I don’t think I have ever written a book review here. But I did like Woody Allen’s new and first novel, What’s with Baum? so much I wanted to sing its praises.
So, here I am singing.
What’s with Baum? might speak to me especially because the main character is a writer and the fact that I generally like all of Mr. Allen’s stuff, be it his short New Yorker pieces, his short fiction, which I devoured as a kid in his two books Without Feathers and Side Effects, his comedy albums, which I played over and over back in the day and, of course, his films.
I also love how Baum is afflicted with what he feels is the malady of talking to himself, which in the book he does quite comically; I talk to myself all the time, so I guess I am similarly afflicted. What Allen might also be saying about our modern times with this little satirical contrivance is also something I feel.
I also love the fact that, through a little misunderstanding, Baum allows Woody Allen to tickle around a bit around with his more recent legal troubles. And that brings me to few points I feel strongly about.
Being a big fan of Woody Allen and living in NJ, very close to his home environs, and seeing as how big a news item it all was, it was hard to ignore the accusations leveled by his long-estranged romantic partner, actress Mia Farrow, that Allen sexually molested their adopted child Dylan Farrow. Lots has been reported over this, but in the end, there was no further court action brought against Mr. Allen, although legal battles ensued over child custody between Mr. Allen and Mia Farrow.
Mr. Allen also began dating and further married Soon-Yi Previn, whom Farrow adopted with her former husband Andre’ Previn.
What Woody Allen did or did not do to court controversy—some I can see by his marriage to Soon-Yi, others I have no idea about—doesn’t make me like his artistic output any less. In the end, what most folks do, say, and think falls well into the ‘not my business’ category (I barely care what I think, say, and do). Like you, I am sure, I have plenty of my own crappola going on. Also, maybe like you, I can hold two possibly opposing thoughts in my head at the same time…as in, not liking someone’s actions or pronouncements, but still enjoying that person’s art.
This reminds me of that old conundrum of measuring the value and artistic merit of Hitler’s paintings and sketches (although, I am in no way lumping Woody Allen in with wacky old Adolph). An aspiring artist in his youth, the leader of all things Nazis tried his hand at landscapes and architectural scenes, and although rejected from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, Hitler pursued art as a hobby all throughout his life. Does what he got into, and arguably some of the nastiest crimes against civilization ever perpetrated, lessen the merits of Hitler’s artwork?
I have a good buddy who works in the art school section of a local community college, where he has informed me that Picasso is persona non grata. His work is not studied, nor is his name mentioned in any classes. Although considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, somewhere along the line, some modern-day intelligentsia (and these groups are never all that intelligent, as far as I’m concerned) labeled Picasso a misogynist, and at my buddy’s school, the man is not studied or spoken of because of this distinction.
First of all, just because a group of people or even one person puts a label on something doesn’t necessarily mean that label is applicable to your sensibilities or your personal definitions. And secondly, once again, if the person did commit some acts that are repellent to you or hold to a worldview you don’t agree with, should you then dismiss and, in fact, in the above case, wholly ignore that person’s work?
Thirdly, what do I care if Picasso was a misogynist?
So, What’s With Baum, written by Woody Allen, is a smashing little book, worthy of his artistic output, output I will be enjoying as long as Mr. Allen cares to output, no matter what Mr. Allen does or does not do in his private life.
