Zelda Fitzgerald FAQ

Over the past few years since starting my site, I have been receiving questions in my email regarding Zelda and all types of subjects related to her. I am so flattered that you guys think I'm an authority enough to come to me with your questions! I always write back as soon as I get them, and I answer them as thoroughly and with as much information as I can. Here is a list I've compiled of the questions I get asked the most, along with the answers. All of these are from real emails I have received, but they have been edited and "generalized" as to make the questions short, to the point, and applicable for everyone. If you don't see your question here, please email me and I will add it to my list. Thanks again and I hope you find the answers you are looking for.

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Zelda's Artwork

Where can I see the artwork of Zelda?
The Art Museum in Montgomery, AL has her art on exhibition there. I don't know where else her art is shown, as a lot of her artwork belongs to private collectors.

Who owns Zelda's artwork now?
Outside of the museum in Montgomery, Zelda's surviving grandchildren own the majority of her art which is known of today. Also Charles Eric Kalman (descendant of Oscar and Xandra Kalman, friends of Zelda's) owns a few pieces, and the rest belong to the families of Zelda's friends who were lucky enough to be given a painting or two as a gift! Wish I could be one of those luckies...*sigh*

Where can I find good in-depth descriptions about her art other than "Zelda: An Illustrated Life"?
"Zelda Fitzgerald- Her Voice in Paradise" is a good choice if you wanted to read about Zelda as an artist. The author is Sally Cline and it came out in April 2003. You can buy it at Amazon for about twenty bucks. Otherwise "Illustrated Life" is really the best when dealing with the art pieces themselves, as the pictures of them are glorious and any inscriptions or notes written on the back are included.

As a viewer of Zelda's art, what are your impressions and reactions to her work?
Well, I'm not sure how to respond. I'm not much of an art buff, but when I see her artwork I get more of a physical response than anything else. Her ballet figures are created with such huge, distorted legs because that's how her legs felt after hours of dancing. The landscapes she draws are breathtaking with unusual attention to color and detail. Her self-portraits seem to give a small inkling into her soul- there are two that I have seen and they both look incredibly different as they were painted at vastly different times of her life. When you are familiar with her history as I am, its easy to cross-reference her pieces with her life story. When she became a grandmother, her pieces became less "intimate" and tended to branch off into fairytales and religious pieces with simple lessons in morality and decency, such as "Love One Another" and "Thou Shalt Not Kill". Zelda's works are an acquired taste, but once you get used to her method of imagery, you become hooked.

What is your favorite piece of Zelda's art?
My favorite is a painting called "Wine and Roses." I love how simplistic and beautiful it is.

Can you buy a piece of Zelda's art?
As far as I know, you can't. Unless you keep a sharp eye out on eBay or on the art auctions, I seriously doubt if any of them will come up for sale in my lifetime. I'd hate to see the opening bids on those anyway!

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Zelda's Family

Where can you find information about Zelda's brothers and sisters?
There isn't much information to be had about her siblings, I'm afraid! The only places I have been able to find any real information about them were in Zelda's biographies, most notably "Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Voice in Paradise" and "Zelda". Even there it is hard to get any actual figures on birth and death dates, or the names of their spouses unless you know your way around the books. I have posted some online memorials at Find-a-Grave.com, which you can find the links to their memorials here.

Where is Zelda and her immediate family buried?
According to "Her Voice in Paradise", Zelda's parents, siblings, and other various ancestors are located at Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery, AL. I understand there is a cenotaph there for Zelda, but she is not buried there. She rests in St. Mary's Cemetery in Rockville, Maryland, along with Scott and Scottie. Both cemeteries are places I'd love to visit sometime when I get the money!

Are any of Zelda's grandchildren still alive?
Yes- three out of four of her grandchildren are still with us. Thomas "Tim" Lanahan committed suicide in 1973, but Samuel Lanahan Jr., Eleanor Lanahan, and Cecilia Lanahan Ross are still alive.

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The Fitzgeralds in the Movies

Have there been any movies made based on Scott and Zelda's books and stories?
Just about every one of Scott's novels made it to the big screen, but not all of the versions are available for purchase or viewing. At IMDB there is a pretty complete list of all of his movie credits as a screenwriter and also which of his stories and novels were made into movies. "The Great Gatsby" has been made into a movie four times! As for Zelda, as far as I know none of her works have been adapted for the screen.

Which film version of "The Great Gatsby" is the best?
Of the four films, I have only seen the 1974 and 2001 versions. The other two were made in 1926 and 1949, and are pretty rare finds. Between the two newer ones, I prefer the 1974 version with Robert Redford, Sam Waterston and Mia Farrow. The actors are excellent, and the Jazz Age background doesn't become the main focus. The 2001 version, an A&E original starring Toby Stephens, Paul Rudd and Mira Sorvino, is boring and shallow at best. I honestly don't know why it generated as much acclaim and praise as it did.

Can I borrow your copy of "The Great Gatsby"?
Ummmmm...no...*lol*

Is there any archive footage of Scott and Zelda?
There is of Scott, but not of Zelda. Please refer to the IMDB link posted above for details.

