“Weird Tales of Love, Art, Baseball and Madness” by Bev Schuetz

Friday, September 9, 2:00 pm at Grant’s View Library in auditorium

September 9, Friday, 2:00 pm
“Weird Tales of Love, Art, Baseball and Madness” by Bev Schuetz
SCHS Daytime presentation at Grant’s View Branch library
This unique talk will include a variety of amazing topics including the world’s strangest love story, the funniest and most fascinating man in baseball, and the greatest art hoax ever perpetrated (it even fooled Hitler). Other subjects include the sad, strange fate of wealthy recluse brothers who seemed to have it all. There is something for everyone in this unusual medley of weird and unusual stories.
Get directions to Grant’s View Library.

A Weird Tale of Art

Here is a brief representation of one of the four stories that Bev shared with the audience on Friday at Grant’s View library.

In this story, the artist as a young boy feels neglected and abused by his father. In spite of that, the boy knows what he loves and does all he can to reach for it. He ignores the obstacles thrown up by the father. Then as a young man working in his chosen field, he is frustrated that he can not gain the recognition he thinks that he deserves. He strays off track in his effort to become recognized as a great artist. He goes to extremes. When he finally gets part of his desire, he finds the price that he has paid for his success is the loss of his life driving force. The story is one of deepest tragedy and heroism both at once. This story calls into question how we evaluate and value art, if not the value of human life itself.

The following web sites have articles on the artist and his life. You can read the articles and learn much about the subject of Bev’s story, the famous art forger, Han van Meegeren. You will learn how he became a hero and you will see the tragedy of his life. What you won’t get from the web sites is the experience of Bev weaving the facts of the case into the riveting story that she did on Friday afternoon. Nor will you feel the passion and drama that Bev brought to the story.

Bev told three more fascinating stories Friday afternoon. All of them were just as good at keeping the audience on the edge of their seats; stories of madness, love and baseball.

The following web sites have articles on Han van Meegeren and his life.

http://www.essentialvermeer.com/misc/van_meegeren.html#.V9OJCoWZ7Ao

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/10/27/dutch-master

https://priceonomics.com/the-art-forger-who-became-a-national-hero/

 

 

 

 

Bev Schuetz worked her story magic on the audience with podium and words alone. Asked if she needed the projector, no. Microphone, no. It seems no one in the listening audience missed either device. And listen they did. She kept the audience riveted with just her style and story line.

After the four dramatic stories, she posed the question to the audience of what the stories had in common, that is, why had she chosen to tell them together in one presentation. Without waiting for audience response, she explained her reasoning for putting these four very different stories together into the one presentation. What was the common theme according to Bev? You will have to attend her presentation the next time she gives it to learn that for yourself and to pronounce your own opinion. To learn more about Bev and the talks she offers, go to her web site at: http://historytalks.info/bev.html.

See other SCHS presentations and events for 2016.

SCHS events for 2017.