Friday, October 10, 2008

Someone Else's List

I found a list in an old book I bought at the library sale last week. A shopping list, I realize, is a rather intimate look into someone's life and thoughts. From now on I'll be more careful about where mine end up. Here's the list:

Go to Chinatown, it begins. Who puts “go to Chinatown” on a shopping list? That’s like saying, “Get a job.” Or “Try skydiving.” But maybe “go to Chinatown” is a navigational directive. Try saying it in a GPS voice: “Go tooo Chynatown.” Could be it’s like something on a Monopoly board. Go to Chinatown. Do not collect $200.

Call Rhode Island Historical Society. When? After we get to Chinatown? And what do I say when they answer?

Get Av. Fisher Tkts. TeKanawa and PDQ Bach. Well, that narrows the year down somewhat. Avery Fisher Hall got its name in 1973. Before that it was Philharmonic Hall. So this isn’t a terribly old list. Just an unusual one. (I, too, love Kiri Te Kanawa and Peter Schickele.)

Order Garden of Heavenly Delights. This could be anything. A work of music. A film. A selection of pastries from an uptown bakery.

Library: Lulu, MG, read new MG book. I’m not sure about Lulu, but I’m curious about MG. Who might s/he be? Any ideas?

Listen to F. von St. records. Frederica Von Stade, I assume. I liked her, too. Great voice, great face. I wonder if she still records. Probably not.

Check out Arne’s Love in a Village. I had to Google this one. “Love in a Village” is a play, but who is Arne? A cast member, perhaps? A friend of the list maker’s?

Check out Church Windows by Respighi. Uh-oh…..if she (or he) is checking out a piece of music, s/he probably means check it out of the library. That makes Arne, above, all the more mysterious.

Check out The Diary of One Who Disappeared. Another Google. It’s music. By Janacek.

Check out Berlioz Les Muits de Ete. More good taste in music.

Get new shoes at Capizio. Well, that settles the gender issue. Or does it??

See Places in the Heart. Okay, we’ve narrowed the year down to 1984. Twenty-four years ago.

Go to CDSS. Is this like, “Go to Chinatown”? What is CDSS? Did CVS used to be called CDSS? I don’t think so. CDSS . . . CDSS . . . Chinese Dim Sum Soupery? Probably not.

African Art at 3 places. Oh, fine. Tell us African art is here, but don’t tell us where it is. You’ll notice she didn’t say “Go to” African art at 3 places. Even the most intrepid list-maker eventually gets tired.

7 comments:

crystal said...

The list makes me realize how little I know of music. I'm going to look all these guys up :) and Chinatown ... so mysterious! If I found a list it would probably say ... "Go to Burger King, and get a Whopper. With Fries."

Susan said...

LOL I don't think you'd have to put "go to Burger King" on your list. You'd be on automatic pilot with the rest of us. Mine would take me to Wendy's for a Mandarin Chicken Salad.

Joya said...

This list is *awesome*! I'm putting "Order a Garden of Heavenly Delights" on my next shopping list. Now, I wonder where I can find one...

Helen said...

What a find. I also would like to order a garden of heavenly delights, and possibly a wheelbarrow of heavenly delights to go with it.

I'm the type of person who would need to put "Go to Chinatown" on a list. That's how forgetful I am.

Indigo Bunting said...

Did you see that Sarah Cagan book last year, "To-Do Lists"? An interesting read...

I have three words for you: Iphigenia in Brooklyn.

Susan said...

LOL Love those three words! PDQ Bach was our New Years Eve tradition when we lived in NYC. I got the tickets for free because I was in charge of the house seats. What a job.....

Joya and Helen, do let us know if you run across those delights.

Anonymous said...

That looks more like a to-do list instead of a shopping list. I make list like that. Right now I am on number 5: catch up with blogs I've neglected! (ok, I'm fibbing about that, but I really do make lists like the one you found.