The Stranger
http://www.leonardcohen.com/lc14_07.html
Hang on Little Tomato
http://www.alwaysontherun.net/martini.htm#hang
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Monday, November 22, 2004
Pure
Way more than you ever really wanted to know.
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/Pure
But kind of interesting.
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/Pure
But kind of interesting.
Online looking up obscure things, like references to a guy who lost a battle to Joan of Arc and later got written into a Shakespeare play (Falstaff) and getting info about the representations of the cardinal virtues in medieval/Renaissance art. When I was younger I had a boyfriend who told me that he thought that in a previous life he was a Renaiisance painter, and I was kind of a pouty rich girl and he thought I was okay but he didn't really have such a crush on me. Or wait. Was that what he said or did he say something nicer? Maybe it was something Jungian. The youth had such refreshing honesty, and combined with such humility ;-) I'm giving a friend (friend turned boyfriend turned ex maybe turning friend again now) a ride tomorrow. I paid over $200 to fix my car today. I can't sleep; I think its just going to be one of those nights...
Sunday, November 21, 2004
On the radio this morning:
"And on this day, back in 198-, millions of television viewers were tuning in to see who REALLY killed JR..."
Ah, Dallas. I vaguely remember adults congregating around the television set to watch that show and thinking it was boring. Not that I didn't like evening television. My personal favorites were The Great American Hero, Simon and Simon and Wonder Woman. Dallas was just boring, and the show I really hated was The Incredible Hulk. I think I liked the first two because their theme songs were awesome...and I thought Simon and Simon were cute. Wonder Woman was just the coolest. But I understand how watching television shows about filthy rich people who have unhappy lives is the opiate of the masses, probably. For a while, I too lived for a certain soap opera, or telenovela, when I was in Peru, living in a small town on the edge of the rainforest. "Sonadoras," the show was called. (Dreamers).
When Sonadoras was on (I think it came on around noon) everyone would crowd around the television set. Never have I been more mesmerized by a soap opera. I would tell my boyfriend and his family that I wasn't really an "engreida," no, but look at those girls on Sonadoras. Those were the real "engreidas!" I remember that his aunt was amused with me, and she'd laugh, but I'm not sure that they believed me. When I showed them photographs of my aunts wedding, they told me that we looked like movie stars, and wanted to know if the building where she got married was my house, and if that was where I lived. I'm sure my family would love to hear that they looked like movie stars but...
"In your country, do you have swimmies?" one of his young cousins asked me one day, as I was drinking water out of a liter bottle.
(She was referring to those things that kids wear on their arms to keep afloat when you learn to swim).
"Oh yes! In my country the children wear them, too." I said. She eyed my water bottle.
"Here, most families are too poor to buy swimmies. So they save those water bottles and the children hold onto them to keep afloat."
"Oh," I said.
"People from your country have so much money."
"I know."
"Why?" Por que?
"I don't know. Maybe because there are a lot of big companies in the United States."
"At school, I told them that I have an American girl staying at my house, and they didn't believe me."
I don't know what I said. I think that after that, I passed by them one day on the street, all the school girls in their uniforms. I said "Hi," to her and she smiled brightly and waved at me in front of all her friends.
I remember a Christmas parade, perhaps the nicest one I've ever attended. It was at nightfall. All of the school children made lanterns out of paper and burned candles inside of them. I was mesmerized by the sight of the children marching, the light of their glowing paper lanterns.
"And on this day, back in 198-, millions of television viewers were tuning in to see who REALLY killed JR..."
Ah, Dallas. I vaguely remember adults congregating around the television set to watch that show and thinking it was boring. Not that I didn't like evening television. My personal favorites were The Great American Hero, Simon and Simon and Wonder Woman. Dallas was just boring, and the show I really hated was The Incredible Hulk. I think I liked the first two because their theme songs were awesome...and I thought Simon and Simon were cute. Wonder Woman was just the coolest. But I understand how watching television shows about filthy rich people who have unhappy lives is the opiate of the masses, probably. For a while, I too lived for a certain soap opera, or telenovela, when I was in Peru, living in a small town on the edge of the rainforest. "Sonadoras," the show was called. (Dreamers).
When Sonadoras was on (I think it came on around noon) everyone would crowd around the television set. Never have I been more mesmerized by a soap opera. I would tell my boyfriend and his family that I wasn't really an "engreida," no, but look at those girls on Sonadoras. Those were the real "engreidas!" I remember that his aunt was amused with me, and she'd laugh, but I'm not sure that they believed me. When I showed them photographs of my aunts wedding, they told me that we looked like movie stars, and wanted to know if the building where she got married was my house, and if that was where I lived. I'm sure my family would love to hear that they looked like movie stars but...
