KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- A poster of the Moulin Rouge hangs over my bed. In the poster, figures of women in dresses that graze the top of the women's cleavage ride ponies toward a red windmill. The windmill, though located in the center of the poster, remains part of the background.
A blonde astride a black pony dominates the foreground of the poster, wearing a dress, shoes, and hat that match her hair. Her dress is accented with flowers, as is her hair, and she holds a branch of these flowers. She holds the reins of her pony's bridle but her eyes do not follow her mount's path. Looking down her nose, she directs her gaze and smile toward a point to the right of the poster. Four women, also astride ponies, but without the color and detail of the blonde, precede the blonde and ride into the background. A woman unlike the rest is located in the background of the blonde. She touches her hat and winks at a point to the right of the poster.
The French words "Bal au Moulin Rouge," with the subheading "Place Blanche" dominate the top of the poster. My bed's pillows obscure the words at the bottom.
