mgardiner

I greatly admire Harold Bloom. For his reading ability, his almost inconceivable body of written work, his scope of knowledge and insight, his recall ability or the fact that his work has allowed me a spring board to begin a handful of trying term papers over the years. For any of these reasons alone or all of them I admire him and hence I have a picture of him on my wall alongside Chomsky, Fitzgerald, Kerouac and Delillo. (It is possible that Dr. Bloom may contest being held in the same company as Kerouac but I digress.)

Technically, I didn’t actually meet him but I still thought this is worth noting. I was on holiday in London and my friend and I went to see a production of ‘Titus Andronicus’ at the Globe Theatre. We were ‘groundlings’ standing level and about as close to the stage as you can be. At some point during the play I looked up and around to see all the balcony seats above filled. Then, just off to the left up in one of the balcony boxes, I saw this unmistakable face. Slouched over, hand on his head, titling almost sideways, thoughtfully observing the play. It was the same expression and the same posture as in many of the pictures of Dr. Bloom that can be found on the internet. I know it was him. For a couple of minutes I couldn’t pay attention to the play because I kept looking back up to the balcony I was so excited. To think that 1 of the 3 living men that I have pictured on my wall for inspiration was sitting above, watching the same play as me. I was hoping against hope our paths would cross once the play was over even though the odds were against that. Just to say hello, shake his hand and say thank you for his work that I’ve read so far. It didn’t happen. But knowing that we were in the same audience was one of many happy memories I have from that mind-blowing trip to the U.K.

Incidentally, he was looking very well. Much more robust and and with more colour in his complexion than for example after his heart surgery a few years ago. I do hope he enjoyed the play as much as I did.