Mae West: Zip and Zest

MAE WEST never learned to type and wrote longhand. Though most of her personal correspondence was typed by a secretary, Mae wrote to a stranger in 1933, Canadian graphologist Zita Lomas. This is Part 2 of 14 segments.
• • “An Open Letter to Mae West” • •
• • Mae West’s penmanship • • 

• • Zita Lomas wrote: What we do mean is that your writing has a dashing look, an appearance of pep and zip and zest — — the qualities which characterize your own arresting personality.
• • We are going to take your handwriting and tear it apart, feature by feature.
• • We said before that it was a primarily angular script. The fact that you find this pen expression tells us that you are an active and energetic individual, with an innate aversion to ease, indolence and idleness.
• • That angularity, combined with the obvious rapidity of execution, the firm, clear tracing and ascendant base line, reveals your confident, forceful, decisive aggressiveness. It is the reflection of a naturally enterprising go-getter — — one who always looks up and ahead, never down and backwards.
• • In every line and stroke, your writing shows • •  …
• • This very long article by Zita Lomas will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Vancouver Sun (page 4); published on Saturday, 30 December 1933.
• • On Friday, 12 February 1943 • •
• • This is a letter Mae West wrote on Friday, 12 February 1943.
• • Dear Mr. Jackson-Craig:
• • No one could help being moved by your always beautiful letters and the fineness of the sentiment they express. The most recent of your letters presents a problem, however, that cannot, I am afraid, be solved in the way that you wish. ... A life such as mine is anything but simple. ...
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Shame! I find no fault with the nominations except they did not include that sturdiest, acting-est American, Mae West.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Personality is the most important thing to an actress’s success."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article on Richmond Hill (Queens, NY) mentioned Mae West, who was a smoker when she lived there.
• • Jane Gross wrote: The Triangle Hofbrau is legendary.
• • Jane Gross wrote: Originally a rest stop for Long Island farmers on the way to Brooklyn, it housed Richmond Hill's first country store and post office and was the headquarters for George Bilofers, a police officer who rode a bicycle patrol from Jamaica to the Rockaways.
• • Jane Gross wrote: Mae West dined there regularly, despite the fact that Emil Four's mother would not let her smoke.  . . .
• • Note: In 1919, the place was sold to Mr. Four. His wife, formerly Ernestine Schuh, bore him sons Emil Jr., Ernest and Charles, along with daughters Caroline and Anna. Mrs. Ernestine Four was the matron who would ask Mae West to put out her cigarette. But, like most smokers, Mae resisted.  . . .
• • Source: The N.Y. Times; published on Saturday, 6 April 1985
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,408th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Mae's longhand sample in 1933 • •
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