Up 7. Listened to the start of an interview w/ Graham Priest on Buddhist logic. I guess he and Jay Garfield, both Australian or at least teaching there, are the current main advocates for applying those perspectives to the analytic study of non-classical logics. All very interesting to me, and I can see it affecting the way I teach (might already have done, last semester), though I’ve read more and less convincing stuff by Priest himself. Went to coffee at 8, read another 1/3 of Nicholson. She’s definitely not afraid of the lyric — occasion, rather than narrative, is the poems’ main unifying principle — but some social concerns come in, more so than her 1st book, as I remember it. “The Greenwood tree/Where False Sir John—who in the West’s/Collective nightmare, that is, its literature/Becomes Bluebeard—kills his maidens seven.” (“False Sir John.”) “I am…obsessed with mourning/the transformation of labor/Into empire.” (“O’er). I also appreciate “I was told never to break a line on the “the”/But the rules seem quaint to me know” (“Beowulf”) — for me it was “of.” Saw an email from Greg Peterson that Judith Berkson can’t play on 6/8, which is disappointing.
Came home 11 or so. It doesn’t seem as though I did a great deal w/ the afternoon. Blew some time online, but didn’t get involved in a movie or anything. Sent materials to writing coach at some point, read a few p. of Bolano, Antwerp, which I picked back out of the “sell” box to reread. Disappointed w/ myself that I didn’t get anywhere w/ recording a compilation contribution while Bree was out.
Left at 6. Read some Robbe-Grillet on train. Got to Sid Gold’s at 6:30, Laura was running late so we started late. My cousin Lynda, on vacation w/ husband Steve from CA, came, as did Bree (she usually stays home); also saw David Hadju, Pete Galub, Jay Sherman-Godfrey, Jack Silbert. I think it was a good set: everyone played well, and I didn’t feel too ashamed of my solos. For posterity, the set list (approx. order):
Have You Ever Been Lonely? (Hill/DeRose via Patsy Cline/Jim Reeves; LC); Massachusetts (Roberts/Razaf; Danhy); New River Train (trad./Kenny); Walls of Time (Jimmy); Fair and Tender Ladies (trad. via Baez; LC); MTA Song (Bess Lomax/Jacqueline Steiner via Kingston trio; my vocal feature); If You’re a Viper (Stuff Smith via Jim Kweskin; Kenny); Tombstone Every Mile (Dick Curless; Mark); Road Runner (Jimmy); Green Fields of Summer (LC); Bartender’s Blues (James Taylor via George Jones: LC): Face Up (Jimmy’s original); In Spite of Me (Morphine; Mark); All Blue (Blood Oranges; LC); Girl Crush (Little Big Town; Danhy killed this); Orphan Girl (Gillian Welch; LC).
Took Lynda and Steve to Sarge’s deli for a nosh and visit. Good choice, very NY. Overate (pastrami and stuffed derma). Talked about their trip, our families. Parted ways, took cab home. Read to p. 45 or so of Robbe-Grillet, lights out 12:30.