10.20-22.16

10.20: Up 10:30. Weight 214.2. Went to a different coffee place than usual, cleaned up email until 1:30. Worked on "Goo Goo Eyes" until 5; going to move on. Rested at home, spent some time on organization, went out about 8, finished Hunt's Piece Logic (liked a prose poem on household appliances best), started Carolyn Kizer, Knock upon Silence, read 10 or so pages each of Keynes and Gates (on the "Talking Book" trope). Lights out midnight.

[Lost 10.22]

10.22 Up 8, but barely got going until 10. Read chapter on iambic pentameter in Charles O. Hartman, Verse: An Introduction. (I wasn't feeling Keynsian today). Listened to Sneaks, Gymnastics (a new Merge artist, drum machine/bass/fm vox, hits a Rough Trade button pretty dead center, haven't made out the lyrics). At Lincoln Ctr. library, wrote around 700 words on "Stairway to Paradise" and "Half of It, Dearie Blues." So-so. Glanced at some sources, but I'm not looking forward to digging into the Gerswhin literature. Hung around past usefulness, read Gates on train, home too late to visit gym (footshooting, tbh). Spent some time w/ Bree, returned a call from my dad, went out to E77 about 8:30. Daybook, Tu Fu translations in Kizer. Home, read a bit more Hartman. Lights out 1.

10.19.18

Up 9. Weight 214.2

At coffee, finished Brown, read a modest amount of Keynes and Gates, caught up on daybook by 11:30 or so. After which, mundane/domestic tasks; would have like to have get out again at 2:30-3, but too much intervened. Left around 5 for Park Slope. Listened to extra disc of Spike, read more Gates. Used up my credit an Unnameable books: Alison McCracken, Real Men Don't Sing; David Hadju's new Love For Sale; Emily Apter, Against World Literature (have wanted to read about competing translations of Madame Bovary for a while), facsimile of MoMa's Douglas Fairbanks book for Bree, a chapbook interview w/ Clark Coolidge, a couple of dollar poetry books. Passed up reprints of Sing Out! Walked to Congregation Beth Elohim for Lethem/Lerner reading/conversation. Genial; no chance to say hi to Ben. A couple of the audience ? were borderline nutso. Took a cab w/ Andrew Hultkrans and a former p.a. of JL's; long discussion of Luke Cage. Reconvened at Brazenhead Books, hung out for a couple hrs w/ the above, James Hannahan, Alix Lambert, and a few people I hadn't met. Picked up John Hammond's autobiography and O'Meally on Billie Holiday, both of which I'd passed up on a previous visit. Long walk + train from UES, listened to Lester Young and read most of a chapbook by Erica Hunt. Fun and all, not sure it was all worth getting in past 2. 

10.18.16

Up 4:30-6, slept again until 9. Weight 214.3

Finally sent an 10" order I've had packed for a week to Australia. Left from p.o. for Oracle about 10:30. Listened to 4-track compilation from Dan in Iowa - generally quite strong.  The tracks he sent before release doesn't have artists, but I recognize Mike Watt and Tim Midgett by their voices, not sure my sloppy acoustic contribution ("Granges-Sur-Salvan") stands up. Spent an hr+ on email responses, then worked on "Goo-Goo Eyes" 2-4:30.

Came home, napped, helped Bree download some medical records, headed downtown to rehearse. Read a bit of Keynes, listened to a few songs from EC's Spike, thinking of rhythm arrangements as possible models for "Shovel-Ready," and an early Ike Turner comp. Rehearse 8-10 at Rivington, working mainly on that song, "Illusions," "Untimely Beggar," and running through "Old Currencies," "Our Films, Their Films" + "Enemies." Got an idea of some guitar parts I should decide on/practice. Finally got back to Sterling Brown's poems on the way home - some of the later work is incredibly bitter; tendency to move from race to class (not the only African-American writer to do so). The moments of musical critique are powerful, and not un-Adornian. 

Cleaned up stray emails at home. Too tired for daybook, Gates today. Accomplished a fair bit though. Lights out at 1 am.

10.17.16

Up 7. Wt. 214.5

Didn't leave the neighborhood or try to write; bree was out of the apt., so I spent the day on mundane tasks and organizing. Only of interest insofar as an example of the tiny steps toward a given outcome: e.g., wrote emails related to the next album,  a Shrimper cassette release, a possible release of Human Hearts singles/comp tracks, and my liner notes for a Game Theory reissue,  Cleaned out one messy drawer full of adapters, etc. (why do I have this many MIDI connectors when I have no idea how to use them?); some relief, though the office is full of similar chaos. Cleaned out my email in the evening, finally wrote in daybook and read 10 p. of Keynes, on the Treaty of Versailles. A little hard for me to follow -- it turns out I know very little about international trade balances. Lights out around 11.

It looks like I won't be traveling to Boise in November. 

Theme song for a Japanese civic mascot. I find this very comforting. 

Andrew Cyrille profile, w/ Spotify links to five excellent albums from his past.

10.16.18

Up 6. Wt. 214.3

Coffee, caught up w/ daybook. Tried to read a few Ashbery poems. Short nap at home, then some small tasks. Wrote Dan Selzer about paper remnants for another project, to use for cassette cover.

Pete Galub came over about 11:30, originally to work on gtr parts, but given the uncertainty about recording, we just talked. Walked over to David Heatley's for his "bring-a-song" birthday party. Some professionals and experienced musicians (Lee Feldman, Jeff Lewis, Pete), Amy Kohn some relatives, everyone had to sing or play something, inc. their kids. I played, sang "Rubber Duckie" from their Sesame St. songbook and "Boring Postcards." There 1-5, caught up to people.

Came home, turned around and went downtown for David Nagler's Carl Sandburg record release party at Joe's Pub. Both ambitious and good - he's a terrific arranger (string 1/4tet inc. Jean Cook and Dana Lynn, reed, trumpet, keys, double bass, drums, accordion, and sometimes guitar) and a smart setter of text. Nice mix of musical seriousness and accessibility, at least by my standards. (And I like the choice of Sandburg b/c it doesn't feel trendy.) Gave congrats afterwards.

Wrote several emails about the recording/memorial logistics. Listened to another disc of Lester Young (it includes a lot of Holliday and Basie work). Long email to my dad.