Birthday Greetings

Typescript prose piece on the subject of aging. After a telegram arrives on his fiftieth birthday, Beaton considers the inevitable personal and physical changes that arise with age. Though Beaton recognises that he has achieved some success in his life and career, he wonders whether things might have happened differently and whether he might have achieved more in that time. He also recounts the advice given to him by the painter, Pavel Tchelitchew (1898-1957), on how best to approach his work. Tchelitchew stresses the importance of reducing one's work to its simplest, most perfect essence.

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