories of the band, but I am not at all sure about this.

National Blues Museum shut down at the end of March: not economically sustainable. Bah.

Frick tickets can be bought on a pay-what-you-wish basis on Wedneday afternoons. This is good because I don't need to spend hours viewing the (now massive) Frick collection again, but I did want to see the temporary (and small) exhibit "Ruffles & Ribbons" -- charming examinations of French fashions and hair styles from the late eighteenth century. While there, I thought it was worth standing in line for a few minutes to see "Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture." I came away thinking the conception of the show a little odd; I would say that in at least 50% of the portraits Gainsborough doesn't care at all about fashion, almost scribbling the subjects' garments. He cares less about hands (blurry) and the length of arms. Faces, on the other hand, he takes trouble over. But the portraits are large and colorful and there are a few carefully painted dresses.

This has happened with so many online purchases. The latest: I bought a ticket online for the Frick a couple of days ago -- since when my devices have been flooded with...invitations to buy a ticket to the Frick. This has become so predictable. Accurate but nevertheless dumb targeting. It would be more productive to show me a completely random ad rather than ad for something I have just bought. I am sure it will be alright when AI takes over, oh, it already has.

I was not expecting to see Reverend Billy in the latest New Yorker. I used to run into him all the time years ago. Have to respect his energy. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/05/04/reverend-billy-takes-on-norman-fosters-new-monolith

I keep meaning to recommend Saturday Night Live UK. I was skeptical initially (and I haven't seen every episode) but it is very funny. The format is identical to the original SNL. The cast is great -- they have someone doing a truly uncanny vocal imitation of Keir Starmer. Two interesting differences from the NY version: Weekend Update is aggressive and pointed to a degree Che and Jost could never consider. And cast members can swear without getting fined (Miss Eggy say wha...?) I stream it on Peacock but there are probably plenty of clips on YouTube for anyone curious.

I remember that distinctive old storefront. Years since I visited.

Anyone else watching? Episode 3 is just relentlessly intense and terrifying. Bonus: the great Catalunyan singer Rosalia is good playing a stripper. 🤷‍♂️

This is that martini. I would say the Curacao wash doesn't do much, not explosive like an absinthe wash, but it's a nice drink.