Re Doug Henderson's lengthy and fascinating story (MMD 990518) about
the Antheil "Balai mecanique" (French for carpet sweeper or "mechanical
broom").  Those of you who are interested should look up Noel Riley
Fitch's book, "Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation", published by W.W.
Norton & Co., ISBN #0-393-01713-3, which gives lots of detail about
Antheil's early 1920's sojourn in Paris.

For a time he lived above "Shakespeare & Co.", the legendary book shop
created and maintained by Sylvia Beach, American emigre to France and
publisher of James Joyce's "Ulysses."  She recounts hearing Antheil
pounding the piano in the creation of the piece, as well as other
works,  and her experiences in caring for the irresponsible and
at-times irrational composer, as he was beginning his career.  (She
includes a picture of his climbing the exterior of the book shop to the
floor above, having forgotten his keys.)  She regarded herself, in some
respects, as duty-bound to help in every way she could, as he was, like
herself, "an American in Paris."

Fitch's book is surely the definitive recounting, in the Paris of the
early '20's of the "life and times" of Joyce, Hemingway, Fitzgerald,
Pound, and many other now-forgotten authors and artists, at the outset
of their careers, and their undoubted influence on the development of
American literature.  I recommend it highly.  It was published in 1983,
issued in paperback, but may now be out of print completely.  Libraries
will, of course have copies.

It occurred to me that a PBS series, perhaps crafted by the likes of
Ismail Merchant, with scripts by Ruth Prawer Jabvala (sp?) should be
attempted, rather like their many contributions to films, based on
historical times and events.  The problem, of course, would be to find
the actors who could impersonate Joyce, Hemingway, Stein, and the
others.  Interesting project!  Ms. Fitch was, by the way, at the time
of writing (1983) Chairperson of the Dept. of Literature and Modern
Languages at Point Loma College in San Diego, and lived with her
husband in La Jolla, so you Californians might want to contact them,
assuming them still to be there.

Best to all,

Albert M. Petrak