The Art of Ann
For Ann Swinburne, art was her life and her life was high art. Whether performing on the Broadway stage, or riding the crest of New York society, Ann exhibited the flawless skill and spontenaiety of a seasoned professional. Accompanied by
fame - and fortunes - Ann's life is a testament to a bygone era. Lovingingly compiled by an equally formidable presence - her granddaughter, Liane Schirmer. 2009
Stages
If all the world's a stage, said she,
Then I'll be no mere player,
I'll show what cunning wits I have
Why no one shall be gayer,
I'll seize the moment and the day
To laugh, to flirt, to cling and stray
To row and rage and weep and lie,
I'll suffer, torture, groan, then die
I'll squander not a moment hence,
but play with all art's arrogance.
I'll strut upon this stage of life
As lover, mother, friend and wife
I'll star in war, I'll star in peace
I'll be or not be what I please
I'll spend what pennies I procure
In work or love or gambling tour
And no one shall outshine my star
The art of a woman is greater by far.
c. LS 2009
To Grandma's House I Go...
Strangely, I was the only one of my family who never did get a chance to visit Grandmama in her Carbibbean cottage. By the time I was of travelling age, she had taken ill, and despite this sweet note, I was told she was not well enough to have guests. I can't help but think that if I had been able to get to know Ann in my later years, I would have quite enjoyed her. If she would have known of my early inclinations towards the stage, I think she might have thought the same of me, or at least instructed me on the fine art of theatrical delivery. When I reread this note after many years, her geniune affection struck me. I place it here as evidence of the relationship that we might have shared had I not missed that visit to Nassau.
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