Widely Shallow

I never trust people who brag about being low maintenance, down to earth or unpretentious. I am the opposite of all of those things and damned proud of it. I think most people who boast that they have such qualities are masking something much more sinister and are the types that garner multiple restraining orders.

Thus I've long been fascinated by the A. Everett Austin, Jr. House of Hartford, chronicled in the book Magician of the Modern which outlines the life of its namesake who preferred to be called "Chick". When built in 1930, it caused an uproar for being the height of pretense (a grand compliment in my book) and for being only one room deep. Each room seemed to have been designed like a stage set. How else would you design a room?

Having started with a career in journalism, that sensibility has long since guided me as I have knowledge one room deep about a galaxy of topics. It, no doubt, reflects these times we live in and too many channels to choose from. Although I've had many in-laws in Connecticut, I've never made it to visit this house which is up there with the Green and Green houses in Pasadena as a site of nearly holy pilgrimage.

The JunkPlex, of course, is a mix of stage set and a gallery of cabinets of curiosities.