12.16.16

Up 9. Weight down a hair.

Got out around 10, read quota of Rosenberg on train. Dithered over a couple of emails for a long time at Oracle, read 1st 3 pieces in Caples' Retrievals. I don't know that I buy every word of what he says about Wittgenstein in the preface, but his prose is stunningly and enviably pellucid, especially given his subjects (modernist art). Worked on Game Theory notes from 3-9ish, w/ a long dinner break (read more Caples). Knocked off for Oracle holiday party; Bree met me there. Happened to run into David Levine and Claire Lehman - had a conversation about some bad editorial experiences. Stayed 'til 12:30. Home, daybook, lights out about 2.

12.15.16

Up 8. Weight same.

Started Rosenberg's George + Ira book more in earnest at coffee. Hagiographic, but detailed. Went to Oracle, assembled some TPA chunks into one file (overlong, as usual), worked on polishing a couple of grafs, nearly at random. Called Claudia Gonson about SM interview, worked on correspondence until 6. Rode down to Berl's Poetry Shop to hear David Nagler give a solo version of some of the songs from his Carl Sandburg project, and read a few poems he didn't set. One, I think with "Telephone Pole" in the title, beginning "I am a copper wire…" sounded on this occasion like Suzanne Vega. Wrote quite a bit in daybook during the set. He hasn't had a chance to listen to "Enemies of Song" for the possible orchestration, but I hung out a little with him and his wife Theresa, Richard Martin, and Beth from Bird of Youth. Bought four books (I've been good since Rhinebeck) - collected Gil Ott, Erika Meister Copia (an interesting interviewee of Rachel Zucker's I had never heard of), Alicia Cohen Coherer (just looked good on a flip), and Garrett Caples' 2014 book of essays Retrievals. Headed home, read a bit of Suzanne Doppelt, Lazy Suzie (trans. Cole Swensen, prose poetry loosely around photography/camera obscura themes). Lights out 1.

12.13-14.16

Up 9. Weight same. Finished Wilk (ends w/ a long Irving Berlin overview, which I was strangely moved by) and Levy. "And I realized that if I was seeing girders that I was part of the bridge that was falling." At Oracle from noon, but largely squandered time on correspondence (about the SM piece) and a couple of conversations w/ other writers. Went out later, daybook, a chapter of Alter. Long phone call with my dad. Lights out 12:30. 

Diffuse, underperforming.

Up 7. Left for Manhattan around 8:30, spent an hr+ in a very crowded Birch Coffee, looking at some older sections of the Tin Pan Alley chapter and writing a few sentences. Started Deena Rosenberg, Fascinating Rhythm, but my enthusiasm for another 400 p. Gerswhin book is low. No wifi, but learned on my phone that my paper/proposal didn't get into EMP! I'm surprised, but it may be a blessing in disguise re the schedule for both the book and the album (for which I'm scheduling a week in April.) Is it ok to say "their loss"? Met Kathy Pence for lunch, pleasant. Left a little too late to make a Raul Ruiz movie at Lincoln Center, so went to oracle and had another round of correspondence about the SM piece, and a phone conversation with the editor. Wrote to Amy Maloof about helping me w/ j-card design. Left at 6:30, home at 8. Daybook after a nap. Some other correspondence - wrote Mary Timony about a vocal on "Different City."

Badiou on the subject of liberalism (re the election). "A human sub­ject is a beg­gar, a con­sumer, an own­er, or noth­ing at all. That is the strict defin­i­tion today of what is a human being."

12.12.16

Up 8. Weight same. Got out before 9, lingered at E77 until about 10. Read Wilk on train. Worked on "The Man I Love" from about 11-3, answered an email from Fidelitorium about scheduling an overdub session in spring, wrote to Pete G. about same, broke for lunch, spent a couple hrs starting my Game Theory liner notes. An editor at Bomb asked if I would interview Stephin Merrit. Knocked off at 6:30. There was an annoying child in the Oracle. Finished packing the box for Dan in Des Moines. Organization (drew an Oblique Strategies card that said "Tidy up."), correspondence. Lights out 1.

12.11.16

Up 6. Weight same. Headed to Manhattan about 9, tried to write about Ira Gerswhin for 45 min. in a FIKA cafe, but there were pretty annoying kids in a resonant space. Went on to a big rehearsal studio way out on the West Side, practically to the river, to see Muhal Richard Abrams' open big band rehearsal, w/ Reggie Workman on drums, Marty Ehrlich, Ned Rothenberg, and Ingrid Laubrock in the sax section, and many other worthies. Played through about 5 charts, w/ Abrams changing textures on the fly, exhorting players to "make the part your own," and generally playing pretty fast and loose with his own compositions. (Or, sometimes, told people to read what's on the page - "Some of the trombone parts are a half-step apart; if you don't like it, take off your ears and throw them away.") A fun peek inside; there's another one next week. Unfortunately, I couldn't continue my plan for the day, between sleep deprivation and cold weather - had to go back to JH and nap from about 4-7, and skipped the $75 Bill show at Union Pool. Went to E77 from about 8-10, daybook, read more Levy and a bit of Alter, read the liner notes to the previous 2 Game Theory reissues. Made it through quota of Wilk (Sammy Cahn spends about 4 pages talking about "Three Coins in the Fountain") over the course of the day, listened again to most of the Toussaint album. Lights out 1:30 am - there's not much point trying to get to bed early right now, if I'm just going to toss and turn; time change/jet lag coming in about 9 days anyway.

The simplest and most necessary advice in Writing Your Dissertation [for which read "Book"] in 15 Minutes a Day [which of course is a fiction] is "Write first."