To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:58:41 GMT
Subject: [Puptcrit] Politi Library where TV McArthur works


Is this the library named for children's book illustrator/writer Leo Politi?

I asume they have a copy of Leo Politi's book, Mr Fong's Toy Shop in which kids put on a shadow puppet show, among other things.

There was a real Mr Fong who ran a shop full of Chinese antiques (including various puppets from time to time (I bought a few from him), who Leo knew. That was in "New Chinatown" which grew after the original Los Angeles Chinatown was largely bulldozed to make room for Union Station.

Now, New Chinatown is OLD Chinatown, a lot less interesting than it used to be, Mr Fong is dead, but his family is trying to keep the shop going last I heard.

Nearby is Olvera Street, also a subject of books by Leo. "Pedro of Olvera Street" also had a touch of reality. One of the best shops on Olvera Street was CASA DE SOUSA, and it was run by the Sousa family. Mrs Sousa's son Bill I think was a primary inspiration for PEDRO, and as an adult he took up puppetry, first working with Betsy Brown, and continuing on as "Teatro de los Puppets". In honor of Leo Politi, Bill Sousa perfomed a hand puppet show on the edge of Olvera Street as a kickoff of the Leo Politi Year.

Leo was an almost daily visitor at the Art Building of the Los Angeles County Fair when I dd an exhibit of Chnese Puppets one year (17 days). I did brief shadow demonstrations all day long too. Weekends families from the San Gabriel Valley Chinese Cultural association performed a dragon dance and a lion dance in front of the Art Building. Between their presentations, their kids sat through all the puppet demos, until I had an impromptu puppet manipulation class for them, which Leo saw (with delight).Leo was kind of the oldest kid in Los Angeles.

Leo also visited the largest puppet exhibit I ever did (796 puppets at the Municipal Art Gallery in Hollywood's Barnsdall Park in 1975) and did an ink sketch of me with puppets which I still have. No question, that he was a fan of puppets..

ALAN COOK


-----Original Message-----
From: Mc Arthur Terrance
Sent: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 9:42 AM
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Afraid of CollaborationCommitment

Mathieu,
My name is Terrance Vaughn Mc Arthur, but my friends call me TV.  Terry is my puppet-name.
I'm used to getting my name mangled.  There is a TerrEnce who works in the library; we get each other's mail.  When I answer the phone at work (Politi Library, Terrance speaking.  How may I help you), I am often answered with "Well, John...."  Nevertheless, I'm me, whatever you call me.
TV


--- On Sun, 12/7/08, Mathieu Ren=EF=BF=BD <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca> wrote:

> From: Mathieu Ren=EF=BF=BD <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca>
> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Afraid of CollaborationCommitment
> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
> Date: Sunday, December 7, 2008, 10:07 PM
> Yay for Mc Arthur!
> 
> (by the way, which one is your first name? I know how
> it's like, my name 
> gets screwd up a lot because both names are common first
> names).
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
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