30-4,p10

BRIEF NOTES

Lloyd Timberlake writes from London that Dick "Franco" Francis has been in London for a two-week stay with the Harlem Globe Trotters. His first stop in England was in Brighton where Lynn Thomas saw him. Then, in London, Lloyd, Toby Philpott, and Mark Robertson visited Dick at the huge arena where the Globetrotters appeared and spent the afternoon practicing with him -which Lloyd says mainly meant being astonished by what Dick was doing -- and then saw the show. Lloyd says, "Dick is a great host and has unending time for

fellow jugglers, be they ever so 'umble and amateur."

Lou Carroll sent in a news clipping from the May 22, 1978 issue of the New Haven Register showing Yale seniors in caps and gowns riding unicycles and juggling. According to the article, senior Wilder Knight taught some fifty other seniors to juggle to ensure that after thirty-six courses and $28,000, the students would have a marketable skill. In the letter which came along with the news clipping.

Lou Carroll noted that he was sorry it took him so long to discover the IJA, which he did recently after being a juggler for fifty years. Lou attended the recent Columbia University get-together.

Hillary Carlip writes that things are going well for her and the group with which she is involved ("Caught in the Act, a theatre collective of four short wallen"), is planning a little tour during the summer which is supposed to include performances July 14th and 15th at the WOW Hall in Eugene, i.e., during the time of the convention.

Mark Hutchison writes from Texas that he has recently been performing an eccentric clown act involving juggling, mime, mask work, and a little music and magic. Juggling is the centerpiece of the act. Mark has also been teaching a circus arts class with Christina Barnum, a distant relative of P.T. who Mark says, "has the circus in her blood." Mark and several other Austin jugglers, mostly members of the Texas Juggling Society, have had several T.V. appearances. Phil Brown, President of the TJS, continues to teach juggling through the Student Union at the University of Texas, and he is also performing at a night club called the Circus Roam at the Villa Capri Inn and has been very successful. Mark also included a news clipping frail the March 1977 issue of Maverick, which appears to be a University of Texas student publication of some kind, which discusses Mark's juggling, gives a brief history of juggling, mentions the IJA, suggests same juggling literature, and mentions the Texas Juggling Society and Phil Brown and several other Texas jugglers.

On page 25 of the March 1978 issue of Unter Haltungskunst, an East German variety arts magazine which Roland Weise has been kind enough to regularly send to the editor, there is a picture of the juggler "Corny". In the photograph, Corny is standing on his head balanced on a soccer-size ball, which is in turn balanced on a rolling globe, and he is spinning a ring on each ankle, and he is juggling three balls.

Joey Jordan calls attention to a book by Paul Bouissac entitled Circus and Culture, A Semiotic Approach, which includes a section by the juggler Toly M on his "Bobby May style" act.

Last December IJA past president and founding member George Barvin wrote to say that he had seen Dick Francis's show with the Globetrotters at the Arena in Binghamton, New York. George wrote, "Don't miss seeing the Harlem Globetrotters if this show hits your town. Entertaining before the game and during half time is our own Dick Francis from Youngstown, Ohio. Dick was Co-chairman of that terrific jugglers' convention we had in Youngstown two years ago. Assisted by his charming wife, Dick did a Roly Poly routine before the game; and during half time he presented a flawless performance featuring clubs, balls, hoops, and finishing with the three ping pong balls mouth juggling. He did top-notch stuff and was very well received, being the highlight of the program featuring other circus type acts. I met with Dick, his wife, and daughter and we reminisced about the Youngstown convention."