[Realized I’ve been heading the last several days as “jun.” It’s annoying to edit posts - maybe I’ll do it on the plane on Saturday.]
Up 7. Rec’d some comments on first 20 p. - thinks there’s potential, but has issues w/ organization. Have to think more before responding, or implementing. Went to coffee, “processed” most of Culler. (I have a pile of books I need to do this to, won’t get to much of it before I have to go to CA; and new reading continues….) Had planned to take a train to lunch, Google Maps said it would be 45 min., w/ a bus transfer, so called a car at noon. But it didn’t come; after a couple of calls, I realized that the parade on 37th Ave. wasn’t letting anyone through. So I ended up walking up to Northern, looking in vain for a taxi for a while, and finally finding the storefront of a different car service. Sucked, basically, but it all worked out: made it to lunch at a Greek place in Astoria a little after 1, w/ Jay S-G, his partner Jay, and Chris and Cheryl from the Scene Is Now. Rode w/ Jay & Renee from there to the Noguchi Museum to hear 75 Dollar Bill in their sculpture garden (part of a Bang on a Can series immediately). Very site-specific: they started by walking to the “stage” area from opposite ends of the garden, playing “little instruments” in the AEC sense — took up maybe a third of the set. Fairly sure Rick was responding to birds, but didn’t ask. Good performance, bought the new record ($30 double vinyl, yet). Saw Sue Garner and Liz Clayton (& daughter). Also wrote a bit in poetry notebook during the set. Took a very quick look around the museum, inc. a special installation by Gabriel Orozco. TBH, I’ve never devoted any serious time and thought to Noguchi - I can look at it, but I don’t know what I’m looking at, or if I’m supposed to. Jay and Renee dropped me back a train, not too back getting back. Could have gone to another Jackson Heights Jazz Festival show in Travers Park at 6, but didn’t feel like running in and out. Spent a long time reading - day’s quota of Green, & 50 p. Of Louis Chude-Sokei’s The Last “Darky”: Bert Williams, Black-on-Black Minstrelsy, and the African Diaspora. Intriguing argument, but academically overwritten - one of those books that parcels out factual material about its object of study very sparingly, and theorizes about it copiously. Went out to Starbucks at 9:30 to make myself do enough writing to check off the day. Lights out midnight.