Literary Hike - "Frida's Bed" by Slavenka Drakulic via Stage Coach

We will complete our hike, then, proceed to Los Toros Restaurant (1/2 mile away) for a bite and a discussion.

This is a short book; however, if you do not have the time, please research and bring information relevant to the Artists, their Art, their life stories, the topics of love, betrayal, pain, survival, and creativity to share at the discussion session.

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Overview

A beautifully imagined story of the last days of Frida Kahlo?s life

A few days before Frida Kahlo?s death in 1954, she wrote in her diary, I hope the exit is joyful and I hope never to return.? Diagnosed with polio at the age of six and plagued by illness and injury throughout her life, Kahlo's chronic pain was a recurrent theme in her extraordinary art. In Frida's Bed, Slavenka betrayal´ explores the inner life of one of the world?s most influential female artists, skillfully weaving Frida's memories into descriptions of her paintings, producing a meditation on the nature of chronic pain and creativity. With an intriguing subject whose unusual life continues to fascinate, this poignant imagining of Kahlo's thoughts during her final hours by another daringly original and uncompromising creative talent will attract readers of literary fiction and art lovers alike.

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Editorial ReviewsPublishers Weekly

In this carefully honed portrait that reads like a biography, Croatian author Drakulic (Café Europa) distills Mexican painter Frida Kahlo's life into one consistent theme: pain. From her bout of polio at age six to the streetcar accident that ensured her lifelong dependence on painkillers, Kahlo was always accompanied by the specter of death. In dreamy flashbacks, Drakulic tells Frida's story: raised by an illiterate mother and an epileptic German father who was a photographer, she was the only one of her sisters to get an education. Toughened by her accident, Frida's boldness attracts celebrated mural artist Diego Rivera, whom she calls the Maestro. His love for her is different from his casual relationships with other women, yet also underscores the grotesqueness of her body. His philandering plagues Frida with feelings of rejection and inadequacy until her death at age 47. After Rivera's affair with her younger sister Kity, Frida's paintings move from hobby to burning need, a way to survive his betrayal and her own cursed physicality. Intensely moving, Drakulic's novelization works from inside the raw psyche outward. (Sept.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Library Journal

There is little previously uncovered material in this exploration of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's life by Croatian author Drakulic (Café Europe; S), who now lives in Sweden. Like other accounts, it tells of Kahlo's monumental personal struggles: a childhood bout with polio, a near-fatal accident when she was a teenager, and a turbulent, on-again, off-again romance with muralist Diego Rivera. What distinguishes the work is Drakulic's impassioned-albeit imagined-interrogation of the psychological under-pinnings of Kahlo's artistry and daily routines. Emotionally riveting and intellectually rich, the novel juxtaposes Kahlo's first-person psychosocial analysis with art criticism to create something wholly new. Indeed, Kahlo's profound introspection is well honed in Drakulic's rendering, and the painter's account of staggering challenges, from enduring constant physical pain to dealing with Rivera's compulsive womanizing, reads like a series of diary entries. The novel allows readers to glimpse both the public and the private woman, someone whose bravado, marked by colorful costumes and elaborate jewelry, collides with depression and rage. A fascinating portrait of a fascinating person; highly recommended for all fiction and psychology collections.

—Eleanor J. Bader

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THE HIKE - this is from Kurt's write up back in April of 2013.

This hike covers a portion of an old stagecoach road that linked LA with San Francisco in the 1860s. Specifically, the hike traverses a section that connects the SF Valley with Simi Valley at the intersection of the Simi Hills with the Santa Susana Mountains. The trailhead is located in Chatsworth (please carefully read directions below!)

The trail is quite interesting because you can see holes that were drilled into the rock for chains to help hoist the stagecoach up the steeper sections, during which passengers had to get out of the vehicle. When I first did this hike I just couldn't imagine how a stagecoach could get up there.

We will begin near the intersection of Devonshire and Larwin and proceed up a rocky trail past a plaque erected in 1939 to commemorate the old stagecoach route, then we'll proceed to the top of the pass for a magnificent vista overlooking the entire SF Valley.

Distance: roughly 3 miles
Elevation Gain: 700'
Dogs: Park Policy aside, it is the hosts' preference not to have dogs on this particular hike.
Restrooms: Nope, sorry
Difficulty: Moderate

Known Dangers: Rattlesnakes, slip 'n falls. Please be careful! Also, you may want to wear long pants as we will brush up against the vegetation in a few spots.

I strongly advise you to use sunscreen with a hat and bring plenty of water, esp. if it's hot.

Directions: Go a block south of Devonshire on Larwin and park on the street. There is a gap in a fence by the power lines. We'll meet there. This link will take you to street view where you can see what it looks like: http://goo.gl/maps/7XmY5