On July 4, 1862, a delightful part of our childhood took life. Charles Dodgson, better-known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, embarked on a boat trip with a party that included the real-life Alice Liddell, who inspired a story he told on the boat – the story that was published in 1865 as “Alice in Wonderland.” It was followed in 1869 by “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.” Carroll’s stories and characters have been part of childhood ever since, inspiring flights of fancy, and adding whimsy to our vocabulary.
On this anniversary of the inception, a celebratory entertainment: the imaginative rendering of “Jabberwocky” from “Through the Looking-Glass,” by actor-mime David Zucker! Enjoy, then don a mad hat, and invite a dormouse to tea!
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July 1, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Jabberwocky happens to be the only poem I ever memorized. I was advised by my teacher that, having chosen it, if I got a single word wrong, I’d get an F. I didn’t get a word wrong, but the sad truth is I can’t quote it in its entirety today. Still, ’twas brillig.
July 2, 2013 at 3:29 pm
Susan, a response I did not expect – and how delightful! Please say that a video, or at least audio, recording survives to share! Having said that you don’t remember its entirety, you may now find words and phrases floating back to you out of nowhere, filling in the gaps. If only there were a way you could recreate your performance .. I’m sure it was brilliant, as well as brillig – and tell that to the encouraging teacher who threatened you with an F! — Elizabeth
July 1, 2013 at 8:02 pm
PS: My favorite contemporary classical/new music group, Contemporaneous, performs a wild and crazy version of Jabberwocky by Ryan Chase here: http://youtu.be/rJvluLdhtn4.
July 2, 2013 at 3:31 pm
Susan, I listened to the Contemporaneous piece – wild and crazy, indeed! While looking for a recitation to include, I had paused to listen to Donovan’s version in song. Hearing that one again after the Contemporaneous conjures your old teacher, who no doubt would have challenged “compare and contrast!” From my point of view, they happily coexist; as with Everything Alice, it’s all such a lot of fun! — Elizabeth
July 2, 2013 at 5:43 pm
Ah, the old “compare and contrast” gambit. Actually, Mrs. Dumney was fully in my corner, but she also know I was a wisenheimer of the first order. She never gave me a challenge I couldn’t meet, if I was willing to take it on.