Considering this will be my last official “lost generation passion post for the course ENG 138T, I HAVE to address the new Gatsby movie. World-wide, twitter, tumblr, and Facebook are ramping up for what is beginning to be called, “The Summer of Gatsby”.

Vogue photo shoots, clothing lines, and men shoes have been styled after this up-and-coming masterpiece. The Great Gatsby is flying off the shelves, and people are devouring the little information that has been leaked on the project.

The trailers that have been released show a modernized version of the book. The vision the trailers create is colorful, bright, and every bit as extravagant and exciting as the contents inside the book. The traditional dress and speech patterns that create a realistic representation of the roaring twenties, but the new soundtrack is composed of music all released in 2013 (Some not officially until the movie comes out in May).

Many are criticizing the modern feel the music gives the film, however still others stand behind the directors choice. Many of the songs have a twenties “feel”, such as will.i.am’s “Ban Gang” and the awesome saxophone in Fergie’s “A little Party Never Killed Nobody”. The dancing beat(and well… yeah some dubstep) only adds to the party scenes, making them seem more realistic and upbeat. It seems an almost ignorant thought, but if you’re so upset about the movie being modernized, there are several excellent renditions from earlier eras.

All in all, the new movie with its upbeat music, bright colors, and collection of unbelievably talented (and attractive..) actors can only be a success. Even if you didn’t like the book, I urge you to see a movie that might benefit from a little bit of hollywood influence.

The Leaked Soundtrack

Get Excited!

#seriouslythough

This girl came in to my job today looking for some clothes for her sorority’s Great Gatsby themed party.  Of course, being me, I was fascinated by the idea and asked her more about it. She explained how her sorority was having a week long themed “AMERICA” and then continued to comment, “I mean.. I guess Gatsby was like American or something?”

Despite her blatant ignorance on the matter, she brings up a good point. Assuming she thought that Gatsby was the writer of the novel (aka Scott Fitzgerald), it is valid to wonder how “American” he and his colleagues of the time were and what exactly makes us American. Although men like Fitzgerald and Hemingway are considered some of America’s best writers(I, like many young teenagers, first read them both in an American Literature course), most of their greatest works were inspired by an entirely different country: France. Many had flown to Europe to join in WWI, and still more flocked to the streets of Paris once peace was reached to seek the inspiration that was promised by the genius work that had come out of the city previously.

Was their strong fascination with Paris a reason for them not to be considered American? Did Hemingway’s service in the Italian army strip him of his loyalties the the U.S., finally resulting in his frequenting Cuba many years later.

Gatsby speaks as an example of America’s finest hour, the roaring twenties. It held strong American principles such as bigger is always better, and a constant level of wanting to return to a greater past. While Gatsby’s level of intensity that accompanied his affections could be seen in Europe, this extravagant wastefulness is something only an American could devise.

Hence, although his location may have begged to differ, Gatsby is inded ” like.. American”. he is just about as American, just about as HUMAN as it gets.

One of the things that first attracted me to the writings of the Lost Generation was the simplicity that was the driving force behind their writing style. Nothing was flowery, overdone, or unnecessary like styles used in the romantic era. This was based off of something called the iceberg technique, created by Hemingway.

Also referred to as  minimalism, this technique only shows about 10-20% of the story through the actual writing, the rest must be created by the reader. The joy of reading comes from being able to create your own world, and minimalism allows you to do this in the most effective and enchanting way possible. Somehow, although we are given the bare frame work, we see a magnificent piece of architecture.

“My goal is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simpliest way”- Hemingway

The simplicity and realism presented in Hemingway’s writing are what make it truly great writing. It lets us feel exactly how we believe the characters should feel, and where we could see flaws in others writing, we fill in the gap with our own imagination. Simple writing gets the point across cleanly and purely, almost carrying more emotion with less words.

This could be a seven page story, or even a novel, but Hemingway summed up the main concept in FIVE WORDS. Yet it is the ultimate example of quality over quantity. Who was the baby? Who were the parents? How did they feel? How did the baby die? All this seems unimportant, the main point is given: a child is dead, perhaps stillborn.

Hemingway once said, “If a writer knows enough about what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one ninth of it being above water”

All in all, a good writer will listen to Hemingway’s advice. The reader should be integrated into the creation of the story, and the writer should be able to omit unnecessary “fluff” to enable the reader to create their own journey.

Gertrude Stein was the mother of the Lost Generation. Every Saturday night, the best and the brightest would show up at her doorstep begging for her approval. An acclaimed art critic, she mentored Picasso, Hemingway, and Scott Fitzgerald. If not for her, many of the great works of the time never would have been completed. For instance, after the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald felt like his talents had been spent and much like his character longed to return to his past self. However, Gertude insisted he return home immediately and begin writing, resulting in his great novel Tender is the Night.

