5.28.18

Up at 6:30. Overcast. I’m so sick of it being cold everywhere I go.
E77 7:30. Quota of Keene; noh plays. 10 p. of rights/wrongs. The digital chapter is kind of dull, to me.
Groceries w/ Bree.
Rested/dithered a while, started reading the poems in a book of paintings and texts by Natalie Häusler:

[…] Nobody ever had
a real subject matter in painting. It was either excuses,
paying subjects, agreed upon stories or given nature,
all for eventual comparison. On this basis
it was worked around, behind, with against
or underneath. Just about anything will do. As I
had understood this, I also understood that none
of those realizations would help anyone to actually
make a painting. […]

Something similar might be true of poems.
Spent most of the afternoon, about 2:30-5:30 on Laura’s set. A number of the songs are 2-3 chords, and familiar in form (“Oakie Boogie” [except that it’s in B, still one of my worst keys for playing blues], “Take Me Back to Tusla,” “Crazy Arms”). The trickiest are the ‘80s country hits - Reba’s “Rumor Has It,” which I charted, and Garth’s “Friends in Low Places.” More info on keys, and some substitutions, came in by email later — Boo Reiner, the guitarists, wants to do different Vince Gill and John Moreland songs that originally called. Also worked on getting my piano part on “Route 66” closer to where I want it (though by any standard a poor imitation of Nat King Cole’s).
It’s Great To Be Alive (Alfred Werker 1933) at MoMa; musical fantasy about a polo playboy (Raoul Roulien, unknown to me) who becomes the last man on Earth after “masculinitis” devastates the planet. Gloria Stuart as love interest, Edna May Oliver as the leading American scientist. Completely nuts. Clever songs by William Kernell, an early 20s B’way/TPA writer who apparently had a career but whom I’ve never heard of. “No man could be luckier/Than to marry a girl from Czechoslovakia.”
Finished the main text of the copyright book while waiting for the movie, and later getting a bite, though I should skim the notes and read a 2nd-ed. post-DMCA afterword. Finished the Häusler poems on the train. 
Pretty dead by the time I got home at 9 or so. Listened to a couple of the Laura songs again. Lights out 11:30.

5.27.28

"One should never make a show of having a deep knowledge of any subject. Well-bred people do not talk in a superior way even about things they have good knowledge of. It is people who come from the country who offer opinions unaksed, as though versed in all manner of accomplishments. Of course some among them do have a really enviable knowledge, and it is their air of self-conceit that is so stupid. It is a fine thing when a man who thoroughly understands a subject is unwilling to open his mouth, and only speaks when he is questioned." Yoshida Kenkō, "Essays in Ideleness" (c. 1300s).

Up around 8. I have been listening to dharma talks/related interview, either in the morning or before bed, w/o mentioning it much here.
Read this: An equivalent argument could be made about song lyrics, inc. some of my own.
Updated this site - realized some of my dates are a day off b/c I left out an entry, but I don’t feel like fixing it right now.
Coffee - read to 200 in Keene and 25 p. in Copyrights/wrongs, and wrote ahead 1 p. in daybook.
Rehearsed at Michiko with Drew Gardner and Andrew Levy. Hung out for a while over coffee at Dean & Deluca afterwards.
Too late to go to Mid-Manhattan library, so worked on the Plummer interview at the Hilton near MoMa.
City Girl (Murnau 1930), w/ Charles Farrell, Mary Duncan (from The Shanghai Gesture). Very late silent (there was a compromised sound version as well), not unlike The Wind in tone. Excellent live piano score by Donald Sosin.
Had a bite at a diner, read rest of my quota of Copyrights/wrongs. The music chapter is sloppy. Uncritical understand of jazz musicians’ use of “stale” standards, misleading descriptions of “Good Times”/“Rapper’s Delight” and Aerosmith/Run DMC’s “Walk This Way.”
Finished Agoo, Property. Shorter poems of last 1/3 not as striking as “Deposition,” but the whole book is earnest and well-made.
Stuck on 7 train for a while.
Lights out 11:45.

"One should never make a show of having a deep knowledge of any subject. Well-bred people do not talk in a superior way even about things they have good knowledge of. It is people who come from the country who offer opinions unaksed, as though versed in all manner of accomplishments. Of course some among them do have a really enviable knowledge, and it is their air of self-conceit that is so stupid. It is a fine thing when a man who thoroughly understands a subject is unwilling to open his mouth, and only speaks when he is questioned." Yoshida Kenkō, "Essays in Ideleness" (c. 1300s).

5.26.18

Sleep schedule still off. 
Managed to go to gym around 11, but needed a nap after.
Read quota of Keene (I like an “Account of My Hut,” circa 13th c.).
Copied two poems from yesterday in the right notebook, listened to Lasalle Quartet, string quartets by Penderecki and Mayuzumi (flip of the Lutoslawski). 
Went to Caffe Bene, wrote 500 words, I guess the ending of the bridge piece, from about 4:30-5:15. Time to start revising tomorrow.
Wild Girl (Raoul Walsh 1931) w/ Joan Bennett, Charles Farrell, Ralph Bellamy, Eugene Palette. Based on a Bret Harte story, filmed in the Sequoias.
Read to p. 100 of Copyrights/wrongs on the train, both ways. Interesting to learn that Griffith’s film of Helen Hunt Jackson’s Ramona was probably American cinema’s first licensed adaptation of a literary work.
Home before 10, read most of Julie Agoos, Property in bed. Better than a later book I’ve read by her; the middle section, “Deposition,” in the form of a courtroom transcript, is remarkable.
Lights out around 11:30.

5.24-25.18

(Edit: Skipped an entry, and ended up w/ this one mis-dated; simpler to combine two.)

