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iRsSlw"><a class="RubricLk-gRWSOU fgWnkQ bric__lk" href="/magaze/books"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Books</span></a></div></div></div><h1 data-ttid="ContentHearHed" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearHed-NCyCC iUEiRd NbxED hpJvIc">The Pleasure and Pa of Beg Cole Porter</h1></div><div class="ContentHearAccredatn-lfctVB enhwXT ntent-hear__accredatn" data-ttid="ContentHearAccredatn"><div class="ContentHearDek-bIqFFZ Mtme">Almost humanly prolific, the songwrer produced a new kd of Amerin lyric—and language.</div><div class="ContentHearByle-kmPyCa gvUmxJ"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset ContentHearContributorImage-cvjZXn jKACOU"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa ContentHearContributorImage-cvjZXn jKACOU rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w" siz="66px"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w" siz="66px"/><img alt="" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></span><div class="ContentHearByleContent-dpPmNn DRFq"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl ContentHearByl-cZqgyJ bqbBYQ"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH ivtvgj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span><a class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ByleLk-gEnFiw iUEiRd ggMZaT cXqSTL eErqIx byle__name-lk button" href="/ntributors/adam-gopnik">Adam Gopnik</a></span></span></p></div><time data-ttid="ContentHearPublishDate" dateTime="2020-01-13T06:00:00-05:00" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearPublishDate-eIBicG iUEiRd kYZrFA kEBrdf">January 13, 2020</time></div></div></div></div><div class="LightboxWrapper-dxsWBV hhylRt"><div class="ContentHearLeadAsset-hGbumP iWPCcH lead-asset ContentHearLeadAssetWrapper-hfXHEc fTrSlG lead-asset--width-smallle" data-ttid="ContentHearLeadAsset"><figure class="ContentHearLeadAssetContent-kOfYSG dRGWbI"><div class="ContentHearLeadAssetContentMedia-bLEIpi jjhWdS lead-asset__ntent__photo"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb khLUzS"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz cBQhuL"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO KhjZz ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb khLUzS rponsive-image rponsive-image--expandable"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w, 1920w, 2240w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Cole Porter stg for portra." class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE iTuhkZ ptn ContentHearLeadAssetCaptn-hPWmSN kuCzGS"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnText-bHjzlu iUEiRd hWyo iXWezO ptn__text">The artist’s genial and productive surface masked turbulent waters.</span><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd iicloT jbIJNS ptn__cred">Photograph by Horst P. Horst</span></div></div></figure><div data-ttid="ContentHearLeadRailAnchor" class="ContentHearLeadRailAnchor-jYVcDc djtEof"></div></div></div></div></hear></div><div data-attribute-verso-pattern="article-body" class="ArticlePageContentBackGround-cNiFNN kbAoLA article-body__ntent"><div class="ActnBarWrapperContent-lasBkU cAHp"><div class="ActnBarWrapperComponent-cjwxLS bEeSLb"><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="ActnBarWrapper-dhxmQh kNjTbQ viewport-monor-anchor"><button id="bookmark" aria-label="Save this story" class="ActnBarButton-dyFOZU hQrwCF bookmark large-screen"><span class="ActnBarSendaryButtonPrimaryIn-isbvyN 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23.9508V2.95081H14V3.93211H6V22.1845L12.5 18.5536L19 22.1845V8.83866H20V23.9508Z"></path><path class="in-bookmark-fill" d="M23 3H20V0H19V3H16V4H19V7H20V4H23V3Z"></path></svg></span><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ActnBarButtonText-bYXYuh iUEiRd bkefvo gkccfO">Save this story</span></button></div></div></div><div class="LightboxWrapper-dxsWBV hhylRt"><div class="ArticlePageChunksContent-etcMtP bwyLBj"><div data-ttid="ArticlePageChunks" class="ArticlePageChunks-fLyCVG Uozmo"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bDyAMU body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg">Back 1976, the parable drama cric Kenh Tynan wonred his diary when someone was “gog to take a ep breath and clare that, at some time the thirti, the ser mic tradn fally whered, curled up and died of sterily and malnutrn; and that the greatt posers of the twentieth century are Berl, Rodgers, Porter, Kern, Gershw, et al.” This view, bold enough at the time to be f only for a diary, has by now bee monplace. In the mid-neteen-seventi, you had to hnt London rerd shops to fd Ella Fzgerald’s Gershw or Cole Porter albums. Now those rerdgs, and the songs they illumate, are everywhere. Prompted, perhaps, by the publitn, the early seventi, of Alec Wilr’s groundbreakg study, “<a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Amerin Popular Song: The Great Innovators 1900-1950</a>,” the old songwrers have e to have a new prence, and their songs even a llective brand name: the Amerin Songbook. Their mic is now taken up routely by the same rock sgers who once seemed to have overshadowed them, wh some (Van Morrison sgg “A Foggy Day”) oddly good, some (Rod Stewart sgg “Someone to Watch Over Me”) oddly bad, and some (<a href=">Bob Dylan</a> sgg “The Night We Called It a Day”) jt odd.</p><p class="paywall">Like all victori art, this one has a double-edged rult. On the one hand, the mic is, mostly, out there. On the other, the sential work of discrimatn is lost a blanketg cloud of nostalgia. Embattled memory tak thgs apart; placent nostalgia squash them back together. The first wave of redisvery had as and prohibns—Alec Wilr wrote off sentially all of Rodgers and Hammerste, and almost everythg self-nscly “jazzy” Gershw. (He preferred Harold Arlen, who knew jazz si out, to Gershw—a shockg view then.) The days, a sg, everyone-together spir flects the appreciative albums and Lln Center celebratns; Tynan’s “et al.” vers a lot of talents, big and small. When you are the middle of a battle, as Wilr was, is important to sort out the fighters om the eeloars. Once has been won, everybody gets a medal.</p><p class="paywall">So, wh squads of scholars arrivg on the field after the battle, to tend the wound and bury the ad, we have a renewed chance not jt to get the story right but to get the stature right, to figure out who ranks where and why. Certaly, Porter’s ghost uld not ask for better re than he has been given “<a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Letters of Cole Porter</a>” (Yale), eded by Cliff Eisen, a profsor of mic history at Kg’s College London, and Domic McHugh, a milogist at the Universy of Sheffield (and the edor of Alan Jay Lerner’s letters). Laid out wh a meticulo scholarly apparat, as though this were the rrponnce of Grover Cleveland, every turn the songwrer’s story is ep-dived for exact chronology, and every name sually dropped by Porter gets a worried, explitory footnote. The edors have also clud some sendary material that is not, strictly speakg, rrponnce at all, such as a hair-raisg journal of the mid-thirti M-G-M movie project that beme the Eleanor Powell vehicle “Born to Dance.”</p><p class="paywall">As an artist’s letters, they are, tth be told, disappotg. There are few flights of fancy or spontaneo improvisatns Porter’s wrgs to iends—for such a famo w, there is remarkably ltle w. The most arrtg passag of wrg and thkg arrive ls often letters-om than letters-to. Abe Burrows, the great mil “book wrer”—what others ll a libretto Broadway people ll a book, and what others ll a book they ually ll revenge—ntribut several good thgs. He offers Porter five wisdom about makg mils: “Dog a show is not unlike brgg up a child. The child velops a life of s own. The parents do their bt but certa thgs rema immutable, and the child is what he is.” Porter, a great appreciator, tells Burrows that he liked those words enough to paste them his scrapbook.</p><p class="paywall">Yet a rear, whout learng much directly about Porter’s art, away om the book wh an even higher opn of him as an artist than might have been held before. Though he was born to genue if provcial affluence, wh send-tier European royalty fillg out the fay’s dance rd on vatn, he chose to bee a workg stiff. Reversg the ual Amerin ascent om labor to leisure mak for a more strenuo, and more movg, story. The labor produced a new kd of Amerin lyric, and language.</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">Porter’s personal tale was well known even when other songwrers’ were not. To get a b-pic, peers among the great songwrers had to die young, like Gershw (who got a pretty good movie “Rhapsody Blue”) or Lorenz Hart (who got a terrible one “Words and Mic”). But Porter was the subject of two movi, cludg one, “<a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Night and Day</a>” (1946), ma his lifetime and wh his reluctant llaboratn, spe the unsayable but far om secret tth that he was gay. In his own social world, he was about as out as a man uld be those days, wh a rich repertory of lovers and assignatns.</p><p class="paywall">Porter’s story was appealg bee was seemgly so generatnal—so Fzgerald-like s ascensn om Midwtern begngs to East Coast fame. Born Pe, Indiana, 1891 to the wealthit fay town—perhaps the wealthit all of Indiana—he went to Yale right before the Great War. (<a href=">Fzgerald</a>, four years behd him, at Prceton, regard Porter’s mercial reer a ltle envly, as a path not taken.) A prec though largely untraed mician, Porter wrote what are still among the school’s fight songs. Then me a short perd of service the war, followed by a long holiday Europe through the early twenti, wh a lovg but mostly sexls marriage of nvenience to Lda Lee Thomas, of the Virgia Le. It was a perfect Gerald Murphy-style Jazz Age life, dispted only by Porter’s termatn to get to New York and bee a succsful Broadway songwrer—a very strange, and very “Jewish,” ambn for a young sociale.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-1 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p class="paywall">Beneath his smooth, genial, almost humanly productive and evasive surface, there were turbulent waters. His very name, for all s air of Ivy League ease, reprents a burned legacy. The Porters were his difficult, spegrace father’s fay; the Col were his mother’s rich and amb Indiana fay. He was a Porter by birth but, if his mother had anythg to do wh , would be a Cole for life.