The First Kultur Quiz Question

          One day in the mid 1960s I was visiting the Art Institute in Chicago. I was on the lower level and was walking through a corridor between two larger rooms. There was construction in progress in the corridor–along one wall, from waist-height upwards, in an area about five feet long, a recessed display cabinet was being remodeled. With a white background, glass shelves were placed ready to receive artifacts, and four large panes of glass had been installed to front the cabinets. The white background, empty shelves, and clear glass front posed a risk that someone, not realizing that the glass panes were present, might hit and break the glass sustaining a severe injury. To reduce this risk, printed labels had been affixed to the four pieces of glass. Each was about two inches by one inch, colored red, with the word “GLASS” prominently depicted in white lettering.

          So far, nothing I have described is remarkable. However, when I happened to look closely, I noticed that someone, above the words “GLASS,” in ink had written a name on each of the stickers: “Franny,” “Zooey,” “Seymour,” and “Buddy.” It must be acknowledged that Salinger’s novel, published in 1961, was current; it was popular; it was “hip.” Detractors might note that that were seven, not just four, children in the Glass family (living or dead) and that, of the four names listed, only three (within the time-line of the novel) were living whereas Buddy was dead. Such objections are irrelevant. There would be more, but still insignificant, relevance to a complaint of the bias resulting from the fact that the public posting was presented in the Art Institute of Chicago rather than in a discount store in some small town in rural America.

          Was the writing of these names in this manner merely an exercise of conceit and arrogance? Some might say so. Clearly the writer, by this act, asserted, “I am a cultured person.” Yet, with and by this same act, the writer also asserted, to the unforeseen and unknown reader, “You are a cultured person. We are cultured persons! We share a common bond. I admire and respect you. Let us unite and enjoy this moment.”

          For me, all those many years ago, this was the first (three-part) Kultur Quiz question: “What is the significance of these four names written on these stickers? In what novel do these characters appear? Who is the author of this novel?” Today, millions of people, mostly young, but many older, are addicted to mindless, often violent, video and cell phone games. In launching Kultur Quiz it is my goal to liberate multitudes of repressed Kulturites, freeing us to come into the light, to arm us with virtual artist brushes, pens, and batons, to do battle in the soulless wasteland that is a world devoid of the inspiration and beauty of art, literature, and music. We are not alone. It will be gratifying finally to find and join with others who share our interests. But most importantly, it simply will be great fun!