Haskell Wexler, RIP

Haskell Wexler, the great cinematographer, has died at the age of 93. He worked on so many films, but for me, and for himself actually, his finest achievement was directing (and of course shooting) the wonderful Medium Cool. Here is the beginning of that film.

Since it’s that kind of day, let people also discuss their memories of two other famous people who died today, the outfielder Dave Henderson, noted for his home run in the 1986 ALCS that saved the Red Sox from defeat and started their comeback to win that series and for his terrible broadcasting with the Mariners where he made Joe Morgan look like Vin Scully, as well as Ellsworth Kelly, about whom I have little to say since that high-falutin’ abstract art is too smart for me I guess.

…It also seems, although unconfirmed by major news sources, that the legendary anthropologist of the Caribbean Sidney Mintz has also died. Mintz was the author of Sweetness and Power, on the role of sugar in human history, among other very important works. Here’s a lovely little essay on the first time Mintz ate Chinese food, an important moment for a pioneer in food studies.