</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kKwZhx rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="RponsiveCartoonWrapper-iTMMjI eXTYsS rponsive-rtoon AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset viewport-monor-anchor"><a class="external-lk rponsive-rtoon__image-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa RponsiveCartoonImage-hzNqyc ikeCcH rponsive-rtoon__image rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="A boss fir her employee." class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></a><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE gdZTpI ptn RponsiveCartoonCaptn-dokfdF hJgaLQ rponsive-rtoon__ptn"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnText-bHjzlu iUEiRd hWyo bsWloa ptn__text">“I’m sorry, Derek, but, now that Kelsey has learned how to nvert JPEGs to PDFs, we n’t jtify keepg you on.”</span></div><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE iTuhkZ ptn RponsiveCartoonCred-bKlQqO faLAFb rponsive-rtoon__cred"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd iicloT bmQtfn ptn__cred">Cartoon by Maddie Dai</span></div><div class="RponsiveCartoonCTA-eiqqMB iDCQRs"><div class="RponsiveCartoonCTAWrapper-CYIqa iTbFtf"><div class="RponsiveCartoonLkButtonWrapper-hqDAJK eSEhbj"><button aria-label="Copy lk to rtoon" class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ bqVKKv YsOBB button button--primary-pair RponsiveCartoonInButton-hBCBMq lpsjql" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" type="button"><span 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13.2643 7.70873 12.965 7.46959 12.8299C7.23044 12.6948 6.92464 12.775 6.78657 13.009L5.53657 15.1278C4.432 17 5.0875 19.394 7.00068 20.475C8.91385 21.5558 11.3602 20.9144 12.4648 19.0422L14.4648 15.6521C15.5694 13.78 14.9139 11.3859 13.0007 10.305C12.8127 10.1988 12.6195 10.1091 12.4229 10.0357C12.2195 9.95975 11.9956 10.0515 11.8867 10.236C11.7221 10.5151 11.8911 10.8724 12.1932 11.0008C12.2973 11.0451 12.4 11.0956 12.5007 11.1525C13.9356 11.9632 14.4272 13.7587 13.5988 15.1628L11.5988 18.5529C10.7704 19.957 8.93555 20.4382 7.50068 19.6274C6.0658 18.8167 5.57417 17.0212 6.4026 15.6171L7.6526 13.4983Z" fill="black"></path></g><fs><clipPath id="clip0_3732_178637"><rect width="24" height="24" fill="whe"></rect></clipPath><clipPath id="clip1_3732_178637"><rect width="24" height="24" fill="whe"></rect></clipPath></fs></svg></div></button><div class="AlertWrapper-gvFATk MdjE RponsiveCartoonLkAlertPopup-BPAXn kdMXRM shoppg-alert" role="dialog"><div aria-hidn="te" role="prentatn" 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20C8.48424 20 8.03652 19.5523 8.03652 19C8.03652 18.4477 8.48424 18 9.03652 18C9.58881 18 10.0365 18.4477 10.0365 19ZM11.0365 19C11.0365 20.1046 10.1411 21 9.03652 21C7.93195 21 7.03652 20.1046 7.03652 19C7.03652 17.8954 7.93195 17 9.03652 17C10.1411 17 11.0365 17.8954 11.0365 19ZM18.0365 19C18.0365 19.5523 17.5888 20 17.0365 20C16.4842 20 16.0365 19.5523 16.0365 19C16.0365 18.4477 16.4842 18 17.0365 18C17.5888 18 18.0365 18.4477 18.0365 19ZM19.0365 19C19.0365 20.1046 18.1411 21 17.0365 21C15.932 21 15.0365 20.1046 15.0365 19C15.0365 17.8954 15.932 17 17.0365 17C18.1411 17 19.0365 17.8954 19.0365 19Z" fill="black"></path></g><fs><clipPath id="clip0_3732_178638"><rect width="24" height="24" fill="whe"></rect></clipPath><clipPath id="clip1_3732_178638"><rect width="24" height="24" fill="whe"></rect></clipPath></fs></svg></div></button></div></div></div></span></div></figure><p class="paywall">Privilege has s privileg, and Porter’s queerns, evint the untls letters this volume to kdred souls, like Monty Woolley—the once famo character actor, whom he’d met at Yale, the origal star of “The Man Who Came to Dner”—seems never to have tormented him, as did Hart. Porter, by temperament and entlement, me of age among the openly bisexual European upper cst. Everyone knew that he was a gay man wh a marriage of nvenience; everyone agreed to mata the pretense that he wasn’t. Far om a drama of eher reprsn or subversn, the suatn seems like an oddly happy social nrd.</p><p class="paywall">His letters to his lovers are the same register as those of the Osr Wil–Robbie Ross circle London a few s earlier: chummy more than erotic, wh a transparent language of ncealment, a more or ls open of trigue. “Way out here one gets that wicked cy ia about New York & all those purlis,” he wr to the dancer Nelson Barclift, om his ttage Williamstown. “Have <em>you</em> been a purli tonight? Confs. Say, ‘Guilty.’ But do wre me soon that you have reported all to Ben & Ollie”—gay iends—“for, for some tangible reason, they cleanse the impury out of what they touch. And they touch <em>plenty</em>.”</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">It might be argued, and has been, most notably William McBrien’s 1998 bgraphy, that Porter’s sexualy shaped his sentiments, which burst out happy one-night-stand songs like “Jt One of Those Thgs” and “I’ve Got You Unr My Sk,” wh their note of sexual fatuatn, cherished but not easily transmuted to domticy. “I’d sacrifice anythg e what might / For the sake of havg you near / In spe of a warng voice that the night / And repeats, repeats my ear” do not lead neatly to bee the folks who live on the hill.</p><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><p class="paywall">But Frank Satra had no trouble applyg the songs, or their emotns, to Ava Gardner or her succsors. At a time when everyone was chafg agast the nstrats of bourgeois moraly, a sex song like “Let’s Misbehave” spoke as clearly to strayg straights as did to cisg gays. The sport of wrg a tightly anized genre like popular song is not to smuggle specifilly subversive subtext when the censors aren’t lookg but to make the subversive emotns universal enough not to need a subtext. Porter was to straight sex his “affair” songs as his bt iend, Irvg Berl, was to Christiany wrg “Whe Christmas”—the outsir’s triumph was to own the sir’s material. It may be, as some have suggted, that the climactic l “But if, baby, I’m the bottom / You’re the top” Porter’s “You’re the Top” already meant 1936 what they mean erotic slang now; the pot is that, post-Porter, they no longer had to mean only that.</p><div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-mid-ntent" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-mid-ntent nsumer-marketg-un__slot---ntent"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><p class="paywall">Porter is so famo for his gifts as a lyricist that might seem mischievo to the pot of perversy to suggt that his real greatns ris his skills as a poser. Yet how many other popular posers have had more hs wh stmental, unsung versns of their work? Artie Shaw’s versn of “Beg the Begue” is the bt known, but the Dave Bbeck Quartet’s album of Porter songs, om the mid-sixti, wh Pl Dmond’s peerls sax, is jt as good. Though rarely overtly jazz the Arlen-Gershw manner, his melodi have so much myster ner propulsn that, asked to swg, they practilly swg themselv.</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">For all Porter’s aristocratic mien, his tast were rather pla, as those of the Amerin upper class ually are—high taste is typilly simple taste, as anyone who has eaten at a Wasp club knows. His list of requirements for a hotel room Philalphia durg a tryout clud sliced liverwurst, salami, and bologna, and twenty-four ns of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Another small but strikg social tra that ns through the letters is the preponrance of prents that were cumbent on people show bs then; Porter giv and gets flowers, patgs, we, books for the smallt of reasons, and then wr at length to thank the prent-giver, or to thank the prent-recipient for his thanks. People who me of age Porter’s time took gift-givg as serly as the Kwakiutls took their potlatch, and for the same reason: g of age a culture of surpl, they believed nstant exchang of the signs of prospery.</p><p class="paywall">Porter, high-Wasp tast and all, had to navigate a Broadway and Hollywood world that was astoundgly uniform s Jewishns. A famo story has Porter nfidg a iend that he was gog to wre “Jewish tun,” meang mor-key pentatonic croongs of the kd that Berl had mastered “Blue Ski.” In Mary Mart’s first showstopper song, “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” the melisma the middle sectn is self-nscly, even unfortably, Eastern European-soundg orr to dite that “Daddy” is Jewish.</p><p class="paywall">The gree of reverse cultural assiatn that this Gentile om the Midwt had to unrtake is ptured one of the funnit letters Porter ever wrote, to his (Jewish) agent, Irvg Lazar:</p><blockquote class="BlockquoteEmbedWrapper-sc-SdiGL jPeLne paywall blockquote-embed"><div class="BlockquoteEmbedContent-RbGs gmbtPx blockquote-embed__ntent"><p>Thank you for your letter of Dec. 28 1955. I am not an idt child. I do not ll Sol “Sl” nor do I ll Sl “Sol.” The are two different people. There is a producer named Sol Siegel—and an assistant producer named Sl Chapl. Sol sent Sl to be wh me here for ten days while I wrote new material. . . . Sce Sl (not Sol) returned to Culver Cy, I have received charmg telephone lls om Sol, and a most enthiastic letter om Sl.</p></div></blockquote><p class="paywall">It’s a Porter lyric miature (“Sol Sent Sl to Tell Me All”), and shows what a fort of alien manners, or at least nam, a boy om Indiana had to make his way through at a time when all the other great show-tune novators—Kern, Gershw, Rodgers, Arlen—were Jewish. What other kd of tun <em>uld</em> you wre?</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-2 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p class="paywall">Porter’s story do have a dramatic climax. In the fall of 1937, when he was forty-six, he endured a horrific accint, which the horse he was ridg fell on him and cshed one of his legs. The juri led to more than thirty operatns the urse of his life, all excciatgly paful, and a legacy of permanent sufferg. Jt how agonizg his ndn mt have been, and what nsequenc had for his work, has been a source of much speculatn. Wilr, among others, sists that there was mimal good work after the accint. Eisen and McHugh dispute that verdict; certaly, his most succsful Broadway shows, cludg “Kiss Me, Kate,” all happened well afterward. Still more certaly, the letters are heroic their avoidance of self-py, though they also reveal for the first time jt how bad his juri were. “When the st was removed, I shall never fet the first sight of my leg,” he wrote to Monty Woolley om his hospal bed. “I asked ‘What is the jelly ’s vered wh?’ And the reply was, ‘That’s not jelly, that’s blebs’ ”—blisters. “It was hard to believe for the whole leg looked like a flowg mass of lava and sorta ma me sick.” Heavily dgged, he managed to wre down some of his “crazit illns”: “My right leg stretch, slantg upwards before me, like the si of the hill, the summ of which is my to. From the ankle down—and approachg me—any number of small, fely sharply toothed rak are at work.”</p><p class="paywall">The rak got only more sharply toothed over time. He managed to persevere, seems, by a mixture of champagne and stiff-upper-lipns. But not a day of uld have been easy for him. There are long, relatively unrevealg diari om later trips to the Greek islands and Napl and beyond, and the extent of his activy don’t sound at all like that of a crippled man. On the other hand, one of his panns says that he was “human” on the voyag, a ment that seems to refer to the prodig gifts of ncentratn necsary to keep out the pa and foc on the pleasur.</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">Porter wr engaggly, as an artisan, about the bs of puttg on a show. It is pretty clear that he measured a show’s succs simply by the number of h songs produced, and he had savvy theori about how long tak a song to bee a h once ’s out the world. He wr mimally about his own creative procs for the same upper-cst reason that he wr mimally about his sufferg—only send-rate people go on and on about their ner liv. Analyzg is the same as plag, and self-analysis is the tw of self-promotn.</p><p class="paywall">Clu about his creativy she through the workmanlike surface, though. Porter still wrote a revue style where the characters were hardly worth dramatizg. The producer Cy Fer, who put on two late Porter shows, says his memoir that Porter didn’t really re where the songs f wh the story; he was blhely posg numbers for “Can-Can” (1953) while the book wrer and the director stggled bterly wh the plotle, and though he threw new on as need, he seems to have stood mostly asi, amed and productive, as the rt of the creative team raged and yelled. In fact, Abe Burrows wrote a uple of ft, diplomatic letters askg Porter to please wa to wre the songs until they knew what the story was. Told that the tegry of the show mand that there mt not be any ooh-la-la songs about Paris, Porter airily wrote the most obv of all such songs, “I Love Paris.” It was too irristible not to clu.</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kKwZhx rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="RponsiveCartoonWrapper-iTMMjI eXTYsS rponsive-rtoon AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset viewport-monor-anchor"><a class="external-lk rponsive-rtoon__image-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa RponsiveCartoonImage-hzNqyc ikeCcH rponsive-rtoon__image rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Two ancient Roman lears watch gladiators an arena fight." class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></a><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE gdZTpI ptn RponsiveCartoonCaptn-dokfdF hJgaLQ rponsive-rtoon__ptn"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnText-bHjzlu iUEiRd hWyo bsWloa ptn__text">“I know we cid this was immoral, but no one has lled me on a while, so I thk I’ll stick out through the season.”</span></div><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE iTuhkZ ptn RponsiveCartoonCred-bKlQqO faLAFb rponsive-rtoon__cred"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd iicloT bmQtfn ptn__cred">Cartoon by Brooke Bourgeois</span></div><div class="RponsiveCartoonCTA-eiqqMB iDCQRs"><div class="RponsiveCartoonCTAWrapper-CYIqa iTbFtf"><div class="RponsiveCartoonLkButtonWrapper-hqDAJK eSEhbj"><button aria-label="Copy lk to rtoon" class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ bqVKKv YsOBB button button--primary-pair 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class="paywall">He didn’t need the shows to wre drama. The songs <em>were</em> the stori. “Bsh Up Your Shakpeare” and “So Love,” though suated the plot of “Kiss Me, Kate,” are hardly suatnal. He nstcted songs so that each one is a drama self, wh an allive, ede verse leadg to a simpler storytellg rea. In perhaps his greatt song, “Jt One of Those Thgs,” om 1935—’s a song that Holn Clfield, who lik nothg, lik—the verse is an offhand sequence of referenc that were not que monplace then: Dorothy Parker, Heloise and Abelard. The chos be slyly dynamic (“Jt one of those crazy flgs / One of those bells that now and then rgs”), buildg om kiss-off to remembered kissg. The movement is mimal but emotnally exact (“Our love affair / Was too hot not to ol down”), and scrib a journey om mere efulns to actual regret, a small but signifint emotnal arc that requir a great sger to nvey.</p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><asi class="PersistentAsiWrapper-VGrR daRVRt persistent-asi" style="posn:absolute;top:to;height:to" data-ttid="PersistentAsiWrapper"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="lpu2nc"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></asi></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="bb8ur"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bDyAMU body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p class="paywall">List songs are anathema to the post-Sondheim sensibily, traed as is on Osr Hammerste’s heightened dramatic style, but Porter’s lists are his poetry. Rg Lardner, the pag, ma fun of the overwrought imagery Porter’s romantic lyrics; where Porter had “Unr the hi of me / There’s an, oh, such a hungry yearng / Burng si of me,” he offered as an alternative “Night and day, unr the rd of me / There’s an Oh, such a zeal for spoong, nng the md of me.” But Porter is never the least b off when to Amerina. He tak pleasure rhyme for rhyme’s sake, the play of language, and do so a way that is, oddly, far more tune wh the ma l of the Amerin avant-gar of his time than operetta style uld ever be.</p><p class="paywall">In “You’re the Top,” the llisns of high and low, the mixed vernacular that expects his dience to be equally fortable at the movi and the mms, is the purt kd of E. E. Cummgs–Stuart Davis thirti pop avant-gar: “You’re the top! / You’re the Colossm. / You’re the top! / You’re the Louvre Mm. / You’re a melody om a symphony by Strss. / You’re a Benl bon, / A Shakpeare son, / You’re Mickey Moe.” The betiful chaos of si—Cellophane! Botticelli! A Waldorf salad!—ptur the hyperketic llisns of New York experience as perfectly as Mondrian’s “Broadway Boogie Woogie.” The w of the build, leadg past Rome and Paris and culmatg high Amerina, is plemented by a brilliantly quiet b of rhymg—had “Mickey Moe” and “Strss” been rhymed before? When Gee and Ira Gershw wrote their own Strss tribute, a uple of years later, the waltz “By Strss,” Ira had to cheat a ltle and make all the rhym German, cludg rhymg “Strss” wh “Flerms”—the difference between “Flerms” as a rhyme and “Mickey Moe” beg the difference between talent and geni.</p><p class="paywall">While still a very young man, Porter ed the phrase “See Ameri First” ( was the tle of his début mil, a Gee M. Cohan spoof), and that gift for creatg idms may be a clue to the quiddy of his geni. Porter is one of the three great lyricists of vented Amerin speech, wh only Chuck Berry the fifti and Robert Hunter of the Grateful Dead the seventi his equal this rpect. Berry nstcted a world of fast rs and ied chicken and teen-age back-seat fumblgs, wh the right jive to ver all; Hunter, songs like “Uncle John’s Band” and “Friend of the Devil,” vented a lost neteenth-century world of naway tras and pursug sheriffs and brass bands playg by the riversi which somehow ronated as an available Amerin rervoir of myth. (Of urse, people had wrten songs about rs before Chuck did, but he was the one who had the specific w to put Maybellene’s Coupe Ville a ntt wh his own V-8 Ford. Jt as, where the Band wrote about Dixie the wter of ’65, only Hunter ma up Uncle John, who uld have been equally at home playg durg the Civil War or at Woodstock.)</p><p class="paywall">Hart <em>heard</em> a world; Porter ma one up—a New York of pentho and night clubs and haners which still ronat as another kd of Amerin myth. Even phras now as faiar as “I’ve got you unr my sk” and “I get a kick out of you” are not precisely idms taken directly om Amerin talk, the way that Hart’s “I uld wre a book” and “I’ve got five dollars” are. No doubt people had long said that a thg got unr your sk or that we got a kick out of somethg else, but no one said exactly those formal sentenc; Porter’s special work was elevatg the smallt of small talk to ic poetry. It gave him license to vent a vernacular. “Down the pths of the netieth floor,” “But the morng, no!,” “I’m always te to you, darlg, my fashn,” even “You’re the top”—none of the thgs were idmatic before Porter transformed them om ltle arns to mighty jok. When, “Blazg Saddl,” the villa quot “You Do Somethg to Me” (“Now go do that voodoo that you do so well!”), we know at once that he is quotg Cole Porter.</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">Porter’s ndn worsened— 1958, the cshed leg would have to be amputated—and though his energy didn’t slacken, the qualy of the work did cle. The letters trace his work on one good movie sre (“High Society”), a uple of so-so shows (“Silk Stockgs” and “Can-Can”), and a promisg but too-late--the-day llaboratn wh S. J. Perelman on an Aladd mil for televisn. What’s odd is that Porter wr volumoly the neteen-fifti whout ever mentng the rerdgs of his work that would do more than anythg to assure his immortaly: the Nelson Riddle arrangements of his greatt songs, which Satra rerd the begng 1953. “I’ve Got You Unr My Sk,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Jt One of Those Thgs,” “Easy to Love,” “Anythg Go”—the are the high pots of Porter terpretatn. (Satra’s sadly obscure live rerdg of “Night and Day,” wh the Red Norvo vibraphone tr Atralia, is perhaps the bt of all.)