A. L. Kaplan

Tag: beach

  • ARE YOUR CHARACTERS NAKED OR NUDE?

    I remember my art history professor throwing a pair of slides up to demonstrate the difference between nude and naked. It was one of those huge seminar classes that we affectionately called art in the dark. Usually class would start, the lights would go out, and half the class fell asleep. This lecture got everyone’s attention.

    I don’t recall what images he showed, but Edouard Manet’s, Olympia, is an excellent example of a nude. Edouard Manet’s, Olympia

    The girl in, Nude in the water, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, however, is naked.Nude in the water, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

    What’s the difference? The attitude and pose. Olympia casually lounges while the other tries to hide herself. The same distinction holds true for the literary arts. Imagine two people walking onto the same beach in identical clothing.

    Jane drops her bag next to the lounge chair and pulls off her wrap. Without a pause she slides out of what passes as a bikini. She reclines on the chair, hands resting behind her head. A smile spreads across her face as she watches other sunbathers.

    Jackie, her twin, stands nearby, eyes darting up and down the beach. After several minutes she slips out of her clothes. Another pause before the suit comes off. Knees hugged close, she sits staring at the edge of the chair. She bites her lower lip as another beach goer walks by.

    So which of these two is naked and which is nude? Jane is relaxed and confident, simply without clothes. She is nude. Jackie is uncomfortable and insecure. Even with her clothes one she feels naked and exposed.

    Now go look at the characters in your stories. Are they naked or nude?

  • Memories

    I find it fascinating how different people can remember the same event in different ways. I got a call from my sister the other day right after she read my post titled A Pesach Story. She didn’t recall much of the food we ate at Seder growing up, but this is what she did recollect.

    1. The smell of the apartment building as we entered and walked down the hall from the elevator. My sister thought it smelled like roast chicken, but to me it smelled like chopped liver. And yes, Grandma Dorothy made the best chopped liver.

    2. There was always a small glass of tomato juice at everyone’s place setting. I had forgotten about the tomato juice until she mentioned it.

    3.  Everyone chanted something at one point or another during the Seder, whether it be the blessing over the wine, the four questions, or other prayers. Sometimes it was the same prayer repeated by another family member. Perhaps this is why music is such an integral part of religious ceremony and celebration to me. From my earliest memories music has been a key element. Whether it be the chanting of a prayer or the comfort of family gathered around a piano, singing, happy.

    4.  The Afikoman was broken so each child present had a piece to turn in for a prize. Being the youngest by more than five years, I don’t think I ever realized this.

    5. The smell of the salty air. My grandparent’s apartment was on the beach. We could stand out on their balcony and watch the waves crashing on the sand. I have many fond memories of playing in those waves during the summer while my grandparents watched from the boardwalk.

    Family = Love = Together