Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0006893, Wed, 9 Oct 2002 11:31:15 -0700

Subject
Fw: Pale/Palm Query
Date
Body
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carolyn Kunin" <chaiselongue@earthlink.net>
To: "Vladimir Nabokov Forum" <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (51
lines) ------------------
> Not quite the answer to your question, but an aside on the palm itself may
> be of interest:
>
> The subject of Ajax and Achilles playing a game is a well known subject on
> Greek vases, but the palms are not. I thought Nabokov may have invented
the
> palms, so I did a little research on the internet and was surprised to
find
> a calyx krater that may be the model for the one in Pale Fire.
>
> The vase belongs to the Toledo Museum (Toledo 1963.26). It is the product
of
> the "Rycroft Painter," said to be "fond of palms" or fond of fronds,
> perhaps. (in VN possible reference to the Frond, the civil war in 17th
> century France?)
>
> The Toledo Museum vase shows Ajax and Achilles taking a break from battle
to
> play a board game and they are flanked by a pair of palm trees. Only the
> presence of Athena (unseen by the players) was left unmentioned by
Nabokov.I
> also think Nabokov was referring to the game on the krater when he punned
on
> the metaphysical game-players in their involute abode.
>
> Carolyn Kunin
>
> > From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> > Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 19:20:12 -0700
> > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > Subject: Fw: Fw: Pale/Palm Query
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "s~Z" <keithsz@concentric.net>
> > To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 2:38 PM
> > Subject: Re: Fw: Pale/Palm Query
> >
> >
> >>
> >> I noticed a lot of 'pales' in Pale Fire and found it amusing, but then
> >> noticed the continuance in Ada, sometimes three 'pales' on two pages,
> > often
> >> with a 'palm' very near one of the 'pales.' Then I glanced through
several
> >> of the short stories online and found Revenge, The Assistant Producer,
and
> >> Wingstroke seasoned with 'pales' and 'palms.' Every time I relax and
> > forget
> >> about it, he hits me with high density 'pales' for a few pages. It's
> >> maddening.
> >>
> >>
> > EDNote: T'is curious. Perhaps explicable in part by VN's love of
> > alliteration. But remember that "Revenge" and "Wingstroke" were written
in
> > Russian where "pale" was probably "Blednyi" and "palm"--"ladon'". Still
it
> > might prove interesting to run a larger co-location search.
>
>