</p><p class="paywall">As Will Friedwald and Jam Kaplan have both poted out, the Riddle-Satra “I’ve Got You Unr My Sk” was as pivotal a rerdg Amerin mic as “Like a Rollg Stone” would be a later. Before that, Porter is Astaire and elegance; after that, he swgs and n bee anythg more. Although Porter’s bgrapher Robert Kimball recently assured an dience that Porter had admired Satra and beiend him—his slightly dub evince beg that Satra took over Porter’s apartment the Waldorf after his ath, 1964—that don’t show up the letters, and one wonrs if Porter was even fully aware of the Riddle-Satra rerds, beyond the royalti he llected. Yet Porter liv on such rerdgs of sgle songs more than the spasmodic revival of shows that often need heavy rewrg to exist onstage at all. His dramatic songs are all the dramatic revival we need.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-3 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p class="paywall">All art aspir to the ndn of mic, Walter Pater wrote; wh mic self, all mic dreams of beg another kd of mic. Art songs dream of beg pop songs and pop songs dream of beg folk songs, too faiar to need an thor. We hear Porter now whout knowg that ’s Porter we’re hearg. Like Stephen Foster, he sublimated his sufferg to his songs, until the songs are all we have, thereby achievg every artist’s dream, to cease to be a sufferg self and bee jt one of those thgs we share. ♦</p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="xvcrvg"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 PaywallInleBarrierWhWrapperGrid-fyrGfS kLQIUk grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="body body__le-barrier article__body"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"><asi class="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper-iBnuqk lfXXa-D" data-ttid="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--paywall-le-barrier" role="prentatn" aria-live="pole" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--paywall-le-barrier"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></asi></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ContentWrapperGrid-fvkmBv brYtrA grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="body body__ntaer"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"></div></div></div></div></div></div></article><div class="ContentFooterWrapper-jVNdRG dTJkpP ArticlePageContentFooterGrid-ccsXYy eMZRHU article-body__footer"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><footer class="ContentFooterMagazeDisclaimer-gzKAqo iZIuUU" data-ttid="MagazeDisclaimerWrapper">Published the prt edn of the <a href="/magaze/2020/01/20" data-reactroot="">January 20, 2020</a>, issue, wh the headle “From Mor to Major.”</footer></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="ContributorsWrapper-eNpWFu GWFsc ntributors" data-ttid="Contributors"><div class="ContributorBWrapper-bnVHbt gMon"><div class="ContributorBAvatar-bIGTqf eMWbvj"><a href="/ntributors/adam-gopnik"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></span></a></div><div class="ContributorBContent-ubQdr jZTSSi"><div class="ContributorBHear-ledood XOIEx"></div><div class="ContributorBB-fBolsO giFhKz"><a href="/ntributors/adam-gopnik">Adam Gopnik</a>, a staff wrer, has been ntributg to The New Yorker sce 1986. He is the thor of, most recently, “<a href=">The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery</a>.”</div><div class="ContributorBFooter-brqDlv ezUmSv"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div data-ttid="TagCloudWrapper" class="TagCloudWrapper-gGgndx ctyZyK ContentFooterTagCloud-krQmRG ZLGh"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudSectnHear-cOforY iUEiRd bPyAoD kQQRmu">More:</span><a href="/tag/le-porter" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd ggMZaT gFob hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd gwIVBQ bUkXwu">Cole Porter</span></a><a href="/tag/letters" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd ggMZaT gFob hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd gwIVBQ bUkXwu">Letters</span></a><a href="/tag/books" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd ggMZaT gFob hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd gwIVBQ bUkXwu">Books</span></a><a href="/tag/songwrers" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd ggMZaT gFob hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd gwIVBQ bUkXwu">Songwrers</span></a><a href="/tag/posers" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM TagCloudLk-kvjZFu iUEiRd ggMZaT gFob hIhJOI"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TagCloudName-eAUnLd iUEiRd gwIVBQ bUkXwu">Composers</span></a></div></div></div></div><div data-ttid="ContentFooterBottom" class="ContentFooterBottom-jwWZfC kcbyiW"><div class="ContentFooterNewsletterContentWrapper-bmjtna kixtae"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div data-ttid="NewsletterSubscribeFormWrapper" class="NewsletterSubscribeFormWrapper-fCqqkN jKSBhE newsletter-subscribe-form ContentFooterNewsletterForm-hKeYwa liPqcf"><div data-ttid="NewsletterSubscribeFormHedDekWrapper" class="NewsletterSubscribeFormHedDekWrapper-fpMElW eglIBL"><h3 class="NewsletterSubscribeFormDangeroHed-kRwWjt kbxOa-D newsletter-subscribe-form__hed ContentFooterNewsletterForm-hKeYwa liPqcf">Books & Fictn</h3><div class="NewsletterSubscribeFormDek-kXonvc cKOhTM newsletter-subscribe-form__k">Short stori and poems, pl thor terviews, profil, and tal om the world of lerature.</div></div><div data-ttid="NewsletterSubscribeFormInputsWrapper" class="NewsletterSubscribeFormInputsWrapper-keARJE hVWbzr"><form class="form-wh-validatn NewsletterSubscribeFormValidatn-iCYa-Dt dweEln" id="newsletter" name="newsletter" novalidate="" method="POST"><span class="TextFieldWrapper-Pzdqp hNhevp text-field" data-ttid="TextFieldWrapper__email"><label class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ TextFieldLabel-klrYvg iUEiRd stdEm fvoOvz text-field__label text-field__label--sgle-le" for="newsletter-text-field-email" data-ttid="TextFieldLabel__email"><div class="TextFieldLabelText-cvvxBl eeDYTb">E-mail addrs</div><div class="TextFieldInputContaer-jcMPhb oFrOs"><put type="email" aria-scribedby="privacy-text" aria-valid="false" id="newsletter-text-field-email" required="" name="email" placeholr="E-mail addrs" class="BaseInput-fAzTdK TextFieldControlInput-eFUxkf eGzzTT laFPCK text-field__ntrol text-field__ntrol--put" data-ttid="TextFieldInput__email"/></div></label><button class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ bqVKKv dwpimO button button--utily TextFieldButton-csBrgY edxbrw" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" type="subm"><span class="ButtonLabel-cjAuJN hzwRuG button__label">Sign up</span></button></span><div id="privacy-text" tabx="-1" class="NewsletterSubscribeFormDisclaimer-bTVtiV bsgLJZ"><span><p>By signg up, you agree to our <a href=" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">User Agreement</a> and <a href=" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement</a>. 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class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">The Boards</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/magaze/2019/03/18/a-half-century-of-sondheim-llaboratns" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">A Half Century of Sondheim Collaboratns</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/magaze/2019/03/18/a-half-century-of-sondheim-llaboratns" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="A Half Century of Sondheim Collaboratns" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">Pl and Alex Gemignani, a father-and-son nductor-sger duo, kibbz about their long-nng engagement wh the poser “the hoe that ‘Gypsy’ built.”</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>D. T. Max</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hlYhBH summary-em summary-em--article summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below-sktop-only summary-em--layout-posn-image-right summary-em--layout-proportns-33-66 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eamwqR" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/magaze/2018/09/17/leonard-bernste-and-the-perils-of-hero-worship" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Leonard Bernste and the Perils of Hero Worship" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl ldWYvC summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Mil Events</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/magaze/2018/09/17/leonard-bernste-and-the-perils-of-hero-worship" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Leonard Bernste and the Perils of Hero Worship</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/magaze/2018/09/17/leonard-bernste-and-the-perils-of-hero-worship" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Leonard Bernste and the Perils of Hero Worship" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">He was a volnic talent—but the future of classil mic nnot nsist wag for another telegenic superstar.</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Alex Ross</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hlYhBH summary-em summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below-sktop-only summary-em--layout-posn-image-right summary-em--layout-proportns-33-66 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eamwqR" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Iphigenia Fort Hills" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl ldWYvC summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">A Reporter at Large</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Iphigenia Fort Hills</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Iphigenia Fort Hills" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">Anatomy of a murr trial.</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Ja Mallm</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hlYhBH summary-em summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below-sktop-only summary-em--layout-posn-image-right summary-em--layout-proportns-33-66 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eamwqR" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source 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cole gay

