Leigh Keno: an Elegant Highboy

Leigh Keno: A Hamilton Original

You know him as a peripatetic TV host and one half of a matched-set of enthused antique furniture appraisers.

I first knew him as a hyper, wired sort of guy in the class a year ahead of me at Hamilton College.  A local-area kid from Herkimer, one exit over on the NY Thruway, Leigh was a pretty good drummer who sat behind the kit for Robbie and the Nylons, a new wave band on campus that occasionally shared rehearsal space with the band I was in, Rogue.

Queen Anne, c. 1760

Leigh and I also took a couple of the same courses in Art History from notorious department head Rand Carter, although Leigh must have really been paying attention.  He and brother Leslie (Williams '79) have parlayed their love for the "breakfront," the "high-boy," and all things "clawfoot" into a multivariate avocation - not only as an appraiser, collector, gallery-owner, philanthropist and all-around personality, but most recently as impresario with Keno Auctions.

Come to find out that Leigh's quite involved with the antique and collectible car market, personally as a race-car collector & driver, and ceremonially as a judge at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance charity event.  And in 2005, he wrested a National Humanities Medal from the hands of President George W. Bush.

In college I had a '74 Chevy Nova 350-SS. No match for Leigh's 1938 Jaguar SS 100 . . .

Though I didn't know Leigh well, from our paths-crossings I can attest that what you see is what you get - he's really that nutty, animated and passionate about the 18th century furniture that your great-great-grandfather, in his youth, thought was long in the tooth.

Will Leigh Keno be our last link to the Golden Age of the American empire, now in such wretched decline?

Shekhar Kapur, Dim Sum and the Director's Cut

"But how does it turn out ???

Kate Hudson as Ethne, the late Heath Ledger as Harry: What Destiny Awaits?

On its opening weekend in 2002, my nearly 9-year-old daughter and I attended a grown-up historical romance film, "The Four Feathers." In a nutshell, British Officer boy (Harry) meets girl (Ethne), boy goes to war (in Sudan, 1884), boy deserts troops in moment of cowardice, boy cannot live down disgrace, boy loses girl to upright best friend (Jack).  After the war though, at the film's end, Ethne has just broken her engagement to Jack - and is seen reaching for Harry's hand.

Exiting the cinema, my daughter demanded of me, "But who does she end up with?" as it is not clear whether Ethne (beautiful Kate Hudson) will choose the imperfect Harry or the valiant, polite Jack (Wes Bentley).  "I don't know," said gallant Dad. "I'll ask the Director what happened next."

He of many a lush and lovely epic

Four days later, I was in London seated for lunch with Shekhar Kapur at his favorite dim sum place in Soho, and I pressed him on it.

Now, in 1999, Mr. Kapur had dazzled with the spectacular Elizabeth starring brilliant Cate Blanchett, dashing Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, and all sorts of stupendous costumery.  By 2002 coming off Four Feathers Shekhar was involved as the Film guy in our little UK-based Music/TV/Film outfit, Artist Network, and I as the U.S. "suit" had business with the Londoners that October.

We spoke at first about business, then at length about Shekhar's wild idea for a caste-struggle science fiction concept set in a futuristic upstairs/downstairs India where water is rationed.  After we solved the scarce resource problem, we turned to Four Feathers and I pressed him on it:

"She is not with Jack, this much we know - but there remains affection between them.  However, Harry has clearly been a first and enduring fascination for her, and we see that she is willing to reach out to him."  So she ends up with Harry?  "It's not that simple.  If she is to proceed in her love for him, he will need to change. The relationship cannot succeed unless he will undergo a growing process.  We don't know whether this will occur. But we see that she is willing to consider giving him the chance."

Perfect.

My little girl, now 17, is beginning to learn her own lessons about love, not from the movies, and certainly not from her gallant Dad. As Ethne demonstrates, time and mystery go hand in hand: they dole out their measure of wonder and tragedy, and provide us the drama in life.  So much of drama is in not knowing...

As for dramatic resolution, fans of Elizabeth waited 9 years for the sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age.  But until a sequel to Four Feathers is produced, only Shekhar, you and I know what happens next.

Don't spill the beans!

George Clinton: Live from House of Blues at Atlanta Olympics

As I was publishing a CD-ROM 100-year history of the Summer Olympic Games, with help from my close personal friend Bruce Jenner, I rode the Discovery Channel gravy train into Atlanta in July, 1996.  Saw sensational gold-shoe sprinter Michael Johnson blaze to a 19.32 second 200m. record, took in volleyball and diving, and saw/did everything possible.  But my first thrill was to mingle with George Clinton.

Clinton Agonistes: Mothership Reconnection Tour

I spied multi-colored George as he and I waited at the same baggage carousel in Atlanta Hartsfield Int'l Airport.  It's not all a stage act: this guy's act is ALWAYS-ON.

George is a stocky guy who can't stand still, so he wandered about keyed up, sort of like James Brown would when he repeatedly "couldn't decide" whether to exit the stage or charge back into the spotlight.  Ambling in ever-widening oscillations through and around the crowd whilst waiting for his bag to appear, Clinton was a blur of color: ribbons and feathers woven into his hair, woven as fringe on his jacket, and - lo and behold when the bag appeared - growing from the suitcase.

It had to be his bag, so I positioned myself a bit upriver of GC at the carousel, and as the suitcase approached me I reached for it, holding my hand dramatically in mid-air 6 inches from the handle.   Like an imposter half-rising from his seat on To Tell The Truth - "No, I'M Bootsy Collins!" - I froze my hand and then turned to raise an eyebrow at George.  He smiled, I smiled - and THAT WAS ALL!

Enjoyed the Olympics, but left a day early, on the Sunday morning following the Olympic City bomb blast.  Headed back to President Clinton's Washington DC, known to P-Funk fans as "Chocolate City:"

Ah, blood to blood.  Ah, players to ladies

The last percentage count was eighty

You don't need a bullet when you got the ballot

Are you up for the downstroke, CC?

Chocolate City

Are you with me out there?

And when they come to march on ya

Tell 'em to make sure they got their James Brown pass

And don't be surprised if Ali is in the White House

Reverend Ike, Secretary of the Treasure

Richard Pryor, Minister of Education

Stevie Wonder, Secretary of Fine Arts

And Miss Aretha Franklin, the First Lady!

(Clinton, Collins, Worrell)

T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M.