"In your country, do you have swimmies?" one of his young cousins asked me one day, as I was drinking water out of a liter bottle.
(She was referring to those things that kids wear on their arms to keep afloat when you learn to swim).
"Oh yes! In my country the children wear them, too." I said. She eyed my water bottle.
"Here, most families are too poor to buy swimmies. So they save those water bottles and the children hold onto them to keep afloat."
"Oh," I said.
"People from your country have so much money."
"I know."
"Why?" Por que?
"I don't know. Maybe because there are a lot of big companies in the United States."
"At school, I told them that I have an American girl staying at my house, and they didn't believe me."
I don't know what I said. I think that after that, I passed by them one day on the street, all the school girls in their uniforms. I said "Hi," to her and she smiled brightly and waved at me in front of all her friends.
I remember a Christmas parade, perhaps the nicest one I've ever attended. It was at nightfall. All of the school children made lanterns out of paper and burned candles inside of them. I was mesmerized by the sight of the children marching, the light of their glowing paper lanterns.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
The day came to euthanise the cat, but she didn't come around until nightfall and so the appointment was cancelled. In the morning, another furry creature with black and gold markings showed up. It was not the same animal; it was stealthier and had a shorter tail. There was no wound on its chest. As soon as the door opened, the cat ran away.
Later, as she fed the wounded stray again, she looked over her shoulder. She thought she could see a shadow in the woods, among the dead leaves. "Is that your brother?" she asked as she set the bowl down. "Maybe I'm just seeing things." The shadow moved. It watched them furtively, with healthy eyes.
Later, as she fed the wounded stray again, she looked over her shoulder. She thought she could see a shadow in the woods, among the dead leaves. "Is that your brother?" she asked as she set the bowl down. "Maybe I'm just seeing things." The shadow moved. It watched them furtively, with healthy eyes.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Only 27...
And yet so wise...After viewing an evite to a holiday party, I reflect: surprisingly, I'm rather social compared to many in my immediate family (at least at the moment!) But, perhaps I'm not naturally all that social compared to some people. Rather, I tend to make a friends who have a large talent at being social, and, they kindly invite me to parties and things. Then, I get to mooch off of their efforts and meet interesting people, etc. I owe them a debt of gratitude.
I have been spending too much time thinking about large and weighty questions at 2 a.m. From "little" things, such as stray cats who have to be euthanised, to slightly larger things such as personal relationships, and throw in a little bit of self psychologizing about "childhood memories" and then, onto to larger issues such as politics and the state of the world today (oh me me me, again!!) But, its difficult to write about these things in any sort of intrinsically artistic and intriguing way. How calmly I write this...
(how do I turn "I" into...something less "I" sounding...)
I have been spending too much time thinking about large and weighty questions at 2 a.m. From "little" things, such as stray cats who have to be euthanised, to slightly larger things such as personal relationships, and throw in a little bit of self psychologizing about "childhood memories" and then, onto to larger issues such as politics and the state of the world today (oh me me me, again!!) But, its difficult to write about these things in any sort of intrinsically artistic and intriguing way. How calmly I write this...
(how do I turn "I" into...something less "I" sounding...)
Printing
My printer is fantastic.
I'm printing away little copies of poems from a little chapbook/zine thing I bought back in college. I had to choose between a few poets to do a presentation for a class. I decided to scrap the famous writers and do one on a writer that is not well known and publishes independently and means something personal to me. That would be the first book of poetry I ever bought (that I remember) when I was 19, and it was not for a class. I bought it at a music store in Washington D.C., by a club called The Black Cat. Its called Transient Songs by Amber Gayle, and her twin sister Stacy Wakefield. They grew up on Mercer Island in Washington state. I grew up on Vashon Island. A friend of mine, who at the time lived in Seattle but had family in Virginia, was surprised when he saw the book. He said he knew Amber. Since I had a crush on him at the time I was like "Oh! Why not buy a book of her poetry!" Or, maybe he said I should buy it and so I did. (I could see myself doing something obedient like that at that time) . And plus I really missed Seattle. I was going to school at a conservative all women's college in Virginia. So that would have been back in 1996? About this time of year too.
Tomorrow, I have to go and take in a stray cat I was thinking of adopting to be euthanised (it has a malignant tumor). And I've probably gone and gotten myself into one of those crushes on difficult and complicated people...whatever. My printer has run out of ink. It makes an interesting effect on some of the photography ( a photograph of a girl's hand and long strands of blond hair...) Also its cool to see the stamp of Knust, the Dutch company that published the book, on the inside flap, peeking from underneath the edges of the pages.
