[lit-ideas] Re: Geary's obituary of Claude Levi Strauss
- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:41:48 -0600
P.S. I met Levi Strauss once while sauntering down the Champs Elysee. I was
very disappointed that he was not wearing Levis. Never read another thing of
his. Such is life.
Mike Geary
Memphis
----- Original Message -----
From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 10:00 AM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Geary's obituary of Claude Levi Strauss
MEMPHIS. The Memphis Metaphysical Ministry has circulated the obituary of
Claude Levi Strauss written by the center's director, Mike Geary. "Levi Strauss
was 101 years old and has just died -- he died where he was born, -- well, not
exactly. In Paris, in Europe. He never visited Memphis, neither of them:
neither the Memphis of Egypt or the Memphis of the USA. He grew a beard most of
his time. His father was related to the Levi Strauss that Americans know via
trousers, etc. They were from the same Jewish family, like me. Garyson. Claude
showed from an early age an interest in the 'natives', especially Brazilians.
"The fact that they are so UNLIKE the French makes me laugh", he would say. His
father sent him to Brazil to study the natives. He returned and founded The
Musee de l'Homme in Paris. This musee comprises not just studies on the homme,
but la femme as well. Levi-Strauss was fascinated by incest and kin terms.
"Mere", "Pere", these terms in French, he said, possibly mean the same thing in
Brazilian. But the 'uncle' sometimes, in Brazil, plays the role of the 'father'
(or f-cks the sister-in-law). It gets all very complicated. Levi Strauss wrote
mostly in French, since his English was not very fluent. I heard him on radio
once and had to turn to a Mississipi station to listen to some blues, since his
strong accent was such that I could not decipher what he was saying. On the
other hand, French came naturally to him. The rolled r and the other sounds of
French he could produce with ease. He had a dog and a cat. He will be survived
by ... -- what do you expect at 101? None!"
JLS
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