5.24

Woke up before 4, listened to Pink Flag and two podcasts before I could get to sleep.
Not really up for real until almost 10. Gym. It’s a start. Listened to154 during cardio (forgot to put Chairs Missing on my phone), read a few more pages of de Unamuno and re-read some of Jordan’s book (also on my iPad).
Coffee and a salad.
Put on a new water bottle for Bree, got my directions together for later today, read to p. 100 of Keene, inc. excerpts from a few literary diaries.
Wrote an email to the Buddhist center that posts the dharma talks I listen to, to ask if they could tell me who wrote something the main teacher (Gil Fronsdal) quoted - no spelling of the name he said, at least as I heard it, brings up anything relevant.
Saw an acquaintance’s blog post about “St. Louis Blues” that makes exactly the mistakes (the bridge is a “Tin Pan Alley” compromise) that I argue against at length. Wondering whether to contact him.
Left about 3, walked to 74th b/c 7 at 82nd was announced as having “major delays.” Read a bit of Copyrights/wrongs (off and on on trains during the day). Lincoln Center - returned my outstanding books.
Rushed through 500 words on “Sex Machine” - I’d have felt guilty if I didn’t. Realized I left my phone at home.
Met Bree at an event her stepdad was appearing at in midtown - the rest of her family is also in town. Not unpleasant, but an obligation.
Left a bit early to make Jordan’s book party, w/ Justin Jamail about 20 blocks away. Chatted w/ John Coletti, Max Winter, Anselm Berrigan. Brief readings by both poets - I hadn’t realized that some of Jordan’s amended translations are from the Man'yōshū, the very collection I’d been reading yesterday. Will compare.
Went back to the restaurant that the after-event reception was at - ran into Bree’s brother-in-law Timbo, who was kind about my folks, but Bree had already headed home. So did I.
Lights out midnight.

5.25

In and out of bed from about 5:30. Went to E77 at 8. 
Read this review of the new Alain Locke biography (because Scott Saul mentioned it on Facebook), and an essay by Vivian Gornick about Roth and Bellow (b/c the author of the Locke review mentioned it on Twitter).
Spent a couple hours trying to edit my transcribed responses to a phone interview w/ Stephen Plummer for his website.
Home at noon, read in Keene and napped before we had to go out.
Lunch w/ Bree’s family and their friends in Chelsea.
Took their leave around 5, browsed at the Strand - Laura C. called while I was outside (phone/text tag w/ her all day), and we went over the basics for the show Wed. Bought some dollar poetry, and volume one of a translation of the Man'yōshū.
Went to Think on Fourth. Another 500 of bridge piece, mainly on Adorno.
Read to 150 in Keene. The long excerpt from The Tale of Genji felt like a slog, tbh, but The Pillow Book made up for it.
Joe Morris/Peter Evans/Mat Maneri at the Stone. Free, mutually responsive, alternately busy and drone-textured. Read a few pages of Copyrights/wrongs waiting for it begin (but I’m behind on this), and wrote 2 p. ahead toward the “day”book (though in a different notebook).
Listened to the bonus tracks on 154 (“Go Ahead” turns out to be about chart placement, with an “Anthrax”-style spoken section), and most of The Ideal Copy, a dense record that has always been something of a mystery to me.
Home at 11.

5.23.18

Up 8:45.

Took out some recycling for Bree.
Jumping back into routine: E77, drafted 500 words on bridges in black music.
Home at noon, read some poems from the Man'yōshū (pre-8th c.) collection in Keene, and the last chapter of Tracy Thorn, Naked at the Albert Hall (which I’d left in a restaurant just before me trip, and which Bree retrieved while I was gone).
Partially unpacked while listening the Photos s/t. Classic skinny-tie sound, turns out to have been mostly produced by Roger Bechirian. Uneven songwriting, and the drummer is limited, but worth it for, at least, “Look at the Band” and the strings on “Now You Tell Me That We’re Through.” Internet tells me they were less obscure in the UK - there was one other album and a few singles, might be able to track down Cherry Red reissues. 
Paid a Queens Library fine on books that came due while I was away; have to do the same for NYPL (and take in outstanding items in). Those pretty much even up w/ the surprise checks I got for jury duty and NY state tax refund.
Read a bit more of Palmer - will save last series for tomorrow.
Started practicing “Route 66” for States of Country in a week. F seems like the best compromise key between my modest vocal and pianistic capacities. Don’t know the lyrics cold yet.
Left around 5 w/ the intent of going to Scrabble at Jean and David’s; looked for Jean’s email to RSVP before I got on the train, found a more recent one cancelling for this month. Detoured back to E77, took notes (quotes and references, mainly from the introduction) on Anthea Kraut, Choreographing Copyright, so I can take it back to the library tomorrow. Ran into Macgregor on the way back - could have gone w/ him to hear Anne Boyer and Gail Scott read at the Poetry Project (or, for that matter, to opening night of the Vision Festival). A quiet evening at home (Bree out w/ parents, who I’ll see tomorrow) is rare, though.
Groceries. Came home at 7, read about 25 p. of Said Vaidhyanathan, Copyrights and Copywrongs. Already some contentious claims about the collective and oral character of black popular music in the introduction - though it is interesting that the rise of ragtime coincides w/ piano rolls.
Put on LP of Lutoslawski, String Quartet (1964). A lot of surface noise for a $10 piece of vinyl. Difficult, w/ suitably pretentious liner notes - though I did recognize the role of a punctuating octave figure without being told. Bree came in just as it ended.
Read the last of Palmer after all - a sequence called “Still” that he says in a preface he imagines w/ musical accompaniment (not clear whether that means set to music, but I could hear parts of it chorally).
A few pages of the Keene anthology; lights out before 11.