Ripperologist 117

[Fi Saint]

Correction, he's a dissipated artist, not poet

[mariab]

Hello Fiona.
Very-very interesting. I'm almost tempted to make a very bad joke about the elusive Joseph Fleming having been Ernest Dowson/Enoch and the special waterproof (blood resistant) cape pointing to him having been the Ripper. It so happens that I'm just back from having seen The Tourist, which was very bad, almost as bad as this attempt at a joke.
I'll get a better idea about all this when I finally manage to read Examiner 5.

[Fi Saint]

I didn't know about John/Joseph Fleming - thought you were referring to Ian !!!

The plot thickens in the Comedy of Masks. It is undoubtedly about Sickert and Whistler.

Fi

[mariab]

Ha ha! And I have to confess “Whistler“ primarily signifies to me Whistler/Blackcomb, i.e. the twin mountain snowboarding resort in British Columbia...

[Captain Hook]

Hello all,

Now that the New Year is well under way and this thread is gone quiet, I'd like to acknowledge, with gratitude, pride and some embarrasment, the praise lavished on my editorial in the latest issue of Ripperologist.

First of all, I'd like to thank my old friend, the Grave Maurice, for his kind words about me and my work and his evaluation of the issue as a whole. The Grave and I have discussed his illustrious namesake in these Forums and have visited, though not at the same time, the eponymous pub in Whitechapel High Street. I still hope we will coincide one day and down a couple of pints together.

I'd also like to thank mariab and Lynn Cates. I should perhaps clarify that I'm not a Spaniard. I have lived mainly in Spain in the last few years and my first language was Spanish, but I was born and reared in Buenos Aires. My national team did not take the World Cup home last year.

I particularly appreciate the remarks of Mr Thomas C Wescott ot the Red Folk, the reason being that he and I have not always seen eye to eye. Of course, I take some of Tom's comments cum grano salis. He knows I can also spell most short words.

Thank you again, all, and best wishes.
Eduardo Zinna

[The Grave Maurice]

Eduardo,

All the praise for the last Rip is no more than it deserves. It was an excellent issue.

I hate to break the news to you, but they've closed the Grave Maurice and turned it into a betting shop. I'm heartbroken. I guess now we'll have to meet at the Good Samaritan or the Pride of Spitalfields.

[Captain Hook]

Hi,

Yes, it is bad news about the Grave Maurice. First few times I was there it was a rather forbidding old pub frequented by none but the regulars. The last time it had gone a tad upscale but it was still short of a full-fledged wine bar. The Pride of Spitalfields, then. That's a lovely pub.

Best,
Eduardo

[lynn cates]

keep it up

Hello Eduardo. Thank you for the kind remarks.

And do keep up the good work and the excellent spelling!

Cheers.
LC

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Eduardo. Yes, we had our differences in the past, but on reflection they had more to do with the war of the zines that was occurring at that time, when Dan was heading up Ripper Notes. Thankfully, those wars are behind us now.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[mariab]

Good evening, Mr Zinna. I was wondering if it'd be all right to PM you with a question about one of your articles (on the IWEC) which I've been having difficulty to locate, as it's from the pre-electronic Rip era. I'd endelessly appreciate reading that article, as I've heard splendid things about it from the Berner Street specialists.

[Captain Hook]

Hello Maria,

You are no doubt referring to an article about the editor of the Arbeter Freint, Philip Kranz - real name Jacob Rombro - which was published in Ripperologist about 10 years ago. I particularly enjoyed working in that article because of Rombro's grand-niece, Carol, who shared with us memories and photographs of her relative. As for your question, Maria, please ask away. I haven't got the article with me right now, since, while I am at home, I'm not in Malaga, Spain, but in Malindi, Kenya. If it is a question I can answer from memory, I'll be delighted to do so. Otherwise it might have to wait until I return to Spain in mid-February.

