I started this blog a while back and wrote up a few entries and then stopped. While I am compelled to write poetry and fiction and try to publish it, I don’t feel similarly about blogging. I came across the following quote from Marilynne Robinson (author of the excellent novel Housekeeping) that best expresses my thoughts on the subject. She, however, is talking about keeping a journal, which is often a private matter, while blogging is always public. That is an important distinction, and a good reason for me to leave off with blogging.
“At various times in my life I’ve bought a little finely ornamented volume with a clasp, and written a couple of days’ worth of reflections. And then I come back to it and I think, What an idiot.”
Someday they’ll invent a way to post blogs without having to use words or sounds or images. When that happens, I may reconsider.
Oct 21, 2011
Jan 12, 2011
Books, Kindles, Stone Tablets
I haven’t bought a Kindle, and I won’t. I don’t want to have a Kindle—I don’t want one, I tell you. I dislike electronic gadgets and avoid them when possible. Sure, I have a computer and a cell phone, I must have these. (My particular cell phone, however, is many years old and so it is quite a stupid one.) I even have a fancy little recording device on which I record podcasts. I was told that any self-respecting author creates podcasts of their writing, and so I couldn't help it.
But a Kindle? Must I have one to read books? Of course not. (Well, not yet any way.) I love paper-and-ink books; they are a comfort to me. I will admit I am just harkening back to the past—my past. I remember being comforted by books when I was a small child. I liked holding them and reading them and being read to. And I want that same comfort as an adult. I’ve even started collecting books, particularly older editions from the early- and mid-20th century. I like the way they look and feel, their sturdy construction, and the vintage graphic designs on the covers. Oh, what a doddering old fart I am, eh?
But I also understand the big picture. I know that I am simply a little point on a wide spectrum of time. In maybe 20 years, paper-and-ink books will become rare; we will have to get Kindles if we want to read new books. People like me will become quite nostalgic about the old days of paper and ink.
Ah, but then in a hundred years there will be a new way of communicating stories and ideas. The old fogies will become nostalgic about the good old days of Kindles. “Remember, honey, when we used to have those cute little Kindles, and we got stories by reading from a friendly little screen? Those were the days. Nowadays ideas just get wired directly into our brains—what’s the fun of that?”
We can look at ancient history and find similar situations. Before stone tablets were invented, people had to remember information as it was handed down orally. All learning was done by memorization. When the stone tablet came along, some people were horrified. “What will become of people’s minds?” they asked. “We’ve always kept them sharp by memorizing information. But with this new invention, if you want to know something all you need do is read it off a damn stone tablet. Pure laziness! Our brains will turn to mush!”
An acquaintance of mine recently pulled out his brand new iPad, of which he was very proud. “Look at this,” he said. He changed its position from vertical to horizontal, and the image on the screen automatically adapted to the new orientation. He looked at my face to see how impressed I’d be. But I disappointed him by shrugging. I said, “So you brought it home from the store and opened the box and found some wires and an instruction booklet inside?” He nodded. “Well, let me tell you something,” I said, “and this is really amazing, you won’t believe it. I bought an old vintage book through the mail, and when the box arrived at my door I opened it up. Inside was a 1928 edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I pulled the book out and—well, I simply opened the pages, and I started reading! No wires, no batteries, no instructions! The words were just right there! