Author Topic: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ Prediscussion  (Read 7908 times)

BooksAdmin

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Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ Prediscussion
« on: March 14, 2009, 05:28:54 PM »


Before the publication of Loving Frank in 2007, few details were known about the love affair between Martha (nicknamed Mamah) Borthwick Cheney and the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The two met in 1903 when Mamah and Edwin H. Cheney commissioned Wright to design a new home for them. The strong attraction between Mamah and her Frank led to a very publicly conducted affair that scandalized Oak Park, Illinois. Shunned by society, haunted by the press, the lovers decamped to Paris in 1909, leaving behind their spouses and children. They lived abroad for a year. Scholars have relegated Mamah to a footnote in the long, tumultuous life of America's greatest architect.

Loving Frank is based on years of solid research that has unearthed letters, diary entries,  and newspaper headlines.  With remarkable restraint and great sensitivity, Nancy Horan has blended the known facts with novelistic imagination to create a compelling narrative of a dramatic, ultimately tragic love story.  Rich in period detail, the story is told in Mamah's voice and vividly portrays the conflicts of a woman struggling to reconcile the roles of wife, mother, lover, and intellectual one hundred years ago.
Please join us for the May discussion. ~ Ann & Traude

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Discussion Leaders:  Ann & Traude


straudetwo

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2009, 06:58:06 PM »
Welcome!   We invite you to the discussion of Loving Frank =  the preeminent, renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, which we are proposing  to start in May.  We look forward to exploring with you this gem of a book and essential questions  it still poses a century later.

Wright's legacy was retroactively shielded by his devoted apprentices and buttressed by his work. But Mamah's reputation was ruined.  Nancy Horan traces the relationship of the couple  from its ecstatic beginnings  through doubts,  compromises, renwed hope,  to the tragic end.
Please plan to join us.

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2009, 09:12:57 AM »
Hello Traude and Ann.  I have read the book and will review it again when your discussion begins; however,  I am going on an Elderhostel trip to New York for a week beginning May 10th so will be out for awhile.

But it's a good book and will make a fine discussion.

joangrimes

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2009, 11:45:32 AM »
I am looking forward to reading and discussing this book.

Joan Grimes
Roll Tide ~ Winners of  BCS 2010 National Championship

ANNIE

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2009, 10:26:23 PM »
Welcome to all who sign in here.  We would really like to have a quorum so that the discussion can go forth.
Thanks to Traude for getting this out to the public boards.
"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." Robert Southey

Aberlaine

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2009, 09:42:13 AM »
I'm reading Loving Frank for my f2f book group which meets tomorrow.  I haven't finished the book because it just doesn't hold my interest.  Perhaps it's because I'm not interested in architecture or Frank Lloyd Wright.

I'll be stopping by to read the comments.  Maybe I'm missing something.

Nancy

maryz

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2009, 10:10:47 AM »
I'll be checking in on the discussion.
"When someone you love dies, you never quite get over it.  You just learn how to go on without them. But always keep them safely tucked in your heart."

straudetwo

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2009, 11:36:05 PM »
Thank you all so much for your posts.

An hour and a half ago, as I was trying to answer an e-mil, I was suddenly unable to answer it  and lost all contact to all websites.  Horrors !!!
Safari could not open any sites anywhere !

The computer, not yet one year old, seems to have had the hiccups.
I let it rest  and compose itself.  Now I'll try to answer that e-mail.
Hope to be here tomorrow.


waafer

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2009, 01:41:33 AM »

Since I visited The Dana Thomas house in Springfield Il. I have been interested to read on the internet about other houses that were designed by FLW and the history of this man.  Just hope my Library Lady will bring me this book in time for the discussion.  I truly loved the house I saw and as we were the only two visitors there this morning the guide had time to tell us much about the house.  Waafer

straudetwo

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2009, 12:08:18 PM »
Again,  thank you for your posts.
I am sorry not to have been able to welcome all of you individually, as is our custom, because of last night's mystifying malfunction. 

It was a relief to hear this morning from my neighbor across the street that she too experienced the same disruption when her son was working on his homework.
The fault lay clearly with Comcast, which is our mutual internet, phone and cable provider. It was off from about 9:45 p.m. to around midnight.

Welcome, Ella and JoanG (an early supporter).

Welcome,Nancy, and thanks for posting. So you'll have the opportunity to discuss the book f2f before we  begin here. It would be interesting to know what your group thinks/thought.

Our local group has had many exciting,  even spirited discussions over the years, but not all of us like each and every book.  That can hardly be expected.  But I submit to you that not liking
a book does not preclude a good discussion.
In fact, when  LF was first suggested in our local group, I was skeptical, fearing the book might be an overwrought romance with intimate revelations.  Well,  thankfully, the book is nothing of the sort; if anything it is an understatement.

