Up before 6. Watched SNL. Very hard to deny that Billie Eilish has something.
Tried to follow my schedule. Breakfast, coffee 7-8. Unloaded dishwasher. Finished reading Robertson: the last piece in 3 Summers, “Rose,” is just about a perfect piece of writing. Wrote 3 p. longhand in big red notebook by 8:40.
Put on the Christian Wolff 3 Quartets release (Bonzoni Quartet) on New World. Read liner notes, and a couple others (dB’s, Nashville Soul) that had been piling up.
Read Charters on train. Went to the Whitney and spent maybe 2 hrs. at the Jasper Johns retrospective. A lot to take in, not going to try to discuss it here.
Realized on going into the museum that I didn’t have my license and vaccine card — they’re on my computer, but I try to keep the physical items with me, and I haven’t turned them up at home yet (even went by the urgent care place later, no luck).
Had a sandwich and coffee at Think nearby, got in an hour of revision.
Finished Charters on the way back. Picked up some wine on the walk home, listened to a long podcast interview w/ Lisa Robertson. Cleaned bathroom, kitchen, tidied.
Laura came over about 7:30-9:30. Made a little progress on a song, talked.
Read 15 p. of autonomy book, on Coetzee and Cindy Sherman. Watched a b-movie w/ Alison Hayes, Pier 5, Havana. Futzed around on the Nord.
Lights out 11:30.
12.11.21
Up quite late - after 10. Breakfast, coffee. Watching a couple of decent introductions to Schubert’s life and work. Started a load of dishes for the first time in a while.
Went out to pick up a hold mail form at the p.o., and Daphne Brooks’ book at the local Queens Library branch (sent over from another; good service, esp. b/c I don’t have to go into Manhattan.)
Went to an urgent care center to get a covid test before my trip Tuesday; signed up for a waiting list, got some groceries, went home and ate, read maybe 25 p. of Lisa Robertson, got my insurance card, went back to the waiting room. Got both a rapid antigen test and a PCR test, wrote a bit in a notebook while waiting — trying to make a new daily schedule. The rapid test came back negative, will wait for an email about the other tomorrow.
Spent the evening at home. Worked an hr. on some footnotes and revisions. Half-watched Lady on a Train (1945, Charles David), a Deanna Durbin vehicle w/ Edward Everett Horton, Dan Duryea, Alan Jenkins, and Ralph Bellamy (the murderer). Featherweight, very comforting. Packed a few books. Read 50 p. of Charters on Williams, and the end of the intro chapter of the autonomy book. I probably don’t understand it.
Going to bed at 11:30 pm; posting now so I don’t have to remember in the morning.
12.10.21
Up 7. Coffee, breakfast. Talked to Bree for a while - it’s been difficult, as she’s having computer problems in France; seemed tired and preoccupied overall.
Read a tiny bit of Robertson.
Worked for an hr at E77, 11:40-12:40.
Therapy.
Called Dad.
Didn’t accomplish a whole lot between 3 and 6.
Left for downtown, listened to the new dB’s archival release, I Thought You Wanted To Know. I don’t remember some of the album songs, though most were on Ride the Wild Tom-Tom, but I had forgotten how much I stole from them early on (pre- and very early NPB; high school, even). Stopped by McNally Jackson, looked for John Keene’s Punks, but it wasn’t in stock; didn’t buy anything. (Had planned to got to Mast on Ave A, but they closed at 7).
Met Pete Galub at Botanica on Houston for drinks, hosted by Jack Silbert; talked to some other people I didn’t know. 1 porter, 2 slices, left around 10:30. Preoccupied w/ my thoughts on the ride home, didn’t try to read. Read maybe 10 p. of the autonomy book. Lights out 1.
12.9.21
Up 8. Weight down to pre-Thanksgiving level.
Finished Prime Suspect. Breakfast, coffee.
Read more of Lisa Robertson, continued on train to Brooklyn. “so the repetition is never exact/this is why form is always learning” (33)
Lunch meeting w/ an old acquaintance I may hire as a publicist for my next records. Useful strategizing talk; realistic.
Got back into Ann Charters book on Bert Williams on the train back.
Stopped by E77 to work, but the laptop area was occupied. Went home and rested for a couple hours. Generally tired/low-ebb today.
Read to p. 27 of autonomy book. Played piano - relearning a 2-part invention.
Wrote at E77, 8-10, same as yesterday. One stout. Had a slice on the way back.
Lights out midnight.
12.8.21
Up 4:30, read 10 p. on convention, dozed off and on ’til 8, when Bree called briefly for computer help (that I couldn’t give). Breakfast, coffee, continued reading.
Therapy 11.
Finished convention book; started intro to Nicholas Brown, Autonomy. Dense, Jamesonian.
Listened to about 30 min. of Craig Taborn’s cool 60 X Sixty project. https://60xsixty.com/. (I minute pieces, some solo piano, some electronic, played in a randomized order.)
Hard to recall much else from the afternoon. Some emails. Played the piano at some point.
Wrote at E77, 8-9:30 pm. One stout.
Watched most of the last 2 episodes of Prime Suspect. Lights out midnight.