Chapter 18 (of 20) Hawks Do Not Share
Chapter 1 (of 20), A Good Café on the Place St-Michael, will take you back in time to the story that began my French culinary experiences while reading A Moveable Feast, chapter by chapter. From there, each chapter will take you to the next chapter and culinary experience.
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” Ernest Hemingway.
Chapter 18 (of 20) Hawks Do Not Share, accompanied by Soufflé au Comté, paired with a glass of Provence Rosé at Chez Elles, Brick Lane.
Notes From Chapter 18: Hawks Do Not Share
A WorkLife Book Club For One
Notes on Love, Friendship, Ruinous Relationships, Addiction and Mental Health
Zelda had a very bad hangover. They had been up on Montmartre the night before and had quarrelled because Scott did not want to get drunk. He had decided, he told me, to work hard and not to drink and Zelda was treating him as though he were a kill-joy or a spoilsport.
Scott was very much in love with Zelda and he was very jealous of her.
He was always trying to work. Each day he would try and fail.
‘You’ve written a fine novel now,’ I told him. ‘And you mustn’t write slop.’
Zelda did not encourage the people who were chasing her. But it amused her and it made Scott jealous. It destroyed his work, and she was more jealous of his work than anything.
But when he was drunk he would usually come to find me, and drunk, he took almost as much pleasure interfering with my work as Zelda did interfering with his. This continued for years but, for years too, I had no more loyal friend than Scott when he was sober.
Scott did not write anything anymore that was good until after he knew that she was insane.
This chapter reminded me of The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde in which he depicted the loves, losses, betrayals and tragedies that all men suffer in their lifetime. He spoke of men because he was imprisoned with other men, but of course, what he wrote could also be said of women.
One of the themes of the poem is emotional turbulence, and that, for me, connected to this chapter. In particular:
Stanza Seven
Yet each man kills the thing he loves
By each let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!
I was also reminded of the following line which I read or heard somewhere, which helps summarise my thoughts on this chapter. I paraphrase from memory:
Words of Wisdom
Addiction is the only prison where the key to get out is on the inside.
Epilogue
Unlike previous times when I wasn’t sure when I’ll read the next chapter of A Moveable Feast over a glass and a plate. This time I know, because I read the next chapter over my main course and a glass of wine at Chez Elles, Brick Lane.
… Let’s see where A Moveable Feast the next chapter story is going to take me …
The Continuing Story …
… I can now share where Chapter 19 (of 20) A Matter of Measurements story took me …
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Today I enjoyed Soufflé au Comté, paired with a glass of Provence Rosé at Chez Elles, Brick Lane.
Se souvenir de toi, Norma.
#FunFact1 The most expensive soufflé is sold for US $2,500 and is prepared by Executive Chef Richard Farnabe and Alexandre Petrossian, at Petrossian in New York (as of 16 September 2016). An egg soufflé filled with quail eggs, royal reserve caviar, topped with gold leaf and flambé Hennessey Richard. Source Just Fun Facts.
#FunFact2 Chez Elles serves French bistro dishes in a rustic-chic restaurant with a Gallic ambience and occasional jazz in Brick Lane – a part of town famously known for its curry houses.
#FunFact3 Brick Lane’s name evolved from the 16th century when the ground in the area was discovered to be full of clay, useful for creating bricks and tiles. After the Great Fire of London, demand for bricks increased. A kiln was installed at the northern end of the road, and bricks were transported down the length of the street to Whitechapel Road. Source Londonist.
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How To Motivate Through Self-Respect and Trust
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Founder of School of WorkLife, Carmel O’ Reilly is a learning practitioner and writer. She creates resources to help people self-direct their WorkLife learning. These include a Collection of Books which originated from her first book, Your WorkLife Your Way and a Learn Through Reading Series of Case Studies. which originated from her latest book WorkLife Book Club.
That’s the power of writing (and reading, which is an integral part of the craft for writers), it helps you find, develop and tell the right story at the right time in all WorkLife situations – in day-to-day communication: WorkLife and feedback conversations, presentations, talks, and negotiations, at interviews, and when socialising and networking in building and maintaining good relationships. The practice of writing helps you to tell the stories that express who you are in an interesting and engaging way.