Discussion Questions

An Affair with Beauty — The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy —The Magic of Youth—

  1. How do you define beauty? How does beauty make you feel? Now, how would you define the term “true beauty”?
  2. Nancy mentions an allegory involving Age, Youth and Beauty. Is this allegory accurate? How do you feel about it?
  3. Howard was on a quest for “true beauty.” What do you think “true beauty” meant to Howard?
  4. Most traditional biographies are told chronologically in a third-person narrative. Do you like biographies told in that manner? In telling Howard and Nancy’s epic story, Jim Head chose a shifting first-person narration. The voice of Nancy—Howard’s model and wife—tells the main story and transitions to the voice of Howard from time to time. In addition, he employed flashback and frame narration, the latter being a literary technique that tells a story within a story. Why do you think he chose this style and combination of techniques?
  5. As Nancy Christy walked through New York’s Central Park during the twilight hours sometime in September 1969, she recalled an exhibition that her late husband, Howard Chandler Christy, had at Knoedler & Co. Galleries in October 1923. She remembered a phrase uttered by the Austrian immigrant portraitist Emil Fuchs, who repeated Dr. Sigmund Freud’s quote that “All artists want in life are three things: fame, money and beautiful lovers.” Do you feel that this was an accurate statement about artists during the first half of the 20th century? What about today’s artists? Nancy said Howard accomplished each of these objectives, but paid a significant price. What do you suspect that price was?
  6. Nancy said that Howard’s last hours of life filled her with melancholy emotions. What did she regret about this tragic event? Why did Nancy not tell the truth to the newspaper reporters about the circumstances surrounding Howard’s death, and instead chose to fabricate a story? Was part of her story true?
  7. The world is filled with much illusion, but it was the truth that Howard sought—both in his life and in his work. Naturally, truth and illusion are two significant themes in the An Affair with Beauty trilogy. List at least six different instances from The Magic of Youth where illusion and truth are referenced or illustrated.
  8. During the early part of the 20th century, many young women, like Nancy, left their modest homes in small towns and farming communities across America to venture to the big cities. What were the allures of the big cities that compelled them to move? Were young women becoming more independent? Why do you think Nancy, after arriving in New York City, decided to venture to rural Ohio, alone and unchaperoned, to become an artist’s model for a much older man whom she had just met? Would you have done what Nancy did?
  9. Howard was completely enchanted with his youth—growing up along the Muskingum River, swimming alongside riverboats, forging friendship with the captains, working on the family farm, and spending many idle hours dreaming, drawing, and fishing. Why do you think he loved his childhood so much? How did this period of his life affect his personality and aspirations in life? What lessons can we learn from Howard’s happy childhood? How did your childhood affect who you are today?
  10. What virtues did Howard consider important when he was a child? What virtues did he consider important when he was a grown man?
  11. What is the difference between commercial art and fine art? Why were these two segments of art perceived of so differently in Howard’s time, especially when commercial artists generally earned much more than fine artists? Are these segments perceived the same way today or is there a blurring of the lines?
  12. Why do you think illustrators were so popular during the time period in which Howard lived (1872-1952)? How did the illustrators influence fashion for both men and women? How did the illustrators influence the role of women in society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
  13. Howard refers to the “Illustrators of Beauty,” suggesting a close-knit fraternity of artists who chose to draw and paint romantic and glamorous subjects and themes. Charles Dana Gibson, who introduced Nancy to Howard, was part of this group, as were several of the artists who attended Howard’s funeral. Romantic Illusions, the second book in the An Affair with Beauty trilogy, will go into more depth about their relationship of the “Illustrators of Beauty.” However, provide your thoughts as to what their relationship may have been like? Do you think they were close friends or perhaps competitive enemies at times? Do you think each of them may have fed off each other’s fame? How are the “Illustrators of Beauty” much like the rock stars of today?
  14. What skills or qualities were necessary to be a successful illustrator during Howard’s era?
  15. What skills or qualities were necessary to be a successful artist’s model during that time period? Do you think most models were simply discovered or did they train for the position? How long did most models last at the job? Would you want to be an artist’s model then?
  16. As The Magic of Youth suggests, Howard knew and became friends with many famous people during his lifetime. What do you think attracted them to him?
  17. What are your impressions of Howard’s first wife, Maebelle? What do you believe attracted Howard and Maebelle to each other? This topic will be further explored in Romantic Illusions, the second book in the An Affair with Beauty trilogy.
  18. Naturally, Nancy longed to become an artist’s model. Why do you think she wanted that? Was she after something more than that?
  19. Howard loved his trusty brass cannon at his home, The Barracks. He would use it to salute the passing riverboats. What is the symbolism of the brass cannon to the story . . . and to life in general?
  20. The Art Students League is one of the most venerable art institutions in the United States, if not the world. As Howard pointed out, it had rather humble beginnings—located in an old, red brick piano factory during the early 1890s and moving to its present location at 215 West 57th Street. Yet, some of the greatest American artists of the late 19th and 20th centuries taught at this school—artists whose names are revered today. Why do you think Howard has such an affinity for that school? In the 1890s, the Art Students League had classes for men and women, and they were segregated. Why?
  21. Do you believe that one’s outer appearances can reveal one’s character or is there something more within?
  22. In the last chapter of The Magic of Youth, Howard takes Nancy to the side of a cliff overlooking the Muskingum River valley near his home, The Barracks. It is here that he inscribed his name in the sandstone rock on December 30, 1891. Why did he do that? What is the universal truth of this message?