HOMAGE FOR NIKKI BARRANGER / poet, actor, writer, lawyer, friend

+NIKKI WAS A TREASURED FRIRND+

>not that he was an easy person so much but that<

>he was so >brilliant< jn so many ways he won<

>my admiration & friendship over many years<

+(WE EARNRD OUR LICENSES+

+THE SAME SUMMER OF 1959)+

>he earned his legal license the same year that<

>i earned my architectural license in june '59<

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+POET-ACTOR-SCHOLAR+

+WRITER & LAWYER HE+

>(artists deserve honor<

>more then politicians)<  

+WAS RARE & SPECIAL+

+DESERVING >HONOR+ !

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>the arts community of covington was strong<
>for many years & centered in the sansouci<
>forest in a playmakers theatre & arts club<
+(THE BARRANGER &+
+LOBDELL FAMILIES+
+WERE OUR FRIENDS)+
>near where we built our >glass pavilion<
>home & studio in the >autumn of 1960<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >garic "nikki" barranger was the only child<
>of the talented artist miriam & leading local<
>lawyer dalton & became after the death of<
+(NIKKI >STUDIED+
+ACTING @ YALE)+
>internationally famed walker percy the #1<
>writer-poet locally & a superb stage actor<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^    

 >an aspect of nikki that was vital to my<
>persona is that these wall lights from a<
+(NIKKI HAD A LOVE+
+FOR GOTHIC AURA)+
>castle in france would have appealed<
>to his romantic vision as it did to me<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  

>nikki's barranger lords of provence blood<
>spoke to his psyche strongly and french<
+(HE TOLD ME HOW MY+
+BLOG GAVE HIM JOY)+
>history was always prime influence…he<
>was very drawn to napoleon bonararte<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >like robin beeman, nikki was a very welcome<
>visitor to our sansouci forest studio-home and<
+(OUR MILIEU WAS+
+RICH W/ the ARTS)+
>after my brother died i was >touched that the<
>famed walker percy came w/ a  bottle of wine<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >the films of jean cocteau were important to<
>us and i was invited to design two sets for<
+(ACTING WAS >NIKKI'S+
+PASSIONATE ABILITY)+
>nikki's >playmaker's theatre…i remember<
>nikki was superb in "death of a salesman"<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >reading was essential to both of us especially<
>if the writer was a manley hall or franz kafka<
+(READING WAS ESSENCE+
+TO OUR >LIFE & WORK<)+
>the addition of walker percy added a special<
>literary cachet to 7 arts discussion after 1965<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>nikki and i both loved the napoleon house<

>and seriously discussed forming a "friends<

>of the napoleon house"organization / his<

+(NIKKI'S >ALCHEMY WAS+

+PRIME W/ CAFE BRULOT)+

>love for libation made him >cafe brulot<

>christmas >ceremony expert first class<

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

                                      
 >if i could have recommended a hotel of the<
>arts best suited to nikki "la colombe d'or" in<
+(HOTEL FOR PICASSO and+
+LORDS OF BARRANGER)+
>st paul de vence would have been perfect as<
>the milieu of >picasso & lords of barranger<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >in 19th century new orleans the closest<
>writer for nikki's friendship hands down<
+(CHARLES GAYARRE+
+19TH C. LIT. CHAMP)+
>would be charles gayarre who spent 15<
>years in >libraries & bookshops of paris<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                      
 >nikki was one of the earliest readers of my<
>blog i believe because i discovered amazing<
+(KING >RENE D'ANJOU+
+NIKKI TYPE HISTORY)+
>degruy orient forest history like this bridge<
>near degruy / joan d'arc-rene d'anjou fame<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >like our cavaroc & degruy families nikki's<
>garic creole family had a fascinating history<
+(NIKKI HAD >FAMED+
+GARIC ANCESTORS)+
> / in their case the theatre was vital but also<
>garlic history is strong w/ french leadership<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >like most creoles nikki loved the romantic<
>history of new orleans that focused creole<
+(CREOLE LEGENDS WERE+
+RICH ABUNDENT VITAL)+
>legends of plant growth from the heart of<
>deceased creoles especially those in love<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >our ray-gruy grandparents spent wonderful<
>summers in covington away from nola heat<
>on jahnke avenue near where nikki chose<
+(JAHNKE AVENUE WAS+
+A >POWERFUL MILIEU)+
>his home (near walker percy on the bogue<
>falaya river where i built the seligman res)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+LIKE THE ORIENT FOREST+
+ST. >TAMMANY FORESTS+
+GRACED NIKKI'S LIFE &+
>(goodnight sweet prince<
>flocks of >angels carry<
>thee to your good rest)<
+WORK / SANSOUCI WAS+
+A FOREST OF CHOICE+ !
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
eugene ray, mfa, architect
professor emeritus, sdsu