Excursion – America's equivalent to Europe's "high" culture

A president's home & an outdoor museum

"This home is an American equivalent of a French château...

: Home of President Theodore Roosevelt (turn of the 19th century)

... and this is one way in which we show contemporary art...

: "Wood Duck", by Allen Bartoldi, 1979, Nassau County Museum

At the end of the afternoon, please come back to our home ...

: Last stop.

We'll get to know each other better over a glass of (New York) wine "

Cicerone

Carolyn Ristau teaches psychology at Barnard College. She specializes in conflict resolution and has studied the rapport between oil companies in Nigeria, ordinary villagers and young men who kidnap oil-company executives. Her husband, Bill Knight, is a British consultant on Nigeria. He has been decorated by the Queen and is honorary chief of three Niger Delta clans... the "typical American" does not live in New York.

A graduate of Vassar College (a celebrated bastion of the elite), she understands the people whose world you will discover.

Note

The home and museum reveal the lifestyle and values of the "East Coast elite", that is, the dominant group until about 1960.

Its ties with France are deep (please CLICK). But the rest of the population has almost none (African-American musicians are an exception – please CLICK)

That situation helps explain "heartland" suspicion of France (such as calling "French" fries "Freedom" fries a few years ago).

Aside from the immediate political context, the attitude reveals hostility to the traditional elite, which is associated with France. - C.A.

The train trip takes half an hour. To get to the station, the easy way is to take a taxi, and the interesting way, to take the subway. It's raucous, complicated – and basic New York.

Credits : President Roosevelt's home / Sagamore Hill internet site ; outdoor museum / Carolyn Ristau; home / Carolyn Ristau ; wedding / Jeff Akers