as you know, mrs. jones eschews political discourse (and its potential for drama) here on her journal. however, the time seems ripe to launch my write-in campaign…thomas jayne for president. he would be the best art historian/decorator/antiquarian/scholar/author/curator-in-chief america could ever hope to have.
his whistle-stop visit to memphis this weekend came courtesy of the decorative arts trust of the memphis brooks museum – headed up by my lovely friend john j. tackett – for whom thomas gave a fabulous stump speech talk on saturday morning. speaking on a few of the collections featured in his recent book, the finest rooms in america, one of his many wonderful points stood out: he firmly believes that a fine room is simply one that has an object of focus – one that has an emotional connection for its owner – and is thoughtfully arranged. which means, he reminds us, that no matter your checkbook balance, each of us might have fine rooms. how beautifully democratic is that? with all due respect to president hoover, it’s a far more attractive platform than promising a chicken in every pot.
thomas never arrives empty-handed (a trait that will serve him well in diplomatic situations) this time, his gift for me was a bit cheekier than usual…but then, we like a candidate with a sense of humor, no? mr. jones and i were delighted to host the (unofficial) speaker’s dinner, and thoroughly enjoyed the evening with our erudite and esteemed guest and friends. thomas’s new book, decoration in america: a sense of place, will be published this fall. just before election day. coincidence? i think not.
(mr. jayne’s photo courtesy of the candidate himself. mrs. jones approves this message.)