I compare Gertrude to a mother because as she nurtured its members, she literally created the term “Lost Generation”. While Hemingway swears that she declared his generation lost after the world, holding onto nothing, Gertrude Stein herself sings a different tune.She claims a mechanic had told her this very idea, since they came back from the war knowing nothing their knowledge of simple tasks lost, and she had simply reiterated  No one knows for sure what happened, since what had once been pleasant relation(resulting in Gertrude becoming Bumby’s godmother) turned into a bitter nuclear wasteland.  However, this is how Hemingway lived, and it was only a matter of time before an over emasculated woman clashed heads with him.

Gertrude had always known she was different, but it wasn’t until she entered medical school that she realized her true sexual orientation. She would struggle with her identity for years to come, often embracing gender stereotypes and branding herself more man than woman, which is exemplified by her making her wife chat with the other men’s wives and children while Gertrude and the men had “serious talk”.This of course, led to major issue in WWII, where being the most well known lesbian couple sent the nazis after them, itching to throw them into a camp.

However, Gertrude always stuck true to the things she knew for sure about herself. She published several books, such as Three Lives which was based on her sexual awakening and I am a Rose. She is perhaps most famous for her many quotes, including ” We are always the same age inside”,” There ain’t no answer. There ain’t gonna be any answer. There never has been an answer. That’s the answer”, and “A rose is a rose is a rose” to which Hemingway retorted “A bitch is a bitch is a bitch”. 

She paved the pathway for the Lost Generation’s style of writing, and while she may not be remembered for her own work, she will indeed be remembered for her thoughts, opinions, and actions.

How many times have you seen a painting in a museum and though ” I could do something much better than that!” Well, I remember learning about Picasso in elementary school. and thinking, seriously. I can draw better than this guy, and I mean can you blame seven year old me?

But it wasn’t until I visited an art museum in Baltimore that I realized that Picasso was actually an amazing artist( go figure!) At the age of nine he completed his first painting:

Doesn’t look so different from the works he’s famous for now huh? But at the age of  15 he completed his first academic painting, shown below.

WOAH WAIT WHAT?! THAT’S TOTALLY DIFFERENT!

The truth is, Picasso had the ability to paint pictures that looked like real life, he simply chose NOT TO. A rebel from the beginning, he believed, ““The world today doesn’t make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?”..

If you look at his later paintings, they do hold a certain air of childlike wonder. Picasso, in his wisdom, decided that it took a very long time to truly become a child. He saw the world through a different light than the rest of us, He believed that art was the lie that enables us to realize the truth. His paintings were based off his feelings, entering a blue period in his depression and a rose period when he finally once again felt sure of himself. His blue period contained depressing paintings of prostitutes  beggars, and the ill, painted in only cool colors.

For instance, although this painting is simple, it fills you with a sense of depression, of understanding, and moves us in a way a simple photograph never could. But when Picasso was happy, it was clearly evident in his paintings.

The paintings of his rose period were warm and beautiful.This one has a touch of Spanish flair, a taste of his homeland. This painting brings thoughts of a new life, a new hope. It’s shocking to even try to comtemplate that these two paintings have the same creator.

Picasso was an inspired man, he even co-created an entire new form of art called cubism, but what I find so fascinating about him is that no two of his paintings are alike, each is new, fresh, and inspired. Watch him work, it’s mesmerizing.

But wait! You may say. If Picasso is from Spain why is he considered a part of the lost generation? Well basically, he moved to Paris to be inspired by it’s beautiful sites, and a grand cacophony of women.

“- Fernande Olivier (Picasso’s first love, she was 18?; he was 23)
– Marcelle Humbert AKA Eva Gouel (she was 27, Picasso was 31)
– Gaby Lespinasse (he was 34, I don’t know how old Gaby was, but she was young, that’s for sure!)
– Olga Khokhlova (Picasso’s first wife; she was 26 and he was 36 when they met)
– Marie-Thérèse Walter (she was 17, he was 46)
– Dora Maar (she was 29, Picasso was 55)
– Françoise Gilot (she was 21 when she met Picasso, who was 61)
– Geneviève Laporte (one of Picasso’s last lovers. She was in her mid-twenties and a French model of Picasso, who was in his seventies when the affair started)
– Jacqueline Roque (who became Picasso’s second wife. She was 27 and he was 79)”

It really shouldn’t be so shocking, considering he mostly drew women and believed that you had to truly know something before you could create something better than it.

In his younger years, he was in Hemingway’s crowd, and frequently asked Getrude Stein for advice on his paintings.They were genius, sensual, superb. Whether that be from his feelings of loneliness, or just pure genius, He was an amazing man, with amazing talents that shall continue to inspire for ages.