Watching The Documentary "Big Sonia" July 5, 2019

A couple of nights ago, on July 5, 2019, my wife and I watched the award winning documentary "Big Sonia" on the Scientology Network.  Lately, we have watched a few documentaries on this network which still leaves me somewhat apprehensive as it should since I firmly believe that the so-called "religion" is  nothing more or less than one of the most dangerous cults in the world.  For that reason, I have not included a link to their website in this blog post.  Enough said about that topic.  The documentary was released in 2016 and I had never known about it until now.  It is a documentary about Sonia Warshawski who was 91 at the time the movie was made.  She is a Jewish Polish born survivor of the Holocaust and was imprisoned by the Germans when she was in her early teen years.  Nearly her entire family were victims of the Holocaust and she had to watch her father and brother removed by the SS never to be seen again.  She watched her mother marched into the gas chamber but somehow managed to survive until liberation by the Allies.  She met and married her husband in the death camps and they came to America where they ran a tailor shop until his death.  

Sonia continued to operate the shop in a dying mall until she finally received an eviction notice as the owners prepared to sell the severely deteriorated property.  But, simultaneously, she was speaking in any forum available to her, about her experiences in the Holocaust including prisons and schools.  Sonia Warshawski is presumably still alive at this writing and is a tiny force of nature in her 90's at a time when most of her age peers are long dead.  Her story should be required viewing for every student in school in America, in every prison and jail, and in every church of the more mainstream denominations. I have not seen a more inspiring, and on some key levels, terrifying documentary in many years.  

At this time in America, we have seen racism, hate speech, hate crimes, and all other forms of Right Wing Radical acts expanding and sweeping across the country just as any other virulent disease would. Those acts have included murder as seen in Charlottesville, Virginia; beatings, harassment, and arson all across the country.  And as this has been happening, the nameless TRAITOR who currently illegally occupies the White House based on his TREASON with Russia has not attempted to say or do anything stop it because of his own clearly delineated acts of hatred, racism, ignorance, and up to the caging of babies.  America and American Democracy are in greater danger than they have been in more than 60 years and we need a thousand people like Sonia Warshawski speaking out against hatred, calling the perpetrators to task for their crimes, and serving as examples for the entire human race.  As a nation, we simply cannot afford to allow these crimes to persist!  We cannot allow their perpetrators to go unpunished!  We cannot stand by and watch our country turned into a Third World bastion of all these destructive, racist, misogynistic, debilitating, and corrosive values.  Watch this documentary the first chance you get!  Tell every friend you have to watch!  Practice the values which Sonia Warshawski expresses in the movie and tell the entire world that Sonia Warshawski is an American Heroine. 

Edward Melcarth Exhibition "Points Of View", University Of KY 2018

Edward Melcarth & his painting "Last Supper" Photo by Lexington Herald Leader

First and foremost, I need to apologize for not having written and posted about this exhibition as soon as I was first aware of it so some of my readers might have been able to go to the exhibition.  But a combination of my schedule, my personal life, and other commitments prevented me from doing it when I should have.  But this exhibition was far too good to see it without attempting to write about it and inform other people of Edward Melcarth and his work.  The exhibition called "Edward Melcarth Points Of View" was at the University of Kentucky Art Museum and ran from January 13, 2018, to April 8, 2018. As I recall, my wife Candice and I saw it on the last or next to last day in April just before it closed.  There was also a second exhibition of Melcarth's work in Lexington for part of the time this exhibition was open.  That exhibition took place at Institute 193, 193 N. Limestone, Lexington, KY.  It was labeled "Edward Melcarth: Rough Trade”  and ran from Jan. 13, 2018, to February 10, 2018.  I had hoped to see both exhibitions on the same day but the weather in January and February prevented me from doing so.  I had learned about both exhibitions from an excellent article by Herald Leader columnist Tom Eblen which appeared online on January 11, 2018.

Edward Melcarth "Amendment" Photo by Lexington Herald Leader

But the major exhibition at UK was a real joy to see and gave us an opportunity, as well as the rest of the Lexington market to see work from an artist whose work had nearly fallen through the cracks into oblivion and was rescued from anonymity by a strange quirk or circumstance.  Melcarth had been born in Louisville in 1914, and early in his career was receiving critical acclaim.  He created murals which are still on display at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.  He received an award from the Art Institute Of Chicago in 1951.  His works are in the private collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum Of American Art, the Museum Of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Art Institute Of Chicago.  Yet no one has ever written a biography of him.  He has no biography on Wikipedia.   He had nearly disappeared from view in the ever changing world of American Art and art appreciation.  But an unusual set of circumstances served to bring Melcarth back into the public eye and to motivate the two exhibitions in Lexington.

