(A major feature about painter William H. Johnson, 1901-1970, will be posted later this spring.) <\/p>\n
\tI wish William H. Johnson, gifted painter of a unique world, were at this party honoring young African American artists, staged by the foundation bearing his name, at an elegant old two-story home near the Wilshire district in Los Angeles. Most of the bright and outgoing guests would be surrounding him, and I still couldn\u2019t talk about his art, but at least I\u2019d know there was someone else here as rigid and generally uncomfortable with casual conversation in large groups. I\u2019ve always had this difficulty and recently read Johnson\u2019s art school classmates, from his early twenties in the Roaring Twenties, remembered him as \u201cserious\u201d and standoffish as did artists, relatives, and others who knew him in his thirties and forties. <\/p>\n
\tHe could occasionally open up one-on-one and in small groups, but I\u2019m afraid on this lovely spring afternoon at a crowded garden party, encircled by shrubs and trees, and monitored by valets and caterers, Johnson would need some space. After an hour I\u2019m getting mine a hundred yards up the street in my car. I\u2019d run out of people to call and text, on various pretexts, and now I\u2019ve exhausted escapist writing and must return to the party I much wanted to attend, and that cost a hundred fifty bucks, and hope to catch an adrenal wave from my half-hour on the treadmill prior to driving a couple hours from Bakersfield.<\/p>\n
\tI choose a plastic chair at the rear of the property and am soon consoled that another man sits nearby and vigorously buries himself in his cell phone. I\u2019m thankful dancing won\u2019t be expected today. There\u2019ll be an art auction, instead. Meanwhile, a feast is underway. I\u2019d ignored it since I\u2019ve been a vegan, save nonfat yogurt, more than a year but resolve to do something so start saying yes to tray-toting young ladies who offer risotto with \u201ca little cheese inside\u201d and beef empanadas, and start making roundtrips to the patio table featuring tri-tip sandwiches and steak tacos. This kind of food is intoxicating. I\u2019d forsaken it only to lose weight and lower cholesterol. For one afternoon I\u2019m back stuffing myself, soothing the brain and feeling better but still concerned my tongue seizes at social gatherings. William H. Johnson would understand.<\/p>\n
![To see “Jitterbugs III,” please click here\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(A major feature about painter William H. Johnson, 1901-1970, will be posted later this spring.) I wish William H. 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