Once, I almost drowned in a lake. Flailing amid a sea of swimmers, I sank. Foolishly, I thought I could finish a triathlon without really knowing how to swim. Sure, I lived near the ocean. Sure, I spent a lot of time in the water. Sure, I felt good about the bike and run. But then I panicked and sank. That was late summer of 2004, and I’ve been thinking about it off and on for all these many years.
Well the time has come. I’m saying it out loud, ’cause that’s how I help myself get things done. While at the doctor the other day, he asked how I was doing with exercise, and I said “I think I’m training for a triathlon.” Out there. Done. September. Redemption.
Nashville is dripping with puppets, and has been for a long time. A legacy of fantastic puppetry began in the late 1930’s and continues today. Taking the lazy way out, I’ve chosen to provide the library’s own history:
Tom Tichenor was only 15 when he staged Puss In Books at the Nashville Public Library in 1938. In 1947 he was hired as a part-time staff member and began regular marionette shows for the library.
Tichenor’s association with the library, both as volunteer and staff member, spanned 50 years, including a period in the 1940s and 50s when he worked for commercial radio stations WSM and WSIX.
From his nationally televised Poindexter series to his outstanding work with the Circle Players and the Nashville Children’s Theater, and his stunning contribution of puppetry in the Broadway musical Carnival!, Tichenor’s professional career was exciting and varied.
In 1967, after the completion of his daily children’s program Birthday House, broadcast on WNBC-TV in New York, Tichenor returned home to the Nashville Public Library. His first production after returning to the library was The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings. He continued to perform until his retirement in 1988.
Nashville suffered a great loss upon Tichenor’s death in 1992, but his work lives on today. Wishing Chair Productions is proud to preserve Tichenor’s memory through the continued use of his beloved marionettes and puppets. The Nashville Public Library honors and embraces the legacy of the unique craftsman, artist and storyteller that was Tom Tichenor.
A city with a great library is a great city, and a library with a great puppet troupe is even better. I’ve taken the youngin’s to see a handful of productions, and they’ve all been stellar. Multiple cultures, multiple styles, multiple kids sitting on the floor having a great time.
We’re in the process of trying to buy a house. It’s a vulnerable feeling, putting yourself in the hands of an omnipotent decider. I was prepared for the paint samples and uncertainty; I was even prepared for the paperwork. I wasn’t, however, prepared for the loss of control and the rawness of it all. Sometimes I feel judged and inferior and unqualified. Sometimes strong and proud and ready. But always at the mercy of the courts. You just stand there, waiting for someone to, um, pull the string. Another puppet, trying to hitch a wagon to a star.
Cosmic Nashville 