Up 6:30.
Meditated 12 min.
Wrote poem. (Found some looseleaf paper, about 5’ x 7’ for this month.)
Left at 9:30. John Coltrane, Coltrane. 1962, the classic quartet. Arlen-Mercer’s “Out of This World,” basically unrecognizable, post-“My Favorite Things.” Tyner doesn’t seem locked in on that track - his best solo is on the last track, “Miles' Minor.”
Coffee, breakfast. At 53rd St. Library 11-3. Trying to get back into bridge book. Looked at the (many) drafts of the intro section to the Tin Pan Alley chapter, tried to work up I guess what you’d call a “fair copy,” got stuck in some indecision about whether to include my comparison of views on AABA songs to WCW’s position on sonnets.
Checked out Betsy Fagin, All Is Not Yet Lost, Oates, Dis Mem Ber, and the most recent Rhianna CD.
Got distractingly hungry, had a bite nearby, went across the street to MoMa for The Brat (John Ford 1931). Supposedly rare and recently restored, but I realized a few minutes in I’d seen it — charming and only 67 minutes, anyway.
Went to one of the three Starbucks on the neighboring blocks during the break between movies, looked at the text some more. Couldn’t find my (free member) ticket to the 7 pm movie when it was time to go - could have gotten another one, but took it as a sign not to give up on work. Found, finally, what I think is the best version of the intro overall, did a little bit of revision, will print and work on that tomorrow. It’s 2000 words at the moment, not bad, so if I do what I want to it tomorrow, I’ll call that my writing quota for 2 days.
Booked rehearsal time for next Thurs.
Started Kevin Young, The Grey Album on train, continued once I got home; finished 50 p. quota by 10 pm, took a few notes. Read one story in Oates.
Wrote to Dan an Ehran about playing together while Dan’s in town.
Played piano (from the Boogie-Woogie Hanon) for 30 min.
Read a chunk of Rivera. Lights out midnight.
May 2018 reading
J.K. Huysmans, Parisian Sketches
Jordan Davis, Shell Game
Jacqueline Warwick, Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identity in the 1960s
Charles Johnson, Dr. King's Refrigerator
Qui Xiaolong, The Mao Case
Darren Hudson Hick, Artistic License: The Philosophical Problems of Copyright and Appropriation
Eric Pankey, A Pear As One Example: New and Selected Poems 1984-2008
Christine Schutt, A Day, A Night, Another Day, Summer
Michael Palmer, The Laughter of the Sphinx
Tracey Thorn, Naked at the Albert Hall
Julie Agoo, Property
Nathalie Hausler, A Virus Can be on a Mussel or in Some Liquid on this Salad Leaf or That Tomato or in This Person's Mouth
Siva Vaidhyanathan, Copyrights and Copywrongs: The Rise of Intellectual Property and How It Threatens Creativity
Anthology of Japanese Literature, ed. Donald Keene
Up 9. Slow morning (I did have three drinks last night).
Went to E77 at 10:30, finished Vaidhyanathan and Keene, chatted briefly w/ Macgregor and Kristin.
Home at 1, meditated 10 min.
Despite a library/writing plan(we shall start afresh tomorrow, June 1), stayed in while Bree was out in the afternoon. Read parts of another book on Vipassana meditation. (Do you want to know what I actually think about this practice or the metaphysics that is supposed to be behind it — or, for that matter, the cultural fortunes of “Western Buddhism”? It’s much too early to say. I do know I have little desire to read the evo-psych books on the subject.)
Also tried to work on organization/a general to-do list. Made me anxious.
After Bree came home, we had a long, serious talk about our plans for the rest of the year, our developing financial situation, and some things that I need to help her with around the house (hanging curtains, etc.). I felt good about it.
Went out to E77 a little before 8, had 1 beer - a coconut-almond porter, less cloying than the coconut-vanilla one I had in Upland. Made something of a to-do list after all, not complete but petered out after 35 items.
Read a review of a new miscellany of Barthes’ unpublished writings.
Chatted with Ken L. Some kind of Columbian festival across the street - chiming, almost gamelan-ish music, although I could detect I/V movement. In E77, listened to a bit of a pleasant but very unprepossessing singer-songwriter.
Ordered books by Joy Metta and Charles Johnson, and a CD of the UK musical Cranks.
5.30.18
Up 7. Meditated 10 min.
Read quota of Keene at E77. Commentary on puppet theater and haiku aesthetics + an amusing story about a miser.
Gym. Chapter of de Unamuno during cardio. Diametrically opposed view of mortality to Buddhism - I think we’re about to get to the Catholic content.
Spent afternoon on Laura’s set, off an on - I had planned to catch a movie before the show, but it seemed better to take it easy and not be rushed.
Emailed Matt, Pete, and Annie about rehearsing for our show on the 16th.
Read a few poems in Elena Rivera, Scaffolding to relax, and put on Gabor Szabo, Spellbinder while dressing, etc..
Took LIRR into Manhattan around 6 to save time.
Set list for States of Country:
Oakie Boogie
Take Me Back to Tusla (Bob Wills)
Oklahoma Hills (Jack Guthrie)
Crazy Arms (Ray Price)
Route 66 (my vocal ‘feature’ - based on the Nat King Cole arrangement)
Funnel of Love (Wanda Jackson, w/ Robin Goldwasser)
Wichita Lineman (w/ Jay Sherman-Godfrey)
Never Been To Spain (Merle, guess it’s a Hoyt Axton song)
Rumor Has It (Reba, w/ Amy Allison)
Friends in Low Places (Garth, w/ Amy)
One More Last Change (Vince Gill, ft. Boo)
High On Tulsa Heat (John Moreland, ft. Boo)
Jesus Take the Wheel (Carrie Underwood, kind of a bad song)
Okie from Muskogee (Merle)
High on a Hilltop (Tommy Collins)
So Long It’s Been Good to Know You (Woody)
Ragged but right, overall. RJ Smith came - in town to consult on James Brown for Tales from the Bus. Put Bree in a cab after the set, hung out for an hr or so - didn’t sing piano karaoke.
Cab to JH w/ Laura. Stayed up for a bit once I got home - lights out 1.
Up 6:30. Read a bit of Keene.
Worked on “Route 66,” made a chart.
Left at 10 for rehearsal - almost went to the wrong studio before I saw an email from Laura. Read Fronsdal, The Issue at Hand, en route.
Played w/ Boo, Jeremy, Kenny Kosek, Laura at Euphoria, 11-2. Amy Alison came in for her 2 songs, and Robin Goldwasser for “Funnel of Love” (we spent a long time deciding how to interpret the changes on that one). Productive, still some woodshedding to do tomorrow.
Got lunch, read quota of Keene at a branch of Cafe Grumpy in the 30s, came up to MoMa for Rackety Rax (Werker 1923), w/ Victor McLagen - a gangster/college football comedy, and in its way an effective satire on both. Ends w/ the main character and his rival blowing up in a car. Wrote in daybook beforehand, and during break between movies.
2nd feat. - Trick After Trick (Hamilton McFadden 1933 - but highly dependent on John Cameron Menzies’ design and effects). Old-dark-house mystery w/ dueling magicians and over-the-top performances.
Home 9, sketched out a few more charts for tomorrow. Lights out 11.