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pittarchives · 3 years

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Analogizing with Garner the Rabbit

This post was written by YuHao Chen, graduate student in ethnomusicology, University of Pittsburgh.

Let’s take for example a drawing in jazz pianist Erroll Garner’s letter to his manager Martha Glaser in Spring 1967, where he asks for her forgiveness, after having walked out with the money that he should have left at the office. In a way, analogy creates an illusion of intimacy by casting two separate things within one thought.

Image from Folder “Correspondence between Erroll Garner and Martha Glaser,” Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 3, Folder 5, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Here, Garner and Glaser (referred to as “me” and “you,” respectively) are brought to proximity through their correlation with two hand-drawn characters: a rabbit with exaggerated whiskers and a stern human face looking away from the furry creature. We may be at a loss as to how or why Garner and Glaser might impressionistically resemble a fluff ball and a formidable face, but there must be some overriding logic—to Garner, at least—that somehow stabilized the two sets of characters. Garner is to Glaser as the rabbit is to the female portrait. Through symbolic consistency, Garner and Glaser are united as cartoon figures that appear in the top margins of his apology letter.

Garner the Rabbit reappears in a follow-up note—though without the company of Glaser’s cartooned face—where Garner apologizes again for his forgetfulness. In a different letter from 1967, he represented himself as yet another non-human creature, this time a cat. With a characteristic “me-wow,” the feline sits at the bottom of the letter and wishes a speedy recovery to Glaser, who appeared to be sick.

Image from folder “Correspondence between Erroll Garner and Martha Glaser,” Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 3, Folder 5, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

It is apparent that Glaser had received and read these letters. Scrupulous manager that she was, Glaser dated these letters in her flowing handwriting. But other than the fact that she had cared enough to keep them, we have no information as to how she might have reacted to Garner’s curious drawings. Her lack of reciprocity in the archive piques our interest: Did she approve of his analogy? Was she really the austere figure that made an expressionless face when Garner forgot to leave the money? Did she turn away, like the conspicuously dispassionate figure did, after seeing these sketches?

What appears to be a simple invocation of Garner and Glaser is more complex than it first seems. According to Alexander Galloway, the word “analogy” is derived from the prefix ana- (“at the rate of,” “by reason of,” or “in proportion to”) and the Greek word logos (“ratio,” “rationality,” “word”). Analogos means “in proportion with another ratio.” For Galloway, analogy is about creating an equation of comparable qualities, approximating the magnitude of one relationship to that of another. Seen in this light, analogy conjures two relationships and the things that constitute them. If it takes a party of two at the minimum to make up a relationship, then analogy necessarily invokes at least four entities by virtue of the two relationships it sets up. Garner’s analogy, for example, calls forth the musician–manager dyad, the animal–human counterpart, and the two sets of dynamics they represent. Analogy entails matchmaking, an operation that connects distant individuals to form sympathetic relationships.

It wouldn’t be too far-off, I think, to consider analogizing a deeply intimate gesture—an expression of voraciousness, even—for analogy devours a cornucopia of things and produces new relationships. Vilém Flusser wrote in Gestures, the moment of love is exactly the “complete absorption in the other without loss of the self;” it is the moment of “the tipping over into another, which makes ‘I’ and ‘you’ into ‘we’ […]” (51). Might analogy be similar to the way love creates bonds out of isolated conditions? Akin to Flusser’s definition of love, analogy integrates: it binds thoughts, transcends gaps, and redefines differences. Analogy performs promiscuous magic on lonely signs like “you,” “me,” rabbit, cat, and face, turning them into partners. Its capacity to conjoin different points of references into a network of meanings is what makes analogy such a potent tool to think with—and to inflict desire with.

Garner’s sketches were but the tip of the iceberg of how analogy operated for him and how we might come to understand the complex relationship between Garner and Glaser. In their correspondence, we see Garner recurrently employing analogy to frame his relation to Glaser, sometimes via seemingly innocuous cartoon drawings, other times involving the use of dissipated visual cues that transgress professional boundaries. The latter is seen, for instance, in a postcard depicting a rooster chasing after a hen in front of an old maid’s home, or in another where a newborn baby lasciviously attempts to grab a sexually depicted nurse, or in one showing a husband in a bedroom with his newlywed wife yelling at him for his female-figure tattoo.

