The Little Jazz Baby and her papa around 1979. Check out that fancy satin top he’s wearing and the shag haircut!
Today I am going to do something a bit different. I am going to take a break from the January movie posts and tell you a little more about the woman, the myth, the legend behind The Little Jazz Baby.
Admittedly I am doing this because I have been very busy lately working overtime and have not had a lot of time to prepare a lot of proper posts. Believe it or not, I am supposed to be posting every day this month for a blog challenge I am a part of, but considering this post makes a grand total of 10 posts on this blog and January is almost done with, it’s obvious I haven’t met that post a day goal. (Oops…)
Anyhoo…thanks to Michelle Shaeffer and her e-mail with a “day 22″ writing prompt for the Ultimate Blog Challenge (I’m even a day behind on that!), I thought it might be nice to let you all know who it is behind these posts, what makes me who I am and all that jazz. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you my life story here, and most everything I say will be within the scope of my blog.
Who Is the Little Jazz Baby?
One of my nicks as a child was “Angie Baby” (so original)
*Waves* That’s me! Angie Schaffer. I also go by Ang von Schefffelheim (I’m seriously considering legally changing my name to that).
I am a 35-year-old German-American who is a little obsessive compulsive about German history and the Jazz Age. And German history during the Jazz Age.
I am also obsessive compulsive about art, slapstick comedy, silent/early sound movies, flappers, 1920s jazz, Jazz Age literature (especially F. Scott Fitzgerald, the very person who coined the term “The Jazz Age”), fashion, inventions and innovations, and anything else connected to the 1920s.
Way Back in 1987…
The painting that got the ball rolling on my love for everything artistic.
I know that this will shock some of you youngsters out there, but 25 years ago most of us didn’t have desktops, laptops, and fancy little phones with the internet. We had to look through books and newspapers (made of real paper) to find information.
And when I was 10 years old back in 1987, I discovered most everything that interests me today through the huge set of encyclopedias that sat on a shelf that ran the entire length of one wall in my play/study room.
I saw a picture of The Burial of Count Orgaz by El Greco in one of those encyclopedias and immediately became enamored of this thing called “art”. I began collecting books on anything related to art. And I decided that I wanted to be an art historian when I grew up.
The art historian thing never happened, but a lifelong love of art and discovering my four favorite things in the world—Dadaism, Surrealism, German Expressionism, and architectural history—did. And trust me, my darlings, if you stick around this blog long enough, you will learn all about my feelings on these things. One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my knowledge of art from the teens through the 1930s.
(For the record, my three favorites are Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and Salvador Dali.)
Isn’t it funny how one little teeny tiny thing that almost might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things can spark something that changes your whole life?
What were some of your dreams as a child? Are you who you wanted to be when you were 10 years old? Or are you doing something completely different? Let me know by leaving a comment below. I’d love to know a little something about my readers!
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If you think you’re old, I shudder to think how ancient you’d consider me! I love the 20′s too!
Caro Ness recently posted…Something Few People Know About Me
Thanks very much for dropping by Caro! I think everyone should love the 20s. It was such a fun, modern decade.
Angie Schaffer recently posted…A Little Something about the Little Jazz Baby
You are seriously one cool dame, Frau von Schefffelheim!!!! I am so happy to have stumbled upon your magical world of many things that I ADORE! I love these posts where we get to learn about the writer, too… Wow on finding your passion for art from the random encyclopedia adventure. How dreamy…I, too share your love of the 20s, silent films, vintage fashion and Dali! Three cheers for you, dahling, and I shall be back! Air kisses! (here from the UBC)
eyenie recently posted…Are You Afraid to Highlight/Express Your Unique Beauty?
*claps hands*
Sometimes random blog posts when you can’t think of a thing to write turn out to be good things! I like finding other people who share my passion for the 20s and DALI!
Feel free to drop any suggestions my way for future posts. Next month I think i am going to focus on music of the teens-20s.
Angie Schaffer recently posted…A Little Something about the Little Jazz Baby
Hello Angie-!
I, too, was born in the wrong decade! I discovered my passion, silent film, while looking in my great-grandma’s memoirs. She talked about sneaking out to the Dance Halls, and seeing the silent films, and even trying to look like Clara Bow! I’m only 13, so I’m a bit strange for my age. My friends have mp3s, I have a record player!
Hahaha, trust me, I was the same way when I was your age. It’s very nice to meet you, Luke.
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