MaryZ,  a big Hello to you.  I've seen you elsewhere and am glad you are joining us here.

Waafer,  a warm welcome to you also. It is always a pleasure to see a new name and a new face. 
May I add:  when the local group in January, one member brought along a hefty tome of FLW's works, picturing every house, its location and design, including the furniture he designed --which actually doesn't look all that  comfortable  :(
Taliesin  which he built in Wisconsin for Mamah and himself is in the Prairie style.  We will be able to look at the houses and the furniture (and more), thanks to the skill of our techies.

There will be a short pre-discussion before we start on May 1st.  Surely the books you ordered will have arrived by then.
Right now, however, we are looking for a quorum. Please keep the posts coming.
And thank you.

Aberlaine

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2009, 07:29:54 AM »
My f2f group enjoyed the book very much.  We were thrilled that one of our member's husband loves FLW and gives lectures about him.  So she was able to bring several books to the meeting displaying in astounding detail some of the more famous FLW houses.

Some of his houses I loved (I'm a "brick" fan) and some of them were too elongated for me.  I was thinking of myself now and how long it would take to walk from one end to the other.  I've never visited any of his houses, but now I have that on my list of vacations to take.

Nancy

straudetwo

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2009, 12:07:58 PM »
Nancy, your post is very much appreciated.   Thank you very much for letting us know about your f2f discussion of LF.  First-hand feedback like this is invaluable, of course.

We'd love to be able to count on you when we begin  here in late April with a short pre-discussion.
Thank you again.


ANNIE

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2009, 10:25:53 PM »
Hi ya'al,
Well, its good to see that we have 5 or 6 plus two DL's in here to discuss this very interesting book.  That's a quorum!!  We can leave this open for others who might be interested for a week or two and then will have to close until opening day, May 1st.
So, maybe we will be sending out reminders those who sign in closer to May 1st.

Traude
If you would go to my workshop page and copy the links in there into the header here, I would be most grateful.  Have completely forgotten how to do that.
I am looking for more links.

Nancy,
So glad you shared your f2f's feelin's about the book.  I hope all, even those who didn't care for the book, will join us to let us know their opinions of the different sections that we will be discussing.
"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." Robert Southey

Aberlaine

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2009, 07:48:44 AM »
I returned my book, but will sign it out of the library as it gets closer to May.  Hopefully, there won't be a run on the book and I'll be able to get it out quickly.

Nancy

ANNIE

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2009, 07:58:39 AM »
Well, I just noticed, in my library, a CD of this book.  I may check that out later in April and see how I like it being read to me.  I've don't that with several books that my different f2f books were reading and truly enjoyed it. 
"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." Robert Southey

straudetwo

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #15 on: April 03, 2009, 11:17:00 PM »
Apologies for not posting sooner.  I had a small mishap.
Ann and I look forward to starting the discussion of Loving Frank on the First of May.

Links have been posted in the header for you to feast your eyes on in the meantime.  A profusion
of reference materials is available on line, and that is the just due for a giant and innovator like FLW.  Among the material is an extensive, copyrighted picture gallery with personal photos of the architect and family members, including e.g. his granddaughter, the actress Ann Baxter.
A detailed timeline lists the architect's manifold achievements and major events in his life,  but only the briefest of notes about Mamah Borthwick Cheney, the narrator of Loving Frank.

Less than two years after the publication of LF, another book about Frank Lloyd Wright came out two months ago.  Its title is The Women and  the author is T.C. Boyle.
Told in reverse chronology,  Boyle's The Women focuses more on Frank Lloyd Wright's tumultuous and scandalous relationships with four unique women than on his life's work.

Here we have set ourselves the task of exploring the account of the turbulent early years given by the "other woman".  But Mamah Borthwick Cheney was an independent, strong woman.  For her FLW built Taliesin in Wisconsin, burned and restored twice.  And theirs was not a tawdry affair but, from all indications, true love that lasted until her tragic death.

Please plan to join us here on May 1st. We'd love to see you.





BooksAdmin

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #16 on: April 06, 2009, 09:18:12 PM »
Thank you for all your interest in this discussion.  This topic will now be locked until the discussion resumes on May 1.

See you all then!



EDIT: Look for the new discussion to open the evning of April 30.
Ann and Traude will be along soon.

BooksAdmin

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Re: Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st
« Reply #17 on: April 30, 2009, 03:34:14 PM »
Ann and Traude invite you to come over to the new discussion
Loving Frank (Lloyd Wright) ~ Nancy Horan ~ May 1st .