Lexington historian Jonathan Coleman wandered into Melcarth's art while working on other projects including The Faulkner Morgan Pagan Babies Archive of Kentucky LGBTQ History.   Edward Melcarth, who was openly both gay and a communist,  had been born into a prominent Louisville Jewish family but changed his name from Edward Epstein for unknown reasons to Edward Melcarth.  He also moved to Lexington which has had a long and interesting history as somewhat of a minor gay Mecca for more than a hundred years.  Later in life, he moved to Venice, Italy, where he died in relative obscurity in 1973.  But Jonathan Coleman discovered his work and learned that upon Melcarth's death the publisher Malcolm Forbes had bought his entire estate.  Coleman approached the Forbes Collection and eventually arranged through his Lexington and University Of Kentucky connections to bring about the simultaneous exhibitions in Lexington which were the first public displays of Melcarth's works in many years.  Thanks to Jonathan Coleman art aficionados in Kentucky have at least had recent opportunities to view Melcarth's work and he has been rescued, at least temporarily, from obscurity.  He deserves to remain forever in the public eye.

Edward Melcarth "Motorcyclists" Photo by Lexington Herald Leader

Melcarth's works are powerful, emotionally evocative, and often unforgettable.  As an openly gay man, he frequently painted male subjects with striking appreciation of their bodies.  As a communist, he also created works involving strikers and working class subjects.  He worked in both paints and sculpture.  His wood carving "Amendment", seen above, is a wonderful construction but had visible damage and repairs from the past.  However those blemishes do nothing to keep the work from burning itself into an art lover's brain.  His use of light and shadow combined with his depiction of motion in "Motorcyclists", above, is also powerful and memorable work.  The male subjects in "Excavation", above, are wonderfully rendered and the painting gives insight into the lives of the working class.  I will not soon forget the works of Edward Melcarth.  If I ever have another opportunity to see his work on exhibit, I will beat a path to the gallery's door.  So should you!  Let us hope that these two recent exhibits serve to keep the works of Edward Melcarth in the public eye for many years to come, generate a desire on the part of other gallery officials to show his work, and facilitate his rebirth as a darling of the world of American Art.  

Read more here: https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/tom-eblen/article194180314.html#storylink=cpy

William Howard Cohen, Poet, Professor, Hero

The photo above is an official Alice Lloyd College yearbook photo from about 1968.

 

William Howard Cohen was unique.  He was one of the most outspoken, brilliant, and weird men I have ever known.  I first met Bill Cohen in the summer of 1966 when I was attending Upward Bound on the campus of Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, KY.  Bill Cohen, as he generally preferred to be known, despite his doctoral degree, taught English and Humanities at ALC.  He was probably more broadly known in Knott County than many other professors at the school because of his outspoken nature, his unique differences with most of the locals and even the other ALC staff.  Bill was a constantly moving, constantly talking, highly opinionated man.  Looking back on Bill through the lens of twenty years experience in the mental health field, it is my considered professional opinion that Bill Cohen was probably dealing with a diagnosis of Bipolar Affective Disorder, rapid cycling type.  Bill demonstrated most if not all of the symptoms of the diagnosis.  He had rapid, constant, pressured speech, flight of ideas, grandiosity, distractibility, and was a constant ball of sometimes unfocused energy.  Bill Cohen was also a great teacher and knew American literature, poetry, and Haiku cover to cover, front to back, upside down and sideways.  

 

The photo above is William Howard Cohen and his wife, Delores Cohen, in their home at Alice Lloyd College.

William Howard Cohen was an accomplished poet and wrote several books of poetry during his life.  They included "The Hill Way Home Poems From The Appalachian Highlands" which was published during the time he was teaching at Alice Lloyd College.  This book probably represents his best work in more traditional poetic styles.  

 

 The photo above is William Howard Cohen, far right, Kenneth Baldridge, and four unknown Alice Lloyd College students. 

He also wrote and published "Mexico '68 The New World Of Man: Poems From The Olympic Games".  This book consisted of poems which Bill wrote while he was attending the Olympic Games in Mexico City as a cultural delegate from the US.  I knew Bill at that time and I will never forget how excited he was to learn that he had been chosen to represent the country at the Olympics.  He was even more excited when he returned.  I will always remember an incident which happened in one of his humanities classes after his return.  His flight of ideas was running rampant that particular day and he was still incredibly excited about his recent trip.  Literally in the middle of a lecture about Greek architecture, he said "Doric column are...Man, you should have seen Jim Ryun run down that track."  

William Howard Cohen also wrote "Conversations With Albert Einstein And Other Poems From The Einstein Year" which was published in 1979 after he had left Alice Lloyd College.  Sadly, I have never read this book since I learned of it too late to buy a new copy and now it is usually priced outside my range on Internet based used book sites.  But I know without reading the book that it will reflect Bill's fascination with genius and high achieving people in general.  

After leaving Alice Lloyd College, he also edited a book of children's poetry called "Under Enchanted Boughs: Children's Poems From The Duval County Schools" which was a project of the Jacksonville Children's Museum Outreach Program.  I have also never seen a copy of this book at somewhat reasonable prices on Internet used book websites.

During his time in Southern Illinois, William Howard Cohen also published another book of poetry entitled "A House In The Country Poems From Southern Illinois".  I have not read this book either and have never been able to find a copy for sale when I have searched for it.  Considering that it was published very early in his career, I suspect it will be primarily composed of more traditionally styled poetry much like the poems in "The Hill Way Home...".  

