Ross Parmenter
Encyclopedia
Ross Parmenter was a Canadian music critic, editor, and author who was primarily active in New York City. He wrote several books on Mexico and was a news editor and staff writer at the The New York Times
for 30 years.
, Ontario
, Parmenter graduated from the University of Trinity College
, a federated college of the University of Toronto
, in 1933. He joined the staff of The New York Times (NYT) in 1934 where he initially covered shipping news. He joined the music staff at the NYT in 1940 and for the next 24 years wrote news, features, criticism and a column called The World of Music. In 1955 he was named music news editor, a position he maintained until 1964 when he retired from the paper.
As an author, Parmenter published a dozen books; many of them about Mexico
. He was particularly interested in Spanish colonial architecture and traveled to Mexico numerous times while working out of New York City. In the 1940s he visited several major 16th century monasteries in Mexico, including the Church of San Miguel Arcangel in Ixmiquilpan in the state of Hidalgo, the Monastery of San Miguel Arcángel in Huejotzingo, and the Ex-monastery of Santiago Apóstol
in Cuilapan. According to Richard D. Perry, "His descriptions of these early colonial monuments, then virtually unknown to American art historians or travelers, remain among the earliest accounts in English and can claim considerable historic interest." After his retirement, he maintained homes in both New York City and Oaxaca
, Mexico.
In his book Lawrence in Oaxaca, Parmenter discusses & analyzes the relationship of D. H. Lawrence
's writings to his time living in Mexico. Many of his works highlight the diffulties and rewards of observing things in great detail. For example, his book The Plant in my Window shares his observations of the growth of a plant in his New York City apartment. Through his observations of the plant, he learns to give focused attention to what he is looking at. By learning to look more closely at things, he also learns to draw, and his learning to draw teaches him even more about focused looking. He works through similar themes in a more detailed way in his books The Awakened Eye, A Week in Yanhuitlan, and Stages in a Journey.
Parmenter died in New York on October 18, 1999, at the age of 87. Some of his papers are collected at the Latin American Library at Tulane University
.
The Plant in my window
School of the Soldier
Week in Yanhuitlan
Lawrence in Oaxaca
Stages in a Journey
A House for Buddha: A Memoir with Drawings
Lienzo of Tulancingo, Oaxaca
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
for 30 years.
Life and career
Born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Parmenter graduated from the University of Trinity College
University of Trinity College
The University of Trinity College, informally referred to as Trin, is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of...
, a federated college of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, in 1933. He joined the staff of The New York Times (NYT) in 1934 where he initially covered shipping news. He joined the music staff at the NYT in 1940 and for the next 24 years wrote news, features, criticism and a column called The World of Music. In 1955 he was named music news editor, a position he maintained until 1964 when he retired from the paper.
As an author, Parmenter published a dozen books; many of them about Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He was particularly interested in Spanish colonial architecture and traveled to Mexico numerous times while working out of New York City. In the 1940s he visited several major 16th century monasteries in Mexico, including the Church of San Miguel Arcangel in Ixmiquilpan in the state of Hidalgo, the Monastery of San Miguel Arcángel in Huejotzingo, and the Ex-monastery of Santiago Apóstol
Ex-monastery of Santiago Apóstol
The Ex-monastery of Santiago Apóstol is located in the town of Cuilapan de Guerrero in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The fortress-like complex is easily seen from the highway as one travels south from the capital city of Oaxaca on the road leading to Villa de Zaachila, and it is visited by both...
in Cuilapan. According to Richard D. Perry, "His descriptions of these early colonial monuments, then virtually unknown to American art historians or travelers, remain among the earliest accounts in English and can claim considerable historic interest." After his retirement, he maintained homes in both New York City and Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, Mexico.
In his book Lawrence in Oaxaca, Parmenter discusses & analyzes the relationship of D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
's writings to his time living in Mexico. Many of his works highlight the diffulties and rewards of observing things in great detail. For example, his book The Plant in my Window shares his observations of the growth of a plant in his New York City apartment. Through his observations of the plant, he learns to give focused attention to what he is looking at. By learning to look more closely at things, he also learns to draw, and his learning to draw teaches him even more about focused looking. He works through similar themes in a more detailed way in his books The Awakened Eye, A Week in Yanhuitlan, and Stages in a Journey.
Parmenter died in New York on October 18, 1999, at the age of 87. Some of his papers are collected at the Latin American Library at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
.
Partial list of works
The Awakened EyeThe Plant in my window
School of the Soldier
Week in Yanhuitlan
Lawrence in Oaxaca
Stages in a Journey
A House for Buddha: A Memoir with Drawings
Lienzo of Tulancingo, Oaxaca