Cole Blue. Actor: Gayct" data-id="ma

Contents:

DEON COLE CONONTS GAY RUMORS; FAY INSIGHT, WIFE-LIKE FIGURE

Is Keyshia Cole gay? Amerin R&B and soul sger Keyshia Cole. Cole started her reer as a supportg volist for MC Hammer after beg born and raised * cole gay *

He says no antigay slurs were ed and that he thks "they jt wanted to beat someone up. It nnects him wh several kdred spirs and driv him out of his “shell, ” eventually leadg him to the person which he nfis his ept secret — he’s gay. That’s really tertg, to see the challeng people are facg today were faced 100 years ago, except secret, bee [homosexualy] was a crime.

IS KEYSHIA COLE GAY? WHAT IS THE SEXUALY OF AMERIN SGER?

Sean Hayn's show provis sights to the songwrer's inty as a gay man. * cole gay *

Did you know om the begng that that was an aspect of Cole’s character, that he was gay? I talked to [actrs Deborah Grover] about what ’s like to play a gay character, and we had a nversatn about that, and that was nice.

"I have been gay my entire life, sce I was a child.

COLE ESLA’S GAY SENSIBILY

In the new documentary Stty and the Secret History of Hollywood, former V.F. edor Matt Tyrner sh a light on the sexual fixer who tered to secretly gay Goln Age stars * cole gay *

Though some of that live big ci n feel like half of the world is gay, 's a stark difference om many livg small towns.

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

* cole gay *

"I was takg my mom somewhere one day and she jt asked 'are you gay? "I was so sred of what actually meant to ll yourself gay so even the first man I dated, I still thought that afterwards I was gog to eventually meet a girl and get married bee that's what men did, " he said. "But I was steadfast that like 'I'm gay and I probably shouldn't have been talg to someone that was 20 but I'm not gog to therapy, '" he said.

Apparently Bex Banks was the last to fd out he was gay. Though he was engaged gay sex, he didn't intify as gay. At age 21, his mom had enouugh and mand an explatn for the gay porn she was fdg on the puter and phone.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* COLE GAY