William Howard Cohen was an international expert on Haiku, the well-known form of Japanese poetry, and his best known book was called "To Walk In Seasons An Introduction To Haiku".   This book was published in 1972 after he left Knott County but I am certain that he was working on it at the time he was teaching in Kentucky.  I still find Haiku experts writing about and referring to this book online nearly fifty years after it was published.  In fact, as I was writing this post, I found a blog post about the book by a poet and professor named Don Wentworth.   I also recently responded to another Haiku expert's piece about "To Walk In Seasons..." in which the writer attempted to critique the book quite negatively.  But I am sure that the Bill Cohen I knew would have laughed out loud to know that his little book was still being criticized by experts nearly half a century after he wrote it.  

I also just found another memoir piece from a former student of Bill's, Dan Kenneth Phillips, at this web address.   This piece discusses having been a student of Bill's and his nickname, "The Blue Noodle", the origin of which no one seems to know.   Thank you, Dan, for remembering Bill just as fondly as I and many other former proteges do. 

Shortly after I met Bill Cohen, he took me to a statewide poetry gathering at Western Kentucky University which was flattering.  I had been chosen to travel to a writer's gathering in the company and under the mentorship of an internationally recognized poet.  That was a lot for a teenager from Dema, Ky.  At that time, it was probably as far as I had ever been away from my home on Beaver Creek.  Bill arranged for us to stay in a university guest house and I remember being highly impressed to be in a bedroom with matching, fancy, delicate furniture and wall paper with border added.  It was a trip that taught me a lot about both poetry and William Howard Cohen.  I enjoyed it greatly.  At that meeting, I also met former Kentucky Poet Laureate Joy Bale for the first time.

Bill Cohen also loved and collected art.  I do not know that he owned any art which had serious value but he had good taste and his home, which was provided by Alice Lloyd College, was filled by paintings, sculptures, and mobiles from his travels around the country and the world.  I always remember a carved sandstone statue which he kept on a set of steps which divided the two levels of the house.

During his time at Alice Lloyd College, William Howard Cohen would become an outstanding and outspoken advocate against strip mining.  He would use some of his spare time to join and to initiate protests at strip mine sites.  He would often lie down in front of coal trucks leaving strip mines in an attempt to stop production.  When he did this, Bill always carried an American flag and a Bible which he placed on his chest as he lay on his back in the middle of the haul roads.  People would ask him if he wasn't afraid of being run over by a coal truck and his answer was always the same: "I know these mountain boys.  They might run over a little Jew from Florida but they won't run over the flag and the Bible."  It turned out he was always correct in that assessment.  During this period, the Louisville Courier Journal featured Bill in a Sunday Magazine article and he was mentioned in several other stories in the paper.  It is my belief that his activism against strip mining played a large part in his being fired by Alice Lloyd College.  Many of the early graduates and supporters of the college had become wealthy and were involved in the coal industry.  There is no doubt such people would have resisted having such a committed advocate of environmentalism on the faculty and their financial support of the institution would have been unlikely.  Alice Lloyd College eventually fired William Howard Cohen and he moved on to the Jacksonville, Florida, area.  Kentucky lost a fine professor, a better than average poet, and one of the most outstanding advocates for environmentalism in the state at the time.  In my opinion, William Howard Cohen was just as important an opponent of strip mining as Preacher Dan Gibson or Widow Ollie Combs who spent Thanksgiving of 1964 in the Knott County Jail because of her opposition to strip mining.  William Howard Cohen is a fine example of that group of non-native residents of Appalachia who became heroes for the region.  

William Howard Cohen died in the Gainesville, Florida area in 2007.  If anyone reading this knows of his exact burial location or the disposition of his body, and any other information about Bill Cohen, I would love to know about it.  I also do not own a photograph of Bill and I would love to have one if anyone has one to scan and share.  I would post it on this blog post and give full photographer credit.  "Baruch Dayan Emet, Blessed is the true judge."  Rest In Peace, Bill!  

Bill Cohen was probably the first Jewish person I ever met although he was not a practicing Jew at the time I knew him.  It is possible if he had not been living more than 100 miles from the nearest synagogue he might have practiced more diligently.  But he had no qualms about telling anyone in Eastern Kentucky of the  late 1960's that he was a Jew.  He was always honest and outspoken about everything he was, did, or believed.  I will always cherish having known and been able to learn from Bill Cohen.

Here is a link to the obituary of William Howard Cohen which was located and provided by Ray Turner.  Thanks, Ray!  

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Addendum: August 27, 2024

I have recently been contacted by first cousin of William Howard Cohen, also a former university professor in Indiana who had read my blog posts about Dr. Cohen and seen that a niece and nephew of Doctor Cohen had left comments on these posts.  This cousin, Dr. Paul Newman, P.H.D, is the retired chair of the linguistics department at Indiana University and would like to be able to locate these mutual relatives of his and Dr. Cohen's.  They can contact me at rchicks@mrtc.com and I will provide them with Dr. Newman's contact information.  Thanks!