Taliesin Diary: A Year with Frank Lloyd Wright

by Priscilla J. Henken, Sarah Leavitt (Editor)

Priscilla J. Henken lived at Taliesin with her husband David as part of The Fellowship, the group of acolytes who made Taliesin an architectural colony from the 1930s through the 1950s. Her lively description of day-to-day life on a communal working farm in south central Wisconsin provides unique insights into the world of Wright during the period and will fascinate Wright enthusiasts as well as those with specialized interest in midcentury architecture; social and spiritual movements; and the clash of cultures represented by two socialist, Jewish New Yorkers and the Midwestern farm community at Taliesin. Henken vividly describes the daily program, from cooking duties to editing the great architect s autobiography and watching films. The internecine battles of the apprentices and the contentious relationship between Wright, the apprentices, and his third wife, Olgivanna Lazovich, enliven the account. Annotations supplement the diary, and accompanying essays by several scholars explore the cultural history of the period.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 8, 2012

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A layered women’s diary whose husband participated as a fellow at Taelisin. The essays at the end along with their kids perspective at the end also added more context.

[Laurie A. Hamdani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insiders view of the Taliesen Fellowship. Since it’s a diary, sometimes it is a bit tedious, hearing about the menus and Mrs. Wright’s particular personality. However, it was fascinating to learn about communal living. The essays at the end of the book were very informative.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to "rate" a book that was never meant to be a book.... Of course there is no "story" or character development. I hardly could keep track of those involved. I longed for a descriptive list at the beginning of the book of those at Taliesin during the time Priscilla Henken was there so I could refer to it as needed. Instead all characters were defined by footnotes which made it hard to refer to. Much has been made of the actual print (which is very light, almost gray) and the shiny pages. Very unlike a real diary. I believe Priscilla's real diary was clearly handwritten on lined paper which would have had a better effect on the reader.

The diary has little context unless you want to know what the Fellows ate each day, what jobs they performed and who was gossiping about who. Every once in a while there is a kernel of something real and throughout mentions of various Taliesin students who were Conscientious Objectors and what was happening with their trials. ( Mostly delayed.)

The real gems in this book are the essays at the end. Stories of growing up in Usonia, context of rural Wisconsin in the 1940's, descriptions of movies watched and the list of 103 new things Priscilla learned while at Taliesin. They really make the book worthwhile. In the end one daughter writes that the diary was kept in a built-in cabinet under the sofa and the kids knew to respect their mother's desire to keep the diary private. I wonder what Priscilla would think now.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Over the years, I've driven way out of my way to visit some of Wright's buildings, and I've always wondered what it would be like to live at Taliesin.

I found the details of the cooking, dinners, and entertainment (movies chosen by Wright, an orchestra staffed by the residents)
fascinating, and I also learned a lot about what it was like to live in the US during WWII, and about Conscientious Objectors and politics during the war. The footnotes (sometimes taking up half the page) were
useful, and the additional essays at the end were quite interesting.
I'd be tempted to give the book a very rare 5 stars, except that the petty fighting between the residents got very stale by the end, and the diary itself ends suddenly, with no real explanation of why Priscilla left suddenly, and what happened next.

I think it would appeal to anyone interested in war-time life, communal living, or Frank Lloyd Wright.

[Du · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book. It is both interesting and well written, as well as beautifully produced. The diary is at times boring (listing meals they ate), but overall the idea of the fellowship and the activities are unique and the presentation helps drive that home.

The essays at the end of the diary help reinforce the ideas and themes th at are trying to be impressed upon the reader and work quite well at filling in gaps.