Image from folder “Correspondence between Erroll Garner and Martha Glaser,” Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Box 3, Folder 4, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Garner wrote down commentaries to these images on the back of the postcards. On the “old maid” and rooster: “Are you glad you got me so you don’t have to be that way.” On the baby and the nurse: “Ours won’t be like that / he be cool / Ha Ha Ha.” On the tattooed husband: “I’ll have all mine taken off for you so there will be me and you and no one.” These postures indicate that at some point in time Garner had envisioned his relationship with Glaser through sexual analogies. These articulations expose the sharp edge of analogy, while also raising slippery questions about the nature of the relationship between Garner and Glaser.

What do these insinuations tell us? In the Erroll Garner Archive, there are very few materials surrounding the full nature of the types of relationships that may have existed between Garner and Glaser, which also may have changed at various points in time. Glaser, for one, did not leave any immediately traceable responses. Additionally, there was no postage stamped on these cards, which suggests that they might have been delivered personally or not been delivered at all. In lieu of a hard-and-fast conclusion, these messages require further contextualization before they can be understood in relation to the known history of Erroll Garner.

Given all the messiness that analogy seems to cause, it would have been more prudent, perhaps, to enact ways of visualizing a relationship through different means. But what if that relationship is inherently romantic? Would it be possible to articulate such a relationship in an un-analogized form? There is a fine line between analogy and love. What is love without a party of two, without phrases like “ma cherie,” “the very air I breathe,” “sweetheart,” “fly to me,” and “sweet rapture”? Love comes with a proportionate ratio and a trapping of significance. There is no love without analogy.

Works Cited

Alexander Galloway, “What Is the Analog,” last modified December 29, 2017 http://cultureandcommunication.org/galloway/what-is-the-analog

Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, AIS.2015.09, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Vilém Flusser, Gestures, trans. Nancy Ann Roth (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2014), 51.

#erroll garner tuesdays #sketches #correspondence #analogy #erroll garner #martha glaser

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archdukecaleb · 4 years

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Freezerburn Week 2020 — Day 3: MMA AU

WordCount: 2000

Weiss restlessly tapped her nails against the sleek, wooden table. Her eyes were never settled in one place as she scanned the establishment over and over again. She could not help but glance at her phone and groan at the time.

I’m still early…

Today she was meeting with someone for a special day out. A date of sorts, though Weiss refrained from referring to it as such.

To be honest with herself, Weiss had not planned on dating anyone for a while. She knew she was out of practice and was only doing this because her friend, Blake, begged her to.

Weiss could not remember the last time she was this on-edge about meeting someone. She generally thought of herself as a confident, competent, and forward-thinking woman. Though, she knew exactly why this particular meeting was so precarious.

She did not like to admit it, but Weiss was not the best at interpersonal communication when it came to finding a potential spouse. Sure, she had met some wonderful people in the past, but it never got to the point where she seriously felt anything for them. After a few months of focusing on her job, she received a much-needed push from her best friend to start actively looking for someone.

It was then that Blake suggested using a dating app on her phone.

Of course, Weiss was skeptical. She was aware of the reputation of certain dating apps, and she had no intention to hook up with anyone for a night. She was looking for something real.

After some help from Blake with setting up her profile and a week or so of using the app, Weiss finally found a match with someone. She was a woman with long, curly hair of the brightest shade of gold Weiss had ever seen, and a pair of absolutely mesmerizing, lilac irises.

From the pictures on her match’s profile, Weiss noticed how warm and friendly she was with everyone. Photos of her with friends and family, along with a few selfies. There were plenty of photos of her in a sports bra and training shorts as well.

Weiss bit her cheek as she caught herself thinking about those photos. Chiseled abs Weiss never knew were attainable on the human form, flawless skin that glistened with sweat, and toned arms with the perfect amount of muscle…

And her name was Yang Xiao Long.

Weiss could not recall any person she had ever known that was more beautiful; more stunning, than this bombshell. She thought she had every right to believe Yang was out of her league, so she nearly leaped with joy when she matched with her.

