CHAPTER 10 – Bohemia

The chapter delves into a reflection on Bohemia, an elusive cultural and social space celebrated for its association with artistic and intellectual freedom, as experienced by a visiting talented English comedian and his wife in New York. Despite enjoying widespread kindness and social engagements in the city, they lament their failure to interact with prominent artistic figures or intellectual luminaries, such as painters, authors, sculptors, or notable inventors like Tesla and Edison, whose works are revered back in England. This absence of artistic and intellectual mingling contrasted sharply with the societal norms in London, where celebrities and original characters are eagerly integrated into the social fabric, adding vibrancy and value to gatherings.

The narrative attributes the lack of a vibrant Bohemian scene in America partly to a misunderstanding of Bohemia, misconceived through the lens of Henry Murger’s dismal portrayal in “Scènes de la Vie de Bohème,” which painted it as a destitute and somewhat uncouth society. Yet, the text argues that the essence of Bohemia has evolved beyond this stereotype, becoming a subtle blend of various social strata where intellect and artistic talent are the primary currencies of prestige.

Examples are provided of European Bohemian gatherings, like Madeleine Lemaire’s informal Parisian evenings and Irving’s select suppers in London, which stand as epicenters of cultural and intellectual exchange among the gifted, the traveled, and the socially eminent. These examples underscore the sophistication and inclusivity missing from the American social scene, depicted as large but flavorless, analogous to California fruit—mere markers of rapid, yet superficial, growth.

The author suggests that New York’s social scene is still too provincial and juvenile, bogged down by an undue preoccupation with material success and pedigree, rather than mental or artistic merit. This cultural immaturity, coupled with a parochial outlook, hinders the emergence of a genuine Bohemian sphere where artists and intellectuals are embraced on equal footing with the affluent and the aristocratic.

In conclusion, the chapter implicates this deficiency not in a lack of cultured individuals but as a characteristic of the broader society, which remains entrapped in superficialities and has yet to cultivate a refined appreciation for art that transcends mere patronage, embodying a deeper, more inclusive engagement with the creators themselves.