A little bit about Louise Brooks and Salman Rushdie

I first met the great writer Salman Rushdie years ago, when he was still under heavy security. It was an informal book signing, and he agreed to a snapshot with me, my brother, and sister-in-law. (That's me in the Michigan State University sweatshirt. I hadn't time to change, having to rush out the door after being tipped-off to the impromptu event at the last second.) 

Over the years, Rushdie came by my old bookstore and signed books, ever gracious. He was usually accompanied by security. Whenever he visited, I always chatted him up. Once, we talked a bit about Louise Brooks, whom Rushdie had name-dropped in his 1999 novel, The Ground Beneath Her Feet. The brief passage reads, " . . . by the emerging gay icon lil dagover, who insists on lower-case initials, wears men's suits and a monocle and a Louise Brooks haircut, and plays like an expressionist dream." 

While chatting, Rushie also mentioned his friend, the writer Angela Carter, who he knew was a big fan of Brooks. Rushdie told me that Carter once said something to the effect that if she ever had a daughter, she would name the child Lulu.

Back in 2005, I wrote a blog post after Rushdie did a "drop-by." I wrote then, "Yesterday, I had the opportunity to chat with novelist Salman Rushdie. He dropped by the store where I work to sign copies of his new book, Shalimar the Clown. In the course of our conversation, I asked him about the name of one of the characters in the new novel, Maximilian Ophuls. Rushie said it was based on the once famous director, Max Ophuls. At first, Rushdie recounted, he adopted the name because of its  blending of the German and the French. Later in the writing process, he said he intended to change the character's name - but, as Rushdie put it, "the character wouldn't let me."

Rushdie is obviously a film buff. In the course of our conversation, the author spoke of Ophuls' work, and mentioned the titles of a number of the director's films dating from the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's. Rushdie has also written a long essay on The Wizard of Oz, which was published in a book on the film. 

 

 

As long time readers may recall, for a number of years I had a quotation from Rushdie at the top of this blog. It read, "To understand just one life, you have to swallow the world." I have always felt it explains my approach to Louise Brooks.

 

This blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2022. Further use prohibited.