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Scott and Zelda's Writings

How many books did Zelda write?
Only one- its called "Save Me the Waltz" and can be found online (see the links to Amazon and Powells below). It is rare to come across it in local bookshops, as it is out-of-print. You can buy it separately or as part of "Zelda Fitzgerald: The Collected Writings" which also includes every short story and article she had published and her play "Scandalabra."

Who were the heroines in Scott's books based on? Were they all based on Zelda?
Well...thats a long list of heroines! Yes the majority of them were based on Zelda, but there are a few interesting exceptions. Here is a small list of the more well-known heroines as arranged by the woman they were based on:
Zelda Sayre = Rosalind Connage (TSOP), Gloria Patch (TBAD), Nicole Diver (TITN), Monroe Stahr's late wife, Minna (TLOTLT)
Ginevra King = Isabelle (TSOP), Daisy Buchanan (TGG)
Cecilia Taylor (Scott's cousin) = Claire (TSOP)
Lois Moran = Rosemary Hoyt (TITN)
Sheilah Graham = Kathleen Moore (TLOTLT)

Where can I buy Scott and Zelda's books?
Go to Amazon.com or Powells.com for a surefire place to get books by both Fitzgeralds.

Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald both wrote plays. Were any of them brought to the stage?
Yes. Scott's "The Vegetable" was published in 1923 and was brought to the stage at the same time. He hoped it would be his crowning achievement and would make his family financially secure for the rest of their lives. It was a dismal failure and as far as I've heard has not been attempted again. Zelda's "Scandalabra" was written in 1934 and was also brought on stage that year. Even with Scott's revisions it was also a failure which ran too long and made no sense. I believe a second try was made at around 1980 with the same results.

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About Me and MTTZ

Are you affiliated with any of the other websites about Zelda, or the museums dedicated to her?
While I have reciprocal links to many of the sites and to the Fitzgerald Museum, we are not affiliated.

I like how you designed your website. Did you use a special HTML program to make it?
No I didn't. Everything has been painstakingly made "from scratch" per say...as in I learned the HTML codes myself (and how to edit and navigate around it all) and used my knowledge for a good cause. Angelfire is a great place for beginners and experienced webmasters alike, and has HTML tutorials which help a lot.

Where do you live?
I live in Newport, OR...one of the most beautiful towns on the Oregon Coast! I grew up here and have lived here for most of my life. My second home is Salem, OR.

How did you first become interested in Zelda?
I was at first a huge fan of Scott's, but then once I started researching Zelda, I became obsessed. That was about three years ago (in 2001).

When did MTTZ first come about?
It was January 2nd, 2002...and I couldn't sleep. I spent all night fixing up the bulk of my website as it is now, arranging the photos and links just right and constantly tweaking the HTML codes. I drove David (my fiance at the time) crazy...because I couldn't sleep neither could he! The final result was well worth the sore fingers and glazed-over eyes.

Are you single?
Yes, I am single.

Do you like to get emails from people who view your site? I don't mean to bother you.
You're not bothering me- I love it! Keep 'em coming...I like to be stumped!

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Miscellaneous

I'd like to see some of the houses that Scott and Zelda lived in- are any of them still standing?
As far as I know, the only house that still exists is now The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, AL, located on Felder Avenue. I have also heard that the house on Sayre Street (the house that Minnie Sayre moved to after the Judge's passing) is still standing, but sadly the house on 6 Pleasant Ave (where Zelda grew up) no longer exists.

I am doing a report/essay for a school project about Zelda Fitzgerald. Can you give me any tips or ideas on what I should write about?
Ya got an hour to spare? Okay, I'll condense it to the top six:

1. It is most likely that your teacher already knows who Zelda's husband was and the books he wrote. I'd stay away from Scott but use him as only a secondary presence in your report. Just quickly mention who he was and move on. Just concentrate on Zelda.

2. Talk about her artistic accomplishments, like her paintings and her writing. Maybe you can print out some of your favorite paintings that she did and use them as a small art gallery to go with it. Also you can mention her experiences as a dancer in the Russian Ballet, how in only a few years she had advanced so much in skill that she was offered a part with the ballet company in Naples.

3. Take a look at my Recommended Reading list for some good biographies on Zelda- maybe you can borrow them from the library and peruse through real quick. They have a wealth of information. Other than my website, there isn't much to be found of her on the internet that is as complete and thorough as mine- a close second is The Legend of Zelda. That was the first site about her that I found, and still one of my favorites. Or else there's a website about a musical called The Beautiful and Damned, based on Scott and Zelda's life and there is a very good in-depth chronology of their lives.

4. If you do mention her mental illness, don't use it to paint her as a "crazy woman" or anything like that. Of course, that is how some people see her, so do what you can to dispel the stereotype! She was diagnosed as schizophrenic but during those last ten years of her life, she was very artistically productive. She voluntarily checked in and out of the hospitals as needed and did live by herself in between- she was never committed against her will.

5. Last but not least, cover her life before Scott- her childhood and teenage years in Montgomery were quite colorful! She was a force to be reckoned with there- again you'll need one of her bios to get any of that information.

6. As with any good report, they'll probably want you to list all your sources too, so include my website and any books that you decide to use.