Hanns Ebensten.When my parents moved to Key West, Fla., in 1997, they acquired some highly unusual neighbors: Hanns Ebensten, the gay travel pioneer and author--who died July 24 at age 82--and his partner of over 40 years, Brian Kenney. The elderly couple would walk past our house on their way home from the market, smartly attired in colonial chic--linen suits, boaters, and bow ties--pulling a red Radio Flyer wagon wagon: see carriage. wagon Four-wheeled vehicle designed to be drawn by draft animals. Wagons have been used from the 1st century BC; early examples used spoked wheels with metal rims, pivoted front axles, and linchpins to secure the wheels. filled with provisions. They were witty wit·ty adj. wit·ti·er, wit·ti·est 1. Possessing or demonstrating wit in speech or writing; very clever and humorous. 2. , charming, and slightly otherworldly, like characters out of Henry James. Their home was quite literally filled wall-to-wall with books. They took an interest in me as a young gay journalist, having me over for tea when I was in town. I'd find them reclined re·cline v. re·clined, re·clin·ing, re·clines v.tr. To cause to assume a leaning or prone position. v.intr. To lie back or down. in their garden, reading, but ready to chat about authors' personal lives. To them, writers were the true celebrities, not movie stars. Hanns would recommend authors to read: Balzac and Proust for the human condition, Graham Greene for all things travel, Cyril Connolly Cyril Vernon Connolly (10 September 1903 - 26 November 1974) was an English intellectual. Life Cyril Connolly was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, the only child of Matthew William Kemble Connolly, an officer in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, by his wife Muriel for his essays. After Brian passed away a few years ago, Hanns became very close with my parents, dining with them several times a week. The world traveler was a master of the lost art of dinner conversation. You'd find yourself struggling to match his stories, or at least make an acceptable showing, but it wasn't possible--or necessary. Hanns was terribly sophisticated, but he was no snob, and he found tales of life on the land as amusing as discussions of Egyptian history or Oscar Wilde's exploits. Recently, I received a letter from Hanns with a query about a technical term he was struggling with for the book he was working on up until his death. At the bottom of the page, in his neat handwriting HANDWRITING, evidence. Almost every person's handwriting has something whereby it may be distinguished from the writing of others, and this difference is sometimes intended by the term. 2. , was an addendum addendum n. an addition to a completed written document. Most commonly this is a proposed change or explanation (such as a list of goods to be included) in a contract, or some point that has been subject of negotiation after the contract was originally proposed by : "And you must read Alexander Kinglake's Eothen (published c. 1845)." I haven't found a copy yet, but I can't wait to discover what Hanns has in store for me. 
My name is Kerry Mercer nee Wyatt. I am the youngest daughter of Dinah Kenny, Brian's sister.
I love the way you write, I myself am writing a book for the Wyatt children's children,and their offspring. I am no go great writer, as you can work out in the way I am writing this. but I would dearly love some memories of Brian and Hann's to put into my book, My mother and Brian had a wonderful relationship, though Dinah was always the leader and a bit bossy,when they were children if Brian wouldn't do what my mother asked, she would throw his teddy on the roof, or put pins into its furry tummy. Poor Brian apparently his teddy was his world. Do you think you could give me a little or alot, it will be an easy read I hope and I will send you the finished book when it is finished. It will not be for general publication, just the family, My mother had an extrodinary life, and she loved Brian dearly, depite the teddy wrong doings, Any way I do hope to hear from you, yours sincerely kerrymercer@iinet.net.au |
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