Mid-Week Libation: From the Bungalow
Celebrating Ada “Bricktop” Smith & Horst P. Horst, plus a recipe for vegetarian moussaka, a new R&R jazz playlist, wisdom from Ruth Ellis, and the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars!
Editor’s Note: Thank you to everyone who checked in with us yesterday about the Athens wildfires! We survived. However, in the interest of our health (the lingering smoke is quite oppressive, especially to anyone with asthma), we did flee the city and are now safely ensconced on the nearby island of Salamis/Salamina in a fabulous bungalow located on a beautiful turquoise beach with the clearest waters we’ve ever seen. Cheers to that!
Mid-Week Libation is our weekly curated splash of inspiration and culture!
Remembering Icon Ada “Bricktop” Smith (August 14, 1894 – February 1, 1984)
At Her Globe-Spanning Nightclubs, This Black Entertainer Hosted a ‘Who’s Who’ of the 20th Century (via Smithsonian Magazine)
Bricktop (via Making Queer History)
And to learn more about her fascinating life, check out one of our favorite books:
Bricktop's Paris: African American Women in Paris Between the Two World Wars by T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting
R&R’s Newest Playlist: Moon Lights Up the Night (Featuring Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan & More!)
Remembering Photographer Horst P. Horst (August 14, 1906 – November 18, 1999)
Horst P. Horst at Holden Luntz Gallery / Works for Sale (via Artsy)
In Pictures: Fashion Photographer Horst (via BBC)
Recipe of the Week: Vegetarian Moussaka (via Nourished by Talia)
“A delicious moussaka recipe layered with aubergines, potatoes and a rich red wine ragu of black puy lentils. Finished with a delicious creamy bechamel sauce, this is a delicious hearty dinner.” [Source]
Are You Ready for RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars? Premieres Friday, August 16th on Paramount+ (U.S.) & WOW Presents Plus (Internationally)
Interesting Artists Born Today: August 14th
Visual Artists:
Today is the birthday of Pieter Coecke van Aelst, Claude-Joseph Vernet, Carle Vernet, Frederick George Cotman, Charles Arthur Fries, Mstislav Dobuzhinsky, Sydney Carline, Rosa Ramalho, Ralph Barton, John Wesley Carroll, Joyce Dennys, Amaza Lee Meredith, Eric Grate, Olin Dows, Clarence John Laughlin, Horst P. Horst, Ursula Wolff Schneider, Feliks Topolski, Willy Ronis, Mary Fedden, Noe Canjura, Sverre Fehn, Carmen Cicero, Franco Costa, Lucien Clergue, Pierre Cayol, Kermit Oliver, Ahad Hosseini, Rosalba Pedrina, Gary Larson, John Van Alstine, Kate Breakey, Olivier Grunewald and Fernando Vignoli!
Writers, Philosophers & Scholars:
Today is the birthday of Paolo Sarpi, Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Ernest Thayer, John Galsworthy, Sibilla Aleramo, Gisela Richter, Ernest Everett Just, Godavari Parulekar, Ethel L. Payne, Lúcio Cardoso, Julia Hartwig, Colin Ward, Russell Baker, René Goscinny, Alice Adams, Thomas Meehan, Frederic Raphael, Lee Hoffman, Bryce Courtenay, Niara Sudarkasa, Judith Kazantzis, Aïcha Chenna, Molefi Kete Asante, Alfred Corn, Janet Aalfs, Wang Ping, Vijay Prashad and Steve Orlando!
Musicians & Composers:
Today is the birthday of Samuel Sebastian Wesley, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, Stuff Smith, Pierre Schaeffer, William Flanagan, Buddy Greco, Jeannie Cheatham, Lorez Alexandria, Jimmy Wormworth, Terry Evans, Dash Crofts, David Crosby, Willie Dunn, Ben Sidran, Larry Graham, Maddy Prior, Mikio Masuda, Slim Dunlap, James Horner, Tony Monaco, Justin Robinson and Ana Matronic!
Film/TV/Stage:
Today is the birthday of Francis Ford, Ada “Bricktop” Smith, Marie Epstein, Alma Reville, Millard Mitchell, Manos Katrakis, Ted Thin Elk, Alice Ghostley, Lina Wertmüller, Trevor Bannister, Tom Eyen, Xie Fei, Steve Martin, Wim Wenders, Antonio Fargas, Susan Saint James, Joseph Marcell, Carl Lumbly, Jackée Harry, Marcia Gay Harden, Halle Berry, Adrian Lester, Christine Adams and Adrienne C. Moore!
This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Ruth Ellis (1899-2000)
The Relevant Queer: Activist Ruth Ellis (via Image Amplified)
Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit, Michigan - “Named in honor of a resilient Detroit icon, Ruth Ellis Center works to create a supportive environment and community for LGBTQ+ young people.” [Source]
So glad you got out of the city. I was starting to worry! Being by the sea sounds like a pretty nice alternative.