Tag: Kenneth Tynan

Tynan, Kenneth. The Diaries of Kenneth Tynan. Edited by John Lehr. Bloomsbury, 2001.

Reason read: Most people start a journal or diary in January; one filled with good intentions. This is in recognition of that practice.

What makes the diaries of Kenneth Tynan so fascinating is that he was a feared critic in his day but behind the scenes he was an insecure man. Outwardly, he didn’t suffer fools. Privately, even his diary entries could be scathing. The irony is that he would drop friendships when criticized…as if he couldn’t handle negativity aimed towards him. Underneath Tynan’s tough and snobby persona, truth be told, was a man who worried about appearances and cared what social circles accepted him. Example: he once did not want to attend a wedding because he did not have the proper attire, nor was he willing to rent the garb required. His diaries revealed an introspection and a strong desire to be loved by all. He loved to name-drop as if the glitterati of the day were his closest friends. In addition to being a running commentary on the who’s who of the day, Tynan tackled politics and even the philosophical concept of id, questioning what makes a soul. [As an aside, I have been bogged down by the word “my” for years. If your soul, body, and mind belong to “me” (my body, my soul, my mind), what or who is me?] His theory about Akhnaten is fascinating.
Overall, I found Tynan to be a sad individual. When Tynan’s wife reminds him of the declaration that his doctor warned against smoking – if he didn’t quit, he would be dead in five years (and he was), it broke my heart. Three years before his passing, as early as March 6th 1977, Tynan started writing about his funeral; what songs to play, etc. Diagnosed with emphysema, he was not in denial. He knew his time was limited. Like reading The Diary of Anne Frank I dreaded the coming end. Is it sacrilege to compare the two? Each journal entry nudged Anne and Kenneth closer to their demises.

As an aside, I was skeptical when I learned the Diaries of Kenneth Tynan only spanned the years from 1971 to 1980. He was born in 1927 so what happened to the rest of his diaries? Surely there was more to his life than nine years? Ah, but these were the most interesting of years!

Lines I liked, “…there is nothing more beautiful than the happy moments of unhappy men” (p 26), “Later I wrote her an appropriately corrosive letter” (p 77), and “You can accept the world; fight to change it; or withdraw from it” ( 380).
Phrases I liked, “radiant contempt” and “magnetic threat.”

Book trivia: the footnotes are helpful because it is basically a who’s who of celebrities and notables from the era. Tynan liked to name drop frequently. The footnotes also give further context or explanation to a vague comment. I have to admit they sometimes read like a gossip column, “so and so, the illegitimate child of so and so.”

Music: Adagio from Viviani’s Second Sonata for Trumpet and Organ, Al Jolson, Annie Ross, Bach, Barbra Streisand, Bartok, Beatles’ “A Day in the Life”, Benny Goodman, Carmen Miranda, Chevalier, Cohan’s “Give My Regards to Broadway”, Cole Porter, Charlie Parker, Danny Kaye, David Amram, Dinah Shore’s “Tess’s Torch Song”, Dizzy Gillespie, Earl Hines, Edie Gorme, Ethel Merman, Frank Ifield, George Brassens, George Harrison, Gershwin, Goosens, Gracie Feilds’ “the Biggest Aspidistra in the World” and “Sigh No More”, Harry Belafonte, John Lennon, Kalner-Ruby’s “Show Me a Rose”, Lena Horne, Leonardo da Vinci’s Trattato della Pittura, “Lobby Song” “Mairzy Doats”, “Melody in 4F”, Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, Mick Jagger, Miles Davis, Nobel Sissle, Paul Desmond’s “Take Fire”, Puccini, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Flower Drum Song,” Ruth Etting, Salieri, Sandi Shaw’s version of “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me”, Schubert, Shostakovich’s 5th, Stan Getz, Steve Lawrence, “That Night in Rio”, and Wagner.

BookLust Twist: from More Book Lust from the chapter called “Journals and Letters: We Are All Voyeurs at Heart” (p 130).