Friday, November 11, 2011

F. Scott's hangout


When F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in St. Paul, Minnesota the University Club at the top of Ramsey Hill was a favorite hangout.  Years ago I did a theme of the houses where F. Scott lived and aspects of his life in this fair city, and I think that I will do it again in the future. Probably in spring when the Midwest world is again in full colour.  In the basement of this club resides a very long mahogany bar with thousands of names of local revelers carved  in the surface.  On a hunt to find F. Scott's signature I discovered it after several tries, and,  much to my delight, next to it was the name of my now-deceased very proper mother-in-law.  I wish that I had found it when she was still alive so I could have teased her about it. Ah, local lore--how fun it is!!

PS.  Years ago during a F. Scott Fitgerald conference there, I met his daughter Scotty, a very gracious woman who gladly autographed a book for my students.

13 comments:

  1. Interesting text today.
    "a single green light, minute and faraway, that might have been the end of a dock."

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  2. This is a fascinating post! How fortunate you are to have all these connections to a literary icon.

    That part about your oh-so-proper mother-in-law was delicious. I have a feeling we'd be quite surprised if we knew the shenanigans our ancestors had been engaged in...

    ...as will our descendents! :-)

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  3. I love Lowell's comment about and agree. It's great to have this little bit of history so close at hand.

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  4. Fun bit of history, Kate!

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  5. That is a great story! I wonder if you took a picture of those carved names.

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  6. An intriguing post today, Kate. Yes, please repeat the series. You have newer followers now.

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  7. I would very much like to see you repeat the series. I am an avid reader. :)

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  8. I have never seen the series. Would live it if you ran it again.
    Great story about the MiL. :)

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  9. I love this post - waiting for the repeat tour next spring!

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  10. It's fun to see where famous people hang out. We always see Shirley Mac Laine at Starbucks.

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  11. Our St. Paul friends are members there and so we have enjoyed a few meals with them there!

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  12. Very interesting post, I didn't even know that he had a daughter...

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  13. «Louis» had forgotten that Fitzgerald had lived there.

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