Since then, she and Yang have had a few conversations. She learned that Yang goes to the gym frequently—as she could have surmised, has a younger sister named Ruby, really loves her family, and has broken her arm not one, but three times.

Weiss genuinely enjoyed texting with Yang, which excited her greatly. She wasted no time in inviting Yang to meet up in person, to which she agreed happily. Now, she waited, still a few minutes early, in a restaurant she and Yang agreed on to have lunch together.

The waiting around only served to make Weiss more anxious. She could not help it when the thought of being stood up crossed her mind.

Oh, God… I am such a wreck.

Weiss sighed as she rested her face in her palm and pulled out her phone. Without even meaning to, she opened up Yang’s profile and marveled at the many photos she had there.

Yang was just gorgeous in every way.

Weiss was so busy gawking at Yang’s photos that she nearly failed to see her sit down across from her. She hastily placed her phone, face down, on the table and met Yang’s lilac eyes with her own.

They’re even more captivating in person…

“Weiss! Hi!” Yang’s jovial voice greeted, “It’s nice to finally meet you in person! I’ve got to say, the pictures on your profile don’t do you justice. You look absolutely beautiful.”

Weiss nearly forgot to pick her jaw up from the floor and allowed a wide, genuine smile to grace her lips.

“Thank you! That’s so sweet of you, Yang. I was just thinking the same about you,” Weiss giggled as her cheeks heated up, slightly.

They had both decided semi-formal attire would be appropriate for this meeting, and Yang did not disappoint at all. She wore a bright sundress that was perfect for the beautiful day it was today and carried a small, yellow handbag to match.

“You’re early,” Weiss commented in an attempt to break the ice.

“So are you,” Yang smiled, brightly, “I wanted to make sure I didn’t keep you waiting, but I guess that didn’t happen.”

“Funny,” Weiss chuckled as she tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear, “That’s why I got here early as well.”

“Oh! Well, that is very considerate of you, Weiss,” Yang chuckled, “Now, what do you say we order soon. I’m so hungry.”

“Same here,” Weiss agreed as she passed Yang a menu.

The two women looked through the menus for a few seconds before Yang smiled at Weiss again.

“I really love your dress,” Yang complimented, “I think it perfectly matches with your hair and really goes well with your eyes.”

Weiss felt herself blush and tried to hide her smile behind the menu, “Thank you! You are too kind.”

“Don’t hide your smile,” Yang chuckled as she set her menu down, “It’s one of the many things that add to your beauty.”

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever been complimented this much on a first date before,” Weiss smiled as she lowered her menu.

“I tell it how it is,” Yang shrugged.

The two talked for a while longer before the waiter came around to their table and gathered their orders. Not too long after, their food was on the table and they began to eat together. They talked the whole time, and Weiss found herself become more relaxed by Yang’s presence as time went by.

“So, there I was just sitting there with banana cream pie all over my face and in my hair. And these kids! I swear, they were ruthless. It was the last time I ever volunteer to fill in as a clown at a birthday party.”

Weiss struggled to keep herself from falling out of her seat from how hard she was laughing. She could feel tears building up at the corners of her eyes, and your abdomen was starting to ache.

“I’ve never met a kid who was capable of such evil,” Weiss wheezed as she clutched her stomach.

“They're about one in a million, to be honest. I think most kids are awesome,” said Yang, “But enough about me, I want to hear about the life of Weiss Schnee.”

“Oh! Um…” Weiss thought hard about something interesting she could tell Yang, “My best friend and I recently went to Spain for a vacation.”

“That sounds fun! What did you guys do there?”

“We mostly relaxed at the beaches,” said Weiss.

“Yeah, I’ve been to Spain too, but I didn’t get to stay there very long,” Yang explained, “I never got to see the beaches, either.”

“They were beautiful, but it was always crowded. My best friend thinks it was because there was some big MMA fight there at the time.��

“Oh, that’s a bummer,” Yang chuckled as she briefly looked off to the side, “Do you have a favorite color?”

“That’s an odd segue,” Weiss laughed, “But I guess I would say… either white or light-blue. What about you?”

“Yellow for sure,” Yang chuckled as she gestured to her attire.