4 poems copied and 2 to go. Gotta go get pizza and buy an ink cartridge.
I'm printing away little copies of poems from a little chapbook/zine thing I bought back in college. I had to choose between a few poets to do a presentation for a class. I decided to scrap the famous writers and do one on a writer that is not well known and publishes independently and means something personal to me. That would be the first book of poetry I ever bought (that I remember) when I was 19, and it was not for a class. I bought it at a music store in Washington D.C., by a club called The Black Cat. Its called Transient Songs by Amber Gayle, and her twin sister Stacy Wakefield. They grew up on Mercer Island in Washington state. I grew up on Vashon Island. A friend of mine, who at the time lived in Seattle but had family in Virginia, was surprised when he saw the book. He said he knew Amber. Since I had a crush on him at the time I was like "Oh! Why not buy a book of her poetry!" Or, maybe he said I should buy it and so I did. (I could see myself doing something obedient like that at that time) . And plus I really missed Seattle. I was going to school at a conservative all women's college in Virginia. So that would have been back in 1996? About this time of year too.
Tomorrow, I have to go and take in a stray cat I was thinking of adopting to be euthanised (it has a malignant tumor). And I've probably gone and gotten myself into one of those crushes on difficult and complicated people...whatever. My printer has run out of ink. It makes an interesting effect on some of the photography ( a photograph of a girl's hand and long strands of blond hair...) Also its cool to see the stamp of Knust, the Dutch company that published the book, on the inside flap, peeking from underneath the edges of the pages.
4 poems copied and 2 to go. Gotta go get pizza and buy an ink cartridge.
Monday, November 08, 2004
I just overheard some guys talking about a book, The Da Vinci Code. One of them, who is extremely notorious for making large blanket statements concerning the intellectual inferiority of the people surrounding him, was saying its just not possible for "smart people" to like that book, its nothing if you've read Foucault's Pendelum, Blah Blah Blah. Yes, many English lit people think its an atrocious book, bestseller trash, bad writing, shows a poor understanding of the Knight's Templar, etc. etc. etc. (I think they mostly regurgitate book reviews they've read rather than formulating an original stance)
But last night, another English lit student was telling me about how his mother, who is Catholic was affected by that book. She looked at it, touched it.
"Its a book, mother," he said.
"I'm intrigued," she said.
"Its okay. Its not going to bite you."
"Well I don't know," she said.
"Whats wrong with it?"
"Its banned by the church," she said.
But after some hesistation, she went ahead and read it. Afterwards she went church. Her family teased her. "Did you go to confession?"
"No, I just thought it would be enough to pray," she said.
I'd like to see how often that happens with Foucaults Pendelum.
Which is really not the point, the point is, I'm more of a women's studies girl than a good ol' boy who constantly likes to police what is and is not smart or intellectual reading. I like hearing about the housewife who gets her viewpoint challenged. She interests me more.
But last night, another English lit student was telling me about how his mother, who is Catholic was affected by that book. She looked at it, touched it.
"Its a book, mother," he said.
"I'm intrigued," she said.
"Its okay. Its not going to bite you."
"Well I don't know," she said.
"Whats wrong with it?"
"Its banned by the church," she said.
But after some hesistation, she went ahead and read it. Afterwards she went church. Her family teased her. "Did you go to confession?"
"No, I just thought it would be enough to pray," she said.
I'd like to see how often that happens with Foucaults Pendelum.
Which is really not the point, the point is, I'm more of a women's studies girl than a good ol' boy who constantly likes to police what is and is not smart or intellectual reading. I like hearing about the housewife who gets her viewpoint challenged. She interests me more.
Monday, November 01, 2004
Hello, sweet tool of procrastination
Yesterday I got in trouble for taking pictures of old, crumbling buildings. Apparently where I went, its not allowed unless you have special permission. I had to give a police officer my I.D., but they let me off with a warning and didn't confiscate my camera...
I'm going to start a tradition of going to diners on Halloween, because I went to one last night and it was very surreal. The diner I went to has a lot of mirrors, and so I was seeing reflections of people in various costumes (a grim reaper, people in white suits from a clockwork orange, a spotted animal with a long tail and a human head, others...) I was reading film theory and thinking "wow! this is really fascinating!" and feeling wired 'cause thats how I get when I drink lots of coffee.
I'm going to start a tradition of going to diners on Halloween, because I went to one last night and it was very surreal. The diner I went to has a lot of mirrors, and so I was seeing reflections of people in various costumes (a grim reaper, people in white suits from a clockwork orange, a spotted animal with a long tail and a human head, others...) I was reading film theory and thinking "wow! this is really fascinating!" and feeling wired 'cause thats how I get when I drink lots of coffee.
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