Subject
New Yorker "Conclusive Evidence": Barbara Braun, Whitman,etc.
Date
Body
I don't believe that the names have been switched; that "Elmann" ends
up with "man" like "Whitman" is somewhat coincidental. It seems to
me that "Barbara Braun" is the reference to Whitman, the real author
of "When Lilacs Last." As everybody has noticed, "Braun" is "Brown"
in German. Nobody seems to have noticed, however, that "Whitman" =
"White Man." And when we add the knowledge that Whitman was gay, it
seems to me the whole thing falls into place: Nabokov chooses the
poem that has "lilac" in it as a sort of gay reference and gives
Whitman a woman's name as well. The alliteration is common to both
names: Walt Whitman, Barbara Braun. I have always wondered whether
Quilty's one address, "Will Brown, Dolores, Colorado" was some kind
of sexual reference (sodomy?), but having led a sheltered life I've
never heard such a term. If so, this would explain the change of
White to Brown.
Chaz Nicol
up with "man" like "Whitman" is somewhat coincidental. It seems to
me that "Barbara Braun" is the reference to Whitman, the real author
of "When Lilacs Last." As everybody has noticed, "Braun" is "Brown"
in German. Nobody seems to have noticed, however, that "Whitman" =
"White Man." And when we add the knowledge that Whitman was gay, it
seems to me the whole thing falls into place: Nabokov chooses the
poem that has "lilac" in it as a sort of gay reference and gives
Whitman a woman's name as well. The alliteration is common to both
names: Walt Whitman, Barbara Braun. I have always wondered whether
Quilty's one address, "Will Brown, Dolores, Colorado" was some kind
of sexual reference (sodomy?), but having led a sheltered life I've
never heard such a term. If so, this would explain the change of
White to Brown.
Chaz Nicol