Cheers
Eduardo

[mariab]

Thank you SO very much, Mr. Zinna!
Yes, I meant precisely the article in question. I was already aware that in the article you discussed the October issues of Der Arbeter Fraint (which, not surprisingly at all, don't mention the Stride murder), but I had no idea at all that you've interviewed Philip Krantz's (David Rombro's) grandniece for this! It must have been fascinating. Waiting until mid February, might I just inquire if you've also had any Arbeter Fraint issues transliterated/translated for the article in question? I should perhaps add that Lynn Cates just had the second December AF issue translated by someone I provided for him at Northwestern University, and that he's contemplating of having more issues translated. (It's all discussed in the recently started Arbeter Fraint thread.)
Might I also add that it must be fascinating to be spending part of the year in Kenya? I've only been to Africa once, in July, when I spent a few weeks in South Africa, took part at a conference and taught at the University of Stellenbosch and at the township's (Kayamandi) high school, where I was very impressed by the students' intelligence, liveliness, and artistic capacity. I've also surfed Jeffrey's Bay and Cape Saint Francis (very conservatively, due to the shark factor) and played with numerous animals, particularly cheetahs (but also lion cubs, monkeys, and eagles).
From Spain I'm afraid I only know Madrid (which is obviously a fascinating and very pleasant city), I wish I knew Barcelona and Gallicia, and pertaining to Argentina, my boss and I are planning to work on the sources from the Teatro Colòn, which are currently held not anymore in Buenos Aires, but at the Archivio Storico Ricordi in Milan, and won't be available to researchers until a few years.
With many apologies to The Grave Maurice for the short parenthesis in his thread (OK, for the recurring highjacking of his thread).

[Captain Hook]

Hello Maria,

Might I just inquire if you've also had any Arbeter Fraint issues transliterated/translated for the article in question?

No, I didn't have access to anyone with the necessary knowledge of Yiddish at that time. A few years earlier, however, I had gone on the Internet asking for help with Yiddish for an article I was working on at the time and a number of people from different groups were very obliging. Of course, Yiddish lost much of its former preeminence because of the fate of many of its speakers during the Second World War as well as because of the later emergence of Hebrew as the language of Israel. It is, however, a vibrant and resilient language - as anybody who has lived in New York or Buenos Aires can attest - and it is now benefitting from something of a renaissance.

I should perhaps add that Lynn Cates just had the second December AF issue translated by someone I provided for him at Northwestern University, and that he's contemplating of having more issues translated. (It's all discussed in the recently started Arbeter Fraint thread.)

I've seen the translations and I think they are most interesting. Their relevance to the Ripper case may not be obvious at first sight but further efforts might reveal a pearl or two. It is an avenue well worth exploring and I can only commend Lynn for his initiative.

Might I also add that it must be fascinating to be spending part of the year in Kenya?

Kenya is a truly beautiful country. I came a few times to Nairobi for work a number of years ago. Eventually I bought a house facing the sea in Malindi, north of Mombasa, and I've been coming here regularly ever since.

Maria, I'm not sure my article is deserving of so much anticipation, but I will certainly dig it up when I go back to Spain next month. I'm sure in the meantime we'll keep in touch.

All the best,
Eduardo

[mariab]

Thank you SO very much, Mr Zinna, and I'm very much looking forward to reading your article (if you still concede on this in due time).
We are waiting to see if any relevant information is contained in the Arbeter Fraint ads (which are still been translated), and we are researching the interaction between the IWEC and the WVC. We're also on the lookout for a Schwartz-no-first-name anarchist orator with skills in Yiddish, Polish, and Hungarian (Magyar) but no good English skills, who has been mentioned in French spy reports from 1902-1905 in connection with Russian socialist orators connected to William Wess. It would be nice if this Schwartz orator were mentioned in more detail in the AF from the years in question. The repercussions of this possibility have been discussed in the recent Berner Street threads.
With many apologies to The Grave Maurice for the brief highjacking of his thread.