Up at 9.
Coffee, read a few poems in John Stammers, Panoramic Lounge-Bar. (The dollar book I picked up last week at Human Relations.) Romantic/elegiac, a bit decadent - like, John Ash w/ the Continental influence dialed down a bit.
Home. Meditated 18 min. 30 min. b-w.
Business call. Also called my dad. Difficult time for my mom (and so for him and me). Talked it over w/ Bree.
Left around 2:30, listened to disc 1 of Absolute Grey reissue; their ’84 album Greenhouse. Early R.E.M is the main flavor, structurally and sonically, but w/ female vox and a reasonably meaty cover of “Beginning to See The Light.” Read a couple chapters of the singer-songwriter anthology - somewhat interesting discussion of integrating digital recording into that tradition.
Worked at Communitea in LIC about 3-5:30. Added 650 to the bridge entry, could cut a bit, not bad for the time available.
Met Rael and Liz in Prospect Park to see Superchunk. Opener Jonathan Coulton nearly as awful as I expected - skilled and not insincere, but such a line-drive for “nerd rock”/NPR crowds. Like me w/ less shame. Superchunk solid, though from a distance I’d have been unsatisfied if I hadn’t seen them in their element at Bowery Ballroom a few months ago. “Driveway to Driveway,” “Like a Fool,” and “Throwing Things” hadn’t been in that set, so those were nice to hear. Paul Lukas came over to say hi. Cut out 2-3 songs into headliner Aimee Mann - I respect her craft and dedication, but the dynamics are limited, and the words don’t get over.
Since I don’t get to Park Slope often, walked about a mile to Unnameable (Threadgill), bought the Mark McMorris book I’d wanted last time, and an Eileen Myles collection (since I’ve been ignorant of her poetry).
Listened to the Trollope audiobook to while away the time on the way home.
Home midnight. Wrote the last daybook poem! Read 1 ch. of The Way We Live Now. Lights out 1.
6.20.18
Up at 7, listened to one (long) track on Henry Threadgill, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs - piano (Moran and David Virelles) dominates.
Meditated 18 min.
Left about 10:30 for 53rd St. Library. Had coffee before, read Sanjek.
Worked about noon-4 on bridge article; to 1500 words, which might be halfway point.
Dithered a bit online and checked out a couple of books.
Was mistaken about time of a movie across the street at MoMa, so headed home around 5.
Rested, finished the Sanjek and read more of Fagin until dinner (nearby Thai) w/ Bree at 7.
Came home and finished the Fagin, which I’m afraid I got very little out of it at the level of either language (I assume the stiffness of the abstractions is intentional); ultimately, knowing that she was the librarian at Zucotti Park and that some poems, though more disjunctive than documentary, are recognizably written out of that is neither here nor there.
Did some very small household chores for Bree. 30 min. b-w.
Read a couple of chapters of Justin and Katherine Williams, The Singer-Songwriter Handbook - odd UK (Bloomsbury) collection of academic and career/practical pieces about the genre. No special reason - looked interesting at the library. Reads fast.
Lights out 12:30.
6.19.18
Much of today was wasted, and I don’t feel like recounting it in detail. I woke up to early, got distracted by politics, needed a nap later. Managed very little before 5:30, except the usual meditation and piano. I need to think about how to restructure my day, esp. the early part. I am, simply put, not getting enough writing done.
Listened to Code Girl again on the way downtown, did a better job of following lyrics & comp. structure than previous. Took a small box of books to trade in at Codex on Bleeker, bought a pocket hardcover of Trollope’s The Way We Live Now, kept $30 credit for later. Walked from there to Jean & David’s. A couple of regulars didn’t show, Tomeka Reid only other guest. After Leonard was put to bed, played Scrabble. I bingoed w/ BRO[M]IDES, immediately after David did so w/ HO[T]ELIER; ended up winning by 1 point. (Jean usually wins.) We listened to a Marion Williams album and the Bailey/Holland improv rec. I’d bought at Penny Lane in Upland.
Wrote 2 day-poems on train back. Lights out 12:30.
6.18.18
Up at 7.
Meditated 18 min. 30 min. b-w.
Listened to Mary Halvorson, Code Girl on train. Brought lyrics, but couldn’t find it in my bag (turned up later).
Coffee, read a bit of Fagin, wrote 2 daybook poems.
Therapy.
Read in Sanjek over lunch.
Worked on bridge encyclopedia piece 2:30-6:30 at Lincoln. Read Middleton’s relevant sections on “Form” in the previous edition. Revised about the first 1/4 of the piece - 650 words, not bad.
MoMa, for screening of Frances Stark’s adaptation of The Magic Flute. Basically a teaching piece, sort of a cross between a two-hour follow-the-bouncing-ball animation and Peter and the Wolf. I’m not an opera buff, so I learned a lot. Saw Dan Fox on the way in, but he had to wait for his gf Sarah, and I didn’t see them on the way out.
Read a little more Sanjek on the way home, didn’t make 50 p. today.
Lights out 12:30.
6.17.18
Decadent: Up at noon.
Went to Caffe Bene to update this.
Came home, meditated 18 min. Read a few p. of Fagin.
Called Dad, w/ Bree, for Father’s Day.
30 min. b-w. Also tried to play “Bye-Ya” and “Reflections.”
Went to E77 around 5:30. Read 50 p. of Sanjek.
Came home, listened to a ch. of Trollope, and Cecil Taylor Jazz Advance (1958; Trane’s “destructive” “My Favorite Things” has nothing on alleged “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To”). Which reminded me to read Val Wilmer’s obit in The Wire.
Slow, post-show recovery day.