Weiss giggled as she leaned forward on the table, “I don’t know what it is about you… You just make me feel so relaxed. I really needed this.”

Yang smiled warmly and folded her hands on the table, “I’m so glad to hear you say that. I’m having a great time getting to know you, Weiss.”

The whole restaurant shook as the door was bashed open.

“Everybody, stay in your seats!” a loud voice boomed.

Yang turned in her seat and watched as two men with knives walked into the restaurant.

“Everyone, just stay calm and put any money and valuables you have in the bag!”

Weiss froze as Yang looked between her and the man that was coming around to each table with a worn-out, burlap sack.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Weiss whispered as she tried her best to hide her purse under the table.

She was surprised to see Yang was unnaturally calm and simply waiting for the man to get to the table.

At last, the man was shaking his bag at Weiss.

“This is all I have,” said Weiss as she dropped a twenty-dollar bill into the sack.

The man curiously looked at Weiss through his black ski-mask, “Wait a second… You’re Weiss Schnee! You’re rich! You’ve got to be hiding something else!”

Without any further hesitation, Yang jumped out of her chair and sent her knee straight into the man’s stomach while grasping the hand with the knife in it. With another swift move, Yang disarmed him and struck his nose with a speedy hammer-fist.

“What the—” started the other man as he prepared his knife.

Yang was on top of him in seconds as she grasped his arm and landed two swift punches to his gut and one directly under his chin.

She dusted off her hands and stood over the two unconscious robbers as rapturous applause filled the establishment.

Weiss stood up with her jaw wide open, “What was that!”

Yang flinched and hastily turned to face Weiss as she scratched the back of her head, “Heh… Did I mention I’m a professional MMA fighter?”

Weiss closed her mouth and timidly held her arm, “You may have let that slip.”

Yang chuckled, uncomfortably as Weiss approached her.

“Yang, you’re bleeding!”

“What?” Yang asked as the cut on her forearm was suddenly made known to her as well as the few spots of red that dotted her dress, “Oh, man! My dress!”

Weiss scoffed and help up Yang’s arm, “You are literally bleeding and you’re worried about a dress.”

Yang waved the injury off, “Nothing a band-aid can’t fix.”

“No, what you need is a bandage and some gauze! This cut is deep! I’m calling an ambulance.”

Soon, the restaurant was surrounded by police cruisers and an ambulance. Weiss watched as Yang’s wound was tended to by a paramedic. As the paramedic finished up, Yang waved to him in thanks and found Weiss looking at her.

Weiss blushed and approached Yang, who was currently sitting on the curb near the front of the restaurant.

“Uh… Thanks for calling the ambulance. I actually could’ve lost a lot of blood,” said Yang, bashfully as Weiss sat down beside her.

“I wasn’t about to let you leave the place without proper treatment,” Weiss chuckled, “Does it hurt much?”

Yang held up her bandaged arm, “Nah, it’s not bad.”

A few moments of quiet settled on the two women as they watched the police haul away the robbers and the paramedics pack up their equipment.

“I’m sorry our date kind of fell apart,” Yang sighed.

“Are you kidding?” Weiss asked, incredulously, “This is the most fun I’ve had on a date ever. And, for what it’s worth, I thought you were very brave.”

Weiss swiftly pressed a soft kiss to Yang’s cheek, causing the latter to blush, lightly.

“It was no big,” Yang chuckled.

“So… A professional MMA fighter, hm?”

“Yeah…”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Weiss asked.

“In my experience with dating, I’ve found that being an MMA fighter is a major turnoff for most people… And I really wanted this date to go well, so I didn’t want to risk ruining things. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you.”

“No, I understand completely,” said Weiss, “I wanted this date to go well, too, and I think, for the most part, it did. I hope we can do this again?”

Yang smiled, brightly, “I’d love that!”

“I’m glad to hear you say that,” Weiss laughed, “And, if it’s all the same to you, maybe you could save a seat for me at your next fight?”

Yang could not help herself and pulled Weiss into a big, strong hug.

“Bet on it.”

#freezerburnweek #@freezerburn-week #rwby #weiss schnee #yang xiao long #weiss x yang

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