On Tuesday, friend-to-Putney and brilliant Slavic Studies scholar Meghan Forbes led our group back in time via a walking tour of sites key to Prague’s 20th century avant-garde tradition. We began by reading Czech poet Jaroslav Seifert’s poem “Electric Lyre,” then rode the tram into the city’s center trying to experience the now-familiar technology of public transit and electricity as inspiring and strange.
Meghan dropping knowledge.
As we strolled around Old Prague, Meghan pointed us to and provided welcome context for examples of interwar art and literature. On the Legion bridge, we were treated to a reading and on-the-spot translation of one of Vítězslav Nezval’s bridge poems. We considered Cubist architecture’s threat to “Old Prague” identity, and we read a poem titled “Ice Cream” that closes on the line, “why not?” Inspired, we asked ourselves that very rhetorical question, and treated ourselves to cones of the city’s (arguably) best gelato for second breakfast.
Hannah K. enjoys the milk chocolate.
Our recreation of 1920s Prague culminated in a surrealism-inspired collage-making session in the Franciscan Gardens near Wensceslas Square. Some of our artists even finished in time to share their creations with the world:
Between Meghan’s terrific walking tour and our uphill sunset visit to Prague Castle (conveniently so uncrowded after dark that it felt like a film set), we really hit the cobblestones hard today. But we’re pleased to report that hearts are strong and spirits are high.
These cuties.