Where's Armand?

What About Smugglers?

From the Armand Diaries:

January 16, 1948.

Why do we despise the crook who steals, yet don't mind the smuggler (Mary does, though even she wouldn't equate the two crimes), who let us say can steal several hundred dollars duty from the government when he smuggles a coat or a watch worth a thousand?

Is it our anti-government, laissez-faire, independent feeling? Is it because people subconsciously rebel against the illogic of boundaries (never set, after all, by plebiscite but by a "green table" elite)?

Certainly, in all times and places, the smuggler has been a romantic (romanticized), condonable peccadillo of a sin, and in stories our sympathies are always with the law breaker. Is it, finally, because smuggling is a healthy, swashbuckling sort of crime, with all the glory but little of the murderous meanness, say of stagecoach robbing (even this, in U.S. past, not to heinous a crime if no one killed).

Photo of the Songbird Smuggler: National Geographic

A Generous Christmas in 1954

From the Armand Diaries, where Armand recorded the gifts they received from his generous mother (often referred to as Geefer):


January 1, 1955. Xmas was mainly money for us, since we asked for it, but Ann had everything: metal dishes, a stove, a nice gold ring, a large fire engine,
clothes, a set of Wedgwood child's dishes, etc., etc.

We went again to Toronto, Wednesday, December 29. Been to the White Horse Inn, near Paris, for 8 or so meals, give or take one. Otherwise, quiet rest, read and gossip.



I don't think you could get past three pages in Armand's diaries without some reference to Mother or Geefer. She wrote to him regularly, sent food and money when he was in college and later, lavished gifts and attention on his only child. It must have been a memorable Christmas,  Ann still cherishes her Peter Rabbit dish set.

The Tourist, in Venice

Armand would have loved The Tourist, a movie starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. We know that Johnny Depp was one of Armand's all-time favorite actors:

• Johnny Depp See Armand (at 20) and Depp.
• Casting Another Armand and Johnny Depp, side by side photo.

We also know that Armand has been to Venice, many times.

 

The critics are panning the movie, saying that there was no chemistry between Depp and Jolie. That would be the least of my cares since Johnny Depp does something to my chemistry. I think Armand would have understood that.

 

 

Tour Venice, virtually.
Photo:The Tourist Trailer

 

Writing Christmas Letters

This is the time of year that Armand would write his Christmas letters and I'm pretty proud of a 2007 post featuring a sampling of Armand's letters to friends. He took a sentence or two to apologize for his "prepolished missives" but they are true to his conversational voice and different from his diary speech. Enjoy again, Writing Christmas Letters.