Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 7 February 2019
‘Flower Drum Song’ author C.Y. Lee dead at 102

Associated Press Song,” and at the time was
NEW YORK (AP) — C.Y. Lee, renting a small apartment
whose novel “The Flower above a Filipino nightclub
Drum Song” became a in San Francisco. He was
best seller and the basis for employed at the time by
a popular stage musical a Chinese-language news-
and Oscar-nominated film paper, for which he wrote
despite mixed critical reac- stories for elderly readers.
tions and concerns about For his novel, he drew upon
stereotypes, has died at his observations about the
age 102. Lee’s son, Jay Lee, difference between older
told The Associated Press immigrants and their more
that his father died Nov. 8 assimilated children.
in Los Angeles. The family “In Chinatown, I knew ev-
decided at the time not to erything that was going
make his death public. on,” he told the AP in 2002.
“The Flower Drum Song,” a “Out of that I created char-
story of generational con- acters, using everybody in-
flict set in San Francisco’s cluding my own family and
Chinatown, came out in my friends, plus a lot of in-
1957, and quickly became vention from the air.”
a popular read. The New Lee struggled to find a
York Times’ Idwal Jones publisher. After more than
praised Lee’s “objective This Sept. 28, 2002 file photo shows author C.Y. Lee in New York. Lee, 102, the author of the best- a dozen rejections, he was
eye,” but also faulted the selling “The Flower Drum Song” died on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. warned by his agent that
book for its absence of Associated Press he might have to “think of
“deeper notes” and its af- by “M. Butterfly” playwright who thought the book un- an American — the things another profession.”
finity for “slang and sex” David Henry Hwang. A 1961 derrated. “Flower Drum you gain and the things “But then the novel land-
and “popular taste.” (The film version, among the first Song” was out of print at you lose — but it ultimately ed at the sick bed of an
author would later ac- major Hollywood produc- the time Hwang worked on affirms the value of this so- 80-year-old gentleman,
knowledge he wanted to tions to feature an Asian the Broadway revival and cial experience.” who was a reader for a
reach a large audience). cast, received five Acade- he had to track it down A native of China who emi- highbrow publishing house
Lee’s debut novel attract- my Award nominations de- from a Seattle book seller. grated to the U.S. during (Farrar, Straus),” Lee told
ed the attention of screen- spite being called by The “I thought, ‘Oh, it’s such a World War II, Chin Yang Lee the AP. “He was quite ill,
writer Joseph Fields and New Yorker an “elaborate shame this author and this wrote several other novels, but he read it. He didn’t
composers Richard Rodg- fraud” and a showcase for book have been lost, par- including “China Saga” have the energy to write a
ers and Oscar Hammerstein crude stereotypes. ticularly the bittersweet and “Gate of Rage,” two- or three-page critique.
II. Their musical adaptation, Lee has since been praised tone of the novel,’” Hwang based on pro-democracy He wrote only two words —
originally directed by Gene as among the first Asian told the AP in 2001. protests in 1989 centered ‘Read this’ — and died.
Kelly, ran on Broadway novelists to break through “C.Y.’s book is compli- on Tiananmen Square. “Without those two words,
from 1958-60 and was re- commercially in the U.S. cated in terms of texture He spent more than a the novel would have nev-
vived in 2002, with a book and Hwang is among those about what it means to be year writing “Flower Drum er been published.”q

Milwaukee museum features thousands of bobbleheads

By CARRIE ANTLFINGER things that go with creat- The museum also includes
Associated Press ing a museum. information about the
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A new They have collected more making of bobbleheads
museum in Milwaukee than 10,000 bobbleheads, and the people they rep-
may well hold the largest including a life-size bob- resent. Admission is $5.
collection of bobbleheads blehead; a Pat Hughes “I think that passion comes
anyone has ever seen, dis- bobblehead calling the from the fun aspect and
playing more than 6,500 World Series title for the seeing the reaction peo-
figures of athletes, mas- Cubs; bobbleheads of ple get when they see the
cots, celebrities, animals, characters from “The Wiz- bobbleheads,” Sklar said.
cartoon characters, politi- ard of Oz” and the “Star Sklar and Novak are in
cians and more. Wars” franchise; and the the process of having
The National Bobblehead first football and baseball the collection certified as
Hall of Fame and Museum bobbleheads from the the world’s largest by the
recently opened and was early 1960s. They even Guinness Book of World
the brainchild of friends In this Jan. 8, 2019 photo, National Bobblehead Hall of Fame have one of Donald Trump Records.
and Museum founders Brad Novak, left, and Phil Sklar, stand
Phil Sklar and Brad Novak, near the museum entrance at the National Bobblehead Hall of from “The Apprentice” The current record is 2,396
who started collecting the Fame and Museum in Milwaukee. that says “You’re fired” bobbleheads, held by
figures 16 years ago. Associated Press upon the push of a button. Phil Darling, a 40-year-old
“We’ve put everything years ago, after quitting bleheads to earn money, Some of the figures will be hardware engineer from
into this,” Sklar said. their corporate finance collecting bobbleheads on rotation or part of spe- Richmond, Ontario. He’s
They decided on a muse- (Sklar) and retail sales (No- from thrift stores and pri- cial exhibits — like, say, if acquired an additional
um and bobblehead-cre- vak) jobs. Since then, they vate donors, finding a lo- a certain sports team is in 500 since the certification
ating business about four have been making bob- cation and all the other town. in 2015.q