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jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-hero" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-hero"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="SpaceHolr-oayp fXtswJ ad-height-hold"></div><ma id="ma-ntent" tabx="-1" class="BasePageMaContent-kFvAuh ewPCZH page__ma-ntent"><article class="article ma-ntent" lang="en-US"><div class="ArticlePageLeBackground-EufvU tFsh"><hear class="ContentHearWrapper-clujbs bhNIJY ntent-hear article__ntent-hear"><div data-ttid="ContentHearContaer" class="ContentHearContaer-cGKRbE knDxNq"><div class="ContentHearHedAccredatnWrapper-GFiQf cDNVlV"><div data-ttid="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper" class="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper-cjmSKp jbzVNV"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubric" class="ContentHearRubricBlock-LmpbT kkDiIx"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubricDateBlock" class="ContentHearRubricDateBlock-kAQcZP fTFWxD"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX dZhWBL bric ContentHearRubricContaer-eTudtt iRsSlw"><a class="RubricLk-gRWSOU fgWnkQ bric__lk" href="/magaze/books"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Books</span></a></div></div></div><h1 data-ttid="ContentHearHed" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearHed-NCyCC iUEiRd NbxED hpJvIc">The Pleasure and Pa of Beg Cole Porter</h1></div><div class="ContentHearAccredatn-lfctVB enhwXT ntent-hear__accredatn" data-ttid="ContentHearAccredatn"><div class="ContentHearDek-bIqFFZ Mtme">Almost humanly prolific, the songwrer produced a new kd of Amerin lyric—and language.</div><div class="ContentHearByle-kmPyCa gvUmxJ"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset ContentHearContributorImage-cvjZXn jKACOU"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa ContentHearContributorImage-cvjZXn jKACOU rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w" siz="66px"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w" siz="66px"/><img alt="" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></span><div class="ContentHearByleContent-dpPmNn DRFq"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl ContentHearByl-cZqgyJ bqbBYQ"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH ivtvgj byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span><a class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ByleLk-gEnFiw iUEiRd ggMZaT cXqSTL eErqIx byle__name-lk button" href="/ntributors/adam-gopnik">Adam Gopnik</a></span></span></p></div><time data-ttid="ContentHearPublishDate" dateTime="2020-01-13T06:00:00-05:00" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearPublishDate-eIBicG iUEiRd kYZrFA kEBrdf">January 13, 2020</time></div></div></div></div><div class="LightboxWrapper-dxsWBV hhylRt"><div class="ContentHearLeadAsset-hGbumP iWPCcH lead-asset ContentHearLeadAssetWrapper-hfXHEc fTrSlG lead-asset--width-smallle" data-ttid="ContentHearLeadAsset"><figure class="ContentHearLeadAssetContent-kOfYSG dRGWbI"><div class="ContentHearLeadAssetContentMedia-bLEIpi jjhWdS lead-asset__ntent__photo"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb khLUzS"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz cBQhuL"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO KhjZz ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb khLUzS rponsive-image rponsive-image--expandable"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w, 1920w, 2240w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Cole Porter stg for portra." class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE iTuhkZ ptn ContentHearLeadAssetCaptn-hPWmSN kuCzGS"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnText-bHjzlu iUEiRd hWyo iXWezO ptn__text">The artist’s genial and productive surface masked turbulent waters.</span><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd iicloT jbIJNS ptn__cred">Photograph by Horst P. Horst</span></div></div></figure><div data-ttid="ContentHearLeadRailAnchor" class="ContentHearLeadRailAnchor-jYVcDc djtEof"></div></div></div></div></hear></div><div data-attribute-verso-pattern="article-body" class="ArticlePageContentBackGround-cNiFNN kbAoLA article-body__ntent"><div class="ActnBarWrapperContent-lasBkU cAHp"><div class="ActnBarWrapperComponent-cjwxLS bEeSLb"><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="ActnBarWrapper-dhxmQh kNjTbQ viewport-monor-anchor"><button id="bookmark" aria-label="Save this story" class="ActnBarButton-dyFOZU hQrwCF bookmark large-screen"><span class="ActnBarSendaryButtonPrimaryIn-isbvyN 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23.9508V2.95081H14V3.93211H6V22.1845L12.5 18.5536L19 22.1845V8.83866H20V23.9508Z"></path><path class="in-bookmark-fill" d="M23 3H20V0H19V3H16V4H19V7H20V4H23V3Z"></path></svg></span><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ActnBarButtonText-bYXYuh iUEiRd bkefvo gkccfO">Save this story</span></button></div></div></div><div class="LightboxWrapper-dxsWBV hhylRt"><div class="ArticlePageChunksContent-etcMtP bwyLBj"><div data-ttid="ArticlePageChunks" class="ArticlePageChunks-fLyCVG Uozmo"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bDyAMU body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg">Back 1976, the parable drama cric Kenh Tynan wonred his diary when someone was “gog to take a ep breath and clare that, at some time the thirti, the ser mic tradn fally whered, curled up and died of sterily and malnutrn; and that the greatt posers of the twentieth century are Berl, Rodgers, Porter, Kern, Gershw, et al.” This view, bold enough at the time to be f only for a diary, has by now bee monplace. In the mid-neteen-seventi, you had to hnt London rerd shops to fd Ella Fzgerald’s Gershw or Cole Porter albums. Now those rerdgs, and the songs they illumate, are everywhere. Prompted, perhaps, by the publitn, the early seventi, of Alec Wilr’s groundbreakg study, “<a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Amerin Popular Song: The Great Innovators 1900-1950</a>,” the old songwrers have e to have a new prence, and their songs even a llective brand name: the Amerin Songbook. Their mic is now taken up routely by the same rock sgers who once seemed to have overshadowed them, wh some (Van Morrison sgg “A Foggy Day”) oddly good, some (Rod Stewart sgg “Someone to Watch Over Me”) oddly bad, and some (<a href=">Bob Dylan</a> sgg “The Night We Called It a Day”) jt odd.</p><p class="paywall">Like all victori art, this one has a double-edged rult. On the one hand, the mic is, mostly, out there. On the other, the sential work of discrimatn is lost a blanketg cloud of nostalgia. Embattled memory tak thgs apart; placent nostalgia squash them back together. The first wave of redisvery had as and prohibns—Alec Wilr wrote off sentially all of Rodgers and Hammerste, and almost everythg self-nscly “jazzy” Gershw. (He preferred Harold Arlen, who knew jazz si out, to Gershw—a shockg view then.) The days, a sg, everyone-together spir flects the appreciative albums and Lln Center celebratns; Tynan’s “et al.” vers a lot of talents, big and small. When you are the middle of a battle, as Wilr was, is important to sort out the fighters om the eeloars. Once has been won, everybody gets a medal.</p><p class="paywall">So, wh squads of scholars arrivg on the field after the battle, to tend the wound and bury the ad, we have a renewed chance not jt to get the story right but to get the stature right, to figure out who ranks where and why. Certaly, Porter’s ghost uld not ask for better re than he has been given “<a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Letters of Cole Porter</a>” (Yale), eded by Cliff Eisen, a profsor of mic history at Kg’s College London, and Domic McHugh, a milogist at the Universy of Sheffield (and the edor of Alan Jay Lerner’s letters). Laid out wh a meticulo scholarly apparat, as though this were the rrponnce of Grover Cleveland, every turn the songwrer’s story is ep-dived for exact chronology, and every name sually dropped by Porter gets a worried, explitory footnote. The edors have also clud some sendary material that is not, strictly speakg, rrponnce at all, such as a hair-raisg journal of the mid-thirti M-G-M movie project that beme the Eleanor Powell vehicle “Born to Dance.”</p><p class="paywall">As an artist’s letters, they are, tth be told, disappotg. There are few flights of fancy or spontaneo improvisatns Porter’s wrgs to iends—for such a famo w, there is remarkably ltle w. The most arrtg passag of wrg and thkg arrive ls often letters-om than letters-to. Abe Burrows, the great mil “book wrer”—what others ll a libretto Broadway people ll a book, and what others ll a book they ually ll revenge—ntribut several good thgs. He offers Porter five wisdom about makg mils: “Dog a show is not unlike brgg up a child. The child velops a life of s own. The parents do their bt but certa thgs rema immutable, and the child is what he is.” Porter, a great appreciator, tells Burrows that he liked those words enough to paste them his scrapbook.</p><p class="paywall">Yet a rear, whout learng much directly about Porter’s art, away om the book wh an even higher opn of him as an artist than might have been held before. Though he was born to genue if provcial affluence, wh send-tier European royalty fillg out the fay’s dance rd on vatn, he chose to bee a workg stiff. Reversg the ual Amerin ascent om labor to leisure mak for a more strenuo, and more movg, story. The labor produced a new kd of Amerin lyric, and language.</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">Porter’s personal tale was well known even when other songwrers’ were not. To get a b-pic, peers among the great songwrers had to die young, like Gershw (who got a pretty good movie “Rhapsody Blue”) or Lorenz Hart (who got a terrible one “Words and Mic”). But Porter was the subject of two movi, cludg one, “<a data-offer-url=" class="external-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Night and Day</a>” (1946), ma his lifetime and wh his reluctant llaboratn, spe the unsayable but far om secret tth that he was gay. In his own social world, he was about as out as a man uld be those days, wh a rich repertory of lovers and assignatns.</p><p class="paywall">Porter’s story was appealg bee was seemgly so generatnal—so Fzgerald-like s ascensn om Midwtern begngs to East Coast fame. Born Pe, Indiana, 1891 to the wealthit fay town—perhaps the wealthit all of Indiana—he went to Yale right before the Great War. (<a href=">Fzgerald</a>, four years behd him, at Prceton, regard Porter’s mercial reer a ltle envly, as a path not taken.) A prec though largely untraed mician, Porter wrote what are still among the school’s fight songs. Then me a short perd of service the war, followed by a long holiday Europe through the early twenti, wh a lovg but mostly sexls marriage of nvenience to Lda Lee Thomas, of the Virgia Le. It was a perfect Gerald Murphy-style Jazz Age life, dispted only by Porter’s termatn to get to New York and bee a succsful Broadway songwrer—a very strange, and very “Jewish,” ambn for a young sociale.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-1 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p class="paywall">Beneath his smooth, genial, almost humanly productive and evasive surface, there were turbulent waters. His very name, for all s air of Ivy League ease, reprents a burned legacy. The Porters were his difficult, spegrace father’s fay; the Col were his mother’s rich and amb Indiana fay. He was a Porter by birth but, if his mother had anythg to do wh , would be a Cole for life.</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kKwZhx rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="RponsiveCartoonWrapper-iTMMjI eXTYsS rponsive-rtoon AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset viewport-monor-anchor"><a class="external-lk rponsive-rtoon__image-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa RponsiveCartoonImage-hzNqyc ikeCcH rponsive-rtoon__image rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="A boss fir her employee." class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></a><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE gdZTpI ptn RponsiveCartoonCaptn-dokfdF hJgaLQ rponsive-rtoon__ptn"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnText-bHjzlu iUEiRd hWyo bsWloa ptn__text">“I’m sorry, Derek, but, now that Kelsey has learned how to nvert JPEGs to PDFs, we n’t jtify keepg you on.”