St Clements in Musgrave Road will host a tribute to
the late Andrew Verster tonight (Monday, March 2, 2020)
The programme has been put together by Verster’s
long-time friend and colleague, director Pieter Scholtz who reminisces about
Verster’s writings:
Tomorrow intrigues me: and today.
Where I’ve been doesn’t:
my history is only useful
if it helps me to find where I’m going.
And unless painting
is something more than making pictures,
I’ve missed the point.
“Andrew and I have been kindred spirits for many
years,” says Pieter Scholtz. “He illustrated many of my books with truly
evocative pen and ink drawings which added new dimensions to the stories. Two
of our memorable collaborations were,
Living with
Haiku (Haiku by Pieter Scholtz, Drawings by Andrew
Verster).
Beyond the
Tide, the Story of Miranda - an undersea adventure illustrated by
Andrew.
“But Andrew was a truly Renaissance spirit, he also
wrote short stories which won awards at our monthly St Clements soirees.
One of them, published in a small booklet entitled le petit dejeuner 2, is particularly
moving. You will appreciate why when you read it:
THE ANGEL
If you can
get through three in the morning you will live through the night.
It is the
time the Angel of Death comes searching for victims.
Blood sugar
is at its lowest. And that makes you fragile.
The Angel is
no fool. I have met him stalking his prey.
Altzheimer’s
confiscated the last five years of my mother’s life.
A week
before he died, my grandfather handed me a cigarette.
“Spend this
on something special,” he said.
I want to be
there when I die.
I missed my
beginning, but I don’t want to miss the other big moment.
- Andrew
Verster
“Andrew Verster attended the launch of my book Milo and the Sunflower in Durban. After
reading the story he wrote a truly constructive criticism, which I repeat here:
I expected a
story well told. What I did not expect was a piece of writing that was so
layered.
Throughout
there are allusions to other worlds — music, writing, poetry, dance, art and
more.
How does one
write for a young person? For me it is foreign territory, but here I have an
answer that makes sense.
Assume
intelligence and curiosity and then plant clues to be followed which will lead
to unexpected places.
Different
readers with different histories and interests will make their own individual
maps of discovery.
And who
knows what the outcome will be?
On one level I was intrigued to know where the
story was going and so read page after page without putting it down.
On another I
was delighted to find that, cunningly, the story was but a pretext to take me
somewhere else. - Andrew Verster
St Clements is situated at 191 Musgrave Road.
Mondays @ Six run between 18h00 and 19h00. Table bookings are essential on 031
202 2511. There is no cover charge but there is a donations box to support
presenters.
If you wish to dine after the presentation, place
your order before 18h00.
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