</span></div><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE iTuhkZ ptn RponsiveCartoonCred-bKlQqO faLAFb rponsive-rtoon__cred"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd iicloT bmQtfn ptn__cred">Cartoon by Maddie Dai</span></div><div class="RponsiveCartoonCTA-eiqqMB iDCQRs"><div class="RponsiveCartoonCTAWrapper-CYIqa iTbFtf"><div class="RponsiveCartoonLkButtonWrapper-hqDAJK eSEhbj"><button aria-label="Copy lk to rtoon" class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ bqVKKv YsOBB button button--primary-pair RponsiveCartoonInButton-hBCBMq lpsjql" data-event-click="{"element":"Button"}" data-ttid="Button" type="button"><span 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13.2643 7.70873 12.965 7.46959 12.8299C7.23044 12.6948 6.92464 12.775 6.78657 13.009L5.53657 15.1278C4.432 17 5.0875 19.394 7.00068 20.475C8.91385 21.5558 11.3602 20.9144 12.4648 19.0422L14.4648 15.6521C15.5694 13.78 14.9139 11.3859 13.0007 10.305C12.8127 10.1988 12.6195 10.1091 12.4229 10.0357C12.2195 9.95975 11.9956 10.0515 11.8867 10.236C11.7221 10.5151 11.8911 10.8724 12.1932 11.0008C12.2973 11.0451 12.4 11.0956 12.5007 11.1525C13.9356 11.9632 14.4272 13.7587 13.5988 15.1628L11.5988 18.5529C10.7704 19.957 8.93555 20.4382 7.50068 19.6274C6.0658 18.8167 5.57417 17.0212 6.4026 15.6171L7.6526 13.4983Z" fill="black"></path></g><fs><clipPath id="clip0_3732_178637"><rect width="24" height="24" fill="whe"></rect></clipPath><clipPath id="clip1_3732_178637"><rect width="24" height="24" fill="whe"></rect></clipPath></fs></svg></div></button><div class="AlertWrapper-gvFATk MdjE RponsiveCartoonLkAlertPopup-BPAXn kdMXRM shoppg-alert" role="dialog"><div aria-hidn="te" role="prentatn" 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20C8.48424 20 8.03652 19.5523 8.03652 19C8.03652 18.4477 8.48424 18 9.03652 18C9.58881 18 10.0365 18.4477 10.0365 19ZM11.0365 19C11.0365 20.1046 10.1411 21 9.03652 21C7.93195 21 7.03652 20.1046 7.03652 19C7.03652 17.8954 7.93195 17 9.03652 17C10.1411 17 11.0365 17.8954 11.0365 19ZM18.0365 19C18.0365 19.5523 17.5888 20 17.0365 20C16.4842 20 16.0365 19.5523 16.0365 19C16.0365 18.4477 16.4842 18 17.0365 18C17.5888 18 18.0365 18.4477 18.0365 19ZM19.0365 19C19.0365 20.1046 18.1411 21 17.0365 21C15.932 21 15.0365 20.1046 15.0365 19C15.0365 17.8954 15.932 17 17.0365 17C18.1411 17 19.0365 17.8954 19.0365 19Z" fill="black"></path></g><fs><clipPath id="clip0_3732_178638"><rect width="24" height="24" fill="whe"></rect></clipPath><clipPath id="clip1_3732_178638"><rect width="24" height="24" fill="whe"></rect></clipPath></fs></svg></div></button></div></div></div></span></div></figure><p class="paywall">Privilege has s privileg, and Porter’s queerns, evint the untls letters this volume to kdred souls, like Monty Woolley—the once famo character actor, whom he’d met at Yale, the origal star of “The Man Who Came to Dner”—seems never to have tormented him, as did Hart. Porter, by temperament and entlement, me of age among the openly bisexual European upper cst. Everyone knew that he was a gay man wh a marriage of nvenience; everyone agreed to mata the pretense that he wasn’t. Far om a drama of eher reprsn or subversn, the suatn seems like an oddly happy social nrd.</p><p class="paywall">His letters to his lovers are the same register as those of the Osr Wil–Robbie Ross circle London a few s earlier: chummy more than erotic, wh a transparent language of ncealment, a more or ls open of trigue. “Way out here one gets that wicked cy ia about New York & all those purlis,” he wr to the dancer Nelson Barclift, om his ttage Williamstown. “Have <em>you</em> been a purli tonight? Confs. Say, ‘Guilty.’ But do wre me soon that you have reported all to Ben & Ollie”—gay iends—“for, for some tangible reason, they cleanse the impury out of what they touch. And they touch <em>plenty</em>.”</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">It might be argued, and has been, most notably William McBrien’s 1998 bgraphy, that Porter’s sexualy shaped his sentiments, which burst out happy one-night-stand songs like “Jt One of Those Thgs” and “I’ve Got You Unr My Sk,” wh their note of sexual fatuatn, cherished but not easily transmuted to domticy. “I’d sacrifice anythg e what might / For the sake of havg you near / In spe of a warng voice that the night / And repeats, repeats my ear” do not lead neatly to bee the folks who live on the hill.</p><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><p class="paywall">But Frank Satra had no trouble applyg the songs, or their emotns, to Ava Gardner or her succsors. At a time when everyone was chafg agast the nstrats of bourgeois moraly, a sex song like “Let’s Misbehave” spoke as clearly to strayg straights as did to cisg gays. The sport of wrg a tightly anized genre like popular song is not to smuggle specifilly subversive subtext when the censors aren’t lookg but to make the subversive emotns universal enough not to need a subtext. Porter was to straight sex his “affair” songs as his bt iend, Irvg Berl, was to Christiany wrg “Whe Christmas”—the outsir’s triumph was to own the sir’s material. It may be, as some have suggted, that the climactic l “But if, baby, I’m the bottom / You’re the top” Porter’s “You’re the Top” already meant 1936 what they mean erotic slang now; the pot is that, post-Porter, they no longer had to mean only that.</p><div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-mid-ntent" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-mid-ntent nsumer-marketg-un__slot---ntent"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><p class="paywall">Porter is so famo for his gifts as a lyricist that might seem mischievo to the pot of perversy to suggt that his real greatns ris his skills as a poser. Yet how many other popular posers have had more hs wh stmental, unsung versns of their work? Artie Shaw’s versn of “Beg the Begue” is the bt known, but the Dave Bbeck Quartet’s album of Porter songs, om the mid-sixti, wh Pl Dmond’s peerls sax, is jt as good. Though rarely overtly jazz the Arlen-Gershw manner, his melodi have so much myster ner propulsn that, asked to swg, they practilly swg themselv.</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">For all Porter’s aristocratic mien, his tast were rather pla, as those of the Amerin upper class ually are—high taste is typilly simple taste, as anyone who has eaten at a Wasp club knows. His list of requirements for a hotel room Philalphia durg a tryout clud sliced liverwurst, salami, and bologna, and twenty-four ns of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Another small but strikg social tra that ns through the letters is the preponrance of prents that were cumbent on people show bs then; Porter giv and gets flowers, patgs, we, books for the smallt of reasons, and then wr at length to thank the prent-giver, or to thank the prent-recipient for his thanks. People who me of age Porter’s time took gift-givg as serly as the Kwakiutls took their potlatch, and for the same reason: g of age a culture of surpl, they believed nstant exchang of the signs of prospery.</p><p class="paywall">Porter, high-Wasp tast and all, had to navigate a Broadway and Hollywood world that was astoundgly uniform s Jewishns. A famo story has Porter nfidg a iend that he was gog to wre “Jewish tun,” meang mor-key pentatonic croongs of the kd that Berl had mastered “Blue Ski.” In Mary Mart’s first showstopper song, “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” the melisma the middle sectn is self-nscly, even unfortably, Eastern European-soundg orr to dite that “Daddy” is Jewish.</p><p class="paywall">The gree of reverse cultural assiatn that this Gentile om the Midwt had to unrtake is ptured one of the funnit letters Porter ever wrote, to his (Jewish) agent, Irvg Lazar:</p><blockquote class="BlockquoteEmbedWrapper-sc-SdiGL jPeLne paywall blockquote-embed"><div class="BlockquoteEmbedContent-RbGs gmbtPx blockquote-embed__ntent"><p>Thank you for your letter of Dec. 28 1955. I am not an idt child. I do not ll Sol “Sl” nor do I ll Sl “Sol.” The are two different people. There is a producer named Sol Siegel—and an assistant producer named Sl Chapl. Sol sent Sl to be wh me here for ten days while I wrote new material. . . . Sce Sl (not Sol) returned to Culver Cy, I have received charmg telephone lls om Sol, and a most enthiastic letter om Sl.</p></div></blockquote><p class="paywall">It’s a Porter lyric miature (“Sol Sent Sl to Tell Me All”), and shows what a fort of alien manners, or at least nam, a boy om Indiana had to make his way through at a time when all the other great show-tune novators—Kern, Gershw, Rodgers, Arlen—were Jewish. What other kd of tun <em>uld</em> you wre?</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-2 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p class="paywall">Porter’s story do have a dramatic climax. In the fall of 1937, when he was forty-six, he endured a horrific accint, which the horse he was ridg fell on him and cshed one of his legs. The juri led to more than thirty operatns the urse of his life, all excciatgly paful, and a legacy of permanent sufferg. Jt how agonizg his ndn mt have been, and what nsequenc had for his work, has been a source of much speculatn. Wilr, among others, sists that there was mimal good work after the accint. Eisen and McHugh dispute that verdict; certaly, his most succsful Broadway shows, cludg “Kiss Me, Kate,” all happened well afterward. Still more certaly, the letters are heroic their avoidance of self-py, though they also reveal for the first time jt how bad his juri were. “When the st was removed, I shall never fet the first sight of my leg,” he wrote to Monty Woolley om his hospal bed. “I asked ‘What is the jelly ’s vered wh?’ And the reply was, ‘That’s not jelly, that’s blebs’ ”—blisters. “It was hard to believe for the whole leg looked like a flowg mass of lava and sorta ma me sick.” Heavily dgged, he managed to wre down some of his “crazit illns”: “My right leg stretch, slantg upwards before me, like the si of the hill, the summ of which is my to. From the ankle down—and approachg me—any number of small, fely sharply toothed rak are at work.”</p><p class="paywall">The rak got only more sharply toothed over time. He managed to persevere, seems, by a mixture of champagne and stiff-upper-lipns. But not a day of uld have been easy for him. There are long, relatively unrevealg diari om later trips to the Greek islands and Napl and beyond, and the extent of his activy don’t sound at all like that of a crippled man. On the other hand, one of his panns says that he was “human” on the voyag, a ment that seems to refer to the prodig gifts of ncentratn necsary to keep out the pa and foc on the pleasur.</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">Porter wr engaggly, as an artisan, about the bs of puttg on a show. It is pretty clear that he measured a show’s succs simply by the number of h songs produced, and he had savvy theori about how long tak a song to bee a h once ’s out the world. He wr mimally about his own creative procs for the same upper-cst reason that he wr mimally about his sufferg—only send-rate people go on and on about their ner liv. Analyzg is the same as plag, and self-analysis is the tw of self-promotn.</p><p class="paywall">Clu about his creativy she through the workmanlike surface, though. Porter still wrote a revue style where the characters were hardly worth dramatizg. The producer Cy Fer, who put on two late Porter shows, says his memoir that Porter didn’t really re where the songs f wh the story; he was blhely posg numbers for “Can-Can” (1953) while the book wrer and the director stggled bterly wh the plotle, and though he threw new on as need, he seems to have stood mostly asi, amed and productive, as the rt of the creative team raged and yelled. In fact, Abe Burrows wrote a uple of ft, diplomatic letters askg Porter to please wa to wre the songs until they knew what the story was. Told that the tegry of the show mand that there mt not be any ooh-la-la songs about Paris, Porter airily wrote the most obv of all such songs, “I Love Paris.” It was too irristible not to clu.</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kKwZhx rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="RponsiveCartoonWrapper-iTMMjI eXTYsS rponsive-rtoon AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset viewport-monor-anchor"><a class="external-lk rponsive-rtoon__image-lk" data-event-click="{"element":"ExternalLk","outgogURL":"" href=" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa RponsiveCartoonImage-hzNqyc ikeCcH rponsive-rtoon__image rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Two ancient Roman lears watch gladiators an arena fight." class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></a><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE gdZTpI ptn RponsiveCartoonCaptn-dokfdF hJgaLQ rponsive-rtoon__ptn"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnText-bHjzlu iUEiRd hWyo bsWloa ptn__text">“I know we cid this was immoral, but no one has lled me on a while, so I thk I’ll stick out through the season.”</span></div><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE iTuhkZ ptn RponsiveCartoonCred-bKlQqO faLAFb rponsive-rtoon__cred"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd iicloT bmQtfn ptn__cred">Cartoon by Brooke Bourgeois</span></div><div class="RponsiveCartoonCTA-eiqqMB iDCQRs"><div class="RponsiveCartoonCTAWrapper-CYIqa iTbFtf"><div class="RponsiveCartoonLkButtonWrapper-hqDAJK eSEhbj"><button aria-label="Copy lk to rtoon" class="BaseButton-bLlsy ButtonWrapper-xCepQ bqVKKv YsOBB button button--primary-pair 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class="paywall">He didn’t need the shows to wre drama. The songs <em>were</em> the stori. “Bsh Up Your Shakpeare” and “So Love,” though suated the plot of “Kiss Me, Kate,” are hardly suatnal. He nstcted songs so that each one is a drama self, wh an allive, ede verse leadg to a simpler storytellg rea. In perhaps his greatt song, “Jt One of Those Thgs,” om 1935—’s a song that Holn Clfield, who lik nothg, lik—the verse is an offhand sequence of referenc that were not que monplace then: Dorothy Parker, Heloise and Abelard. The chos be slyly dynamic (“Jt one of those crazy flgs / One of those bells that now and then rgs”), buildg om kiss-off to remembered kissg. The movement is mimal but emotnally exact (“Our love affair / Was too hot not to ol down”), and scrib a journey om mere efulns to actual regret, a small but signifint emotnal arc that requir a great sger to nvey.</p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><asi class="PersistentAsiWrapper-VGrR daRVRt persistent-asi" style="posn:absolute;top:to;height:to" data-ttid="PersistentAsiWrapper"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="lpu2nc"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></asi></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="bb8ur"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bjczjj grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa bDyAMU body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p class="paywall">List songs are anathema to the post-Sondheim sensibily, traed as is on Osr Hammerste’s heightened dramatic style, but Porter’s lists are his poetry. Rg Lardner, the pag, ma fun of the overwrought imagery Porter’s romantic lyrics; where Porter had “Unr the hi of me / There’s an, oh, such a hungry yearng / Burng si of me,” he offered as an alternative “Night and day, unr the rd of me / There’s an Oh, such a zeal for spoong, nng the md of me.” But Porter is never the least b off when to Amerina. He tak pleasure rhyme for rhyme’s sake, the play of language, and do so a way that is, oddly, far more tune wh the ma l of the Amerin avant-gar of his time than operetta style uld ever be.</p><p class="paywall">In “You’re the Top,” the llisns of high and low, the mixed vernacular that expects his dience to be equally fortable at the movi and the mms, is the purt kd of E. E. Cummgs–Stuart Davis thirti pop avant-gar: “You’re the top! / You’re the Colossm. / You’re the top! / You’re the Louvre Mm. / You’re a melody om a symphony by Strss. / You’re a Benl bon, / A Shakpeare son, / You’re Mickey Moe.” The betiful chaos of si—Cellophane! Botticelli! A Waldorf salad!—ptur the hyperketic llisns of New York experience as perfectly as Mondrian’s “Broadway Boogie Woogie.” The w of the build, leadg past Rome and Paris and culmatg high Amerina, is plemented by a brilliantly quiet b of rhymg—had “Mickey Moe” and “Strss” been rhymed before? When Gee and Ira Gershw wrote their own Strss tribute, a uple of years later, the waltz “By Strss,” Ira had to cheat a ltle and make all the rhym German, cludg rhymg “Strss” wh “Flerms”—the difference between “Flerms” as a rhyme and “Mickey Moe” beg the difference between talent and geni.</p><p class="paywall">While still a very young man, Porter ed the phrase “See Ameri First” ( was the tle of his début mil, a Gee M. Cohan spoof), and that gift for creatg idms may be a clue to the quiddy of his geni. Porter is one of the three great lyricists of vented Amerin speech, wh only Chuck Berry the fifti and Robert Hunter of the Grateful Dead the seventi his equal this rpect. Berry nstcted a world of fast rs and ied chicken and teen-age back-seat fumblgs, wh the right jive to ver all; Hunter, songs like “Uncle John’s Band” and “Friend of the Devil,” vented a lost neteenth-century world of naway tras and pursug sheriffs and brass bands playg by the riversi which somehow ronated as an available Amerin rervoir of myth. (Of urse, people had wrten songs about rs before Chuck did, but he was the one who had the specific w to put Maybellene’s Coupe Ville a ntt wh his own V-8 Ford. Jt as, where the Band wrote about Dixie the wter of ’65, only Hunter ma up Uncle John, who uld have been equally at home playg durg the Civil War or at Woodstock.)</p><p class="paywall">Hart <em>heard</em> a world; Porter ma one up—a New York of pentho and night clubs and haners which still ronat as another kd of Amerin myth. Even phras now as faiar as “I’ve got you unr my sk” and “I get a kick out of you” are not precisely idms taken directly om Amerin talk, the way that Hart’s “I uld wre a book” and “I’ve got five dollars” are. No doubt people had long said that a thg got unr your sk or that we got a kick out of somethg else, but no one said exactly those formal sentenc; Porter’s special work was elevatg the smallt of small talk to ic poetry. It gave him license to vent a vernacular. “Down the pths of the netieth floor,” “But the morng, no!,” “I’m always te to you, darlg, my fashn,” even “You’re the top”—none of the thgs were idmatic before Porter transformed them om ltle arns to mighty jok. When, “Blazg Saddl,” the villa quot “You Do Somethg to Me” (“Now go do that voodoo that you do so well!”), we know at once that he is quotg Cole Porter.</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">Porter’s ndn worsened— 1958, the cshed leg would have to be amputated—and though his energy didn’t slacken, the qualy of the work did cle. The letters trace his work on one good movie sre (“High Society”), a uple of so-so shows (“Silk Stockgs” and “Can-Can”), and a promisg but too-late--the-day llaboratn wh S. J. Perelman on an Aladd mil for televisn. What’s odd is that Porter wr volumoly the neteen-fifti whout ever mentng the rerdgs of his work that would do more than anythg to assure his immortaly: the Nelson Riddle arrangements of his greatt songs, which Satra rerd the begng 1953. “I’ve Got You Unr My Sk,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Jt One of Those Thgs,” “Easy to Love,” “Anythg Go”—the are the high pots of Porter terpretatn. (Satra’s sadly obscure live rerdg of “Night and Day,” wh the Red Norvo vibraphone tr Atralia, is perhaps the bt of all.)</p><p class="paywall">As Will Friedwald and Jam Kaplan have both poted out, the Riddle-Satra “I’ve Got You Unr My Sk” was as pivotal a rerdg Amerin mic as “Like a Rollg Stone” would be a later. Before that, Porter is Astaire and elegance; after that, he swgs and n bee anythg more. Although Porter’s bgrapher Robert Kimball recently assured an dience that Porter had admired Satra and beiend him—his slightly dub evince beg that Satra took over Porter’s apartment the Waldorf after his ath, 1964—that don’t show up the letters, and one wonrs if Porter was even fully aware of the Riddle-Satra rerds, beyond the royalti he llected. Yet Porter liv on such rerdgs of sgle songs more than the spasmodic revival of shows that often need heavy rewrg to exist onstage at all. His dramatic songs are all the dramatic revival we need.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-3 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p class="paywall">All art aspir to the ndn of mic, Walter Pater wrote; wh mic self, all mic dreams of beg another kd of mic. Art songs dream of beg pop songs and pop songs dream of beg folk songs, too faiar to need an thor. We hear Porter now whout knowg that ’s Porter we’re hearg. Like Stephen Foster, he sublimated his sufferg to his songs, until the songs are all we have, thereby achievg every artist’s dream, to cease to be a sufferg self and bee jt one of those thgs we share. ♦</p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="xvcrvg"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-rail" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-rail"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 PaywallInleBarrierWhWrapperGrid-fyrGfS kLQIUk grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="body body__le-barrier article__body"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"><asi class="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper-iBnuqk lfXXa-D" data-ttid="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--paywall-le-barrier" role="prentatn" aria-live="pole" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--paywall-le-barrier"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></asi></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 ContentWrapperGrid-fvkmBv brYtrA grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="body body__ntaer"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"></div></div></div></div></div></div></article><div class="ContentFooterWrapper-jVNdRG dTJkpP ArticlePageContentFooterGrid-ccsXYy eMZRHU article-body__footer"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><footer class="ContentFooterMagazeDisclaimer-gzKAqo iZIuUU" data-ttid="MagazeDisclaimerWrapper">Published the prt edn of the <a href="/magaze/2020/01/20" data-reactroot="">January 20, 2020</a>, issue, wh the headle “From Mor to Major.”</footer></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK kHBDeH grid grid-margs grid-ems-2 grid-layout--adrail narrow wi-adrail"><div class="GridItem-buujkM stRKV grid--em grid-layout__ntent"><div class="ContributorsWrapper-eNpWFu GWFsc ntributors" data-ttid="Contributors"><div class="ContributorBWrapper-bnVHbt gMon"><div class="ContributorBAvatar-bIGTqf eMWbvj"><a href="/ntributors/adam-gopnik"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></span></a></div><div class="ContributorBContent-ubQdr jZTSSi"><div class="ContributorBHear-ledood XOIEx"></div><div class="ContributorBB-fBolsO giFhKz"><a href="/ntributors/adam-gopnik">Adam Gopnik</a>, a staff wrer, has been ntributg to The New Yorker sce 1986. 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class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">The Boards</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/magaze/2019/03/18/a-half-century-of-sondheim-llaboratns" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">A Half Century of Sondheim Collaboratns</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/magaze/2019/03/18/a-half-century-of-sondheim-llaboratns" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="A Half Century of Sondheim Collaboratns" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">Pl and Alex Gemignani, a father-and-son nductor-sger duo, kibbz about their long-nng engagement wh the poser “the hoe that ‘Gypsy’ built.”</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>D. T. Max</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hlYhBH summary-em summary-em--article summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below-sktop-only summary-em--layout-posn-image-right summary-em--layout-proportns-33-66 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eamwqR" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/magaze/2018/09/17/leonard-bernste-and-the-perils-of-hero-worship" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Leonard Bernste and the Perils of Hero Worship" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl ldWYvC summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Mil Events</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/magaze/2018/09/17/leonard-bernste-and-the-perils-of-hero-worship" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Leonard Bernste and the Perils of Hero Worship</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/magaze/2018/09/17/leonard-bernste-and-the-perils-of-hero-worship" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Leonard Bernste and the Perils of Hero Worship" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">He was a volnic talent—but the future of classil mic nnot nsist wag for another telegenic superstar.</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Alex Ross</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hlYhBH summary-em summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below-sktop-only summary-em--layout-posn-image-right summary-em--layout-proportns-33-66 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eamwqR" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Iphigenia Fort Hills" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl ldWYvC summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">A Reporter at Large</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Iphigenia Fort Hills</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Iphigenia Fort Hills" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">Anatomy of a murr trial.</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Ja Mallm</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hlYhBH summary-em summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below-sktop-only summary-em--layout-posn-image-right summary-em--layout-proportns-33-66 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eamwqR" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="The Transn" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl ldWYvC summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Annals of History</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">The Transn</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="The Transn" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">Lyndon Johnson and the events Dallas.</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Robert A. Caro</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm eamwqR ad ad--read-more"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--read-more" data-no-id="s5t7d"></div></div></div><div class="SummaryCollectnGridToActnWrapper-gnReGN eGayfk"></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="TaboolaWrapper-hMVdpE iYfBhy"><div class="TaboolaWidgetWrapper-egPIjc hkSrgt TaboolaWidget-eUSdED hQCCRa" data-ttid="TaboolaWidgetWrapper"><div class="TaboolaWidgetContent-iBEQTO eXroXG TABOOLA" id="taboola-below-article-thumbnails---f" data-ttid="TaboolaWidgetContent"></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--footer should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--footer" data-no-id="6zt1po"></div></div></div></div></div></ma><div class="BasePageMaFooterFiller-hTlZph jSriYf page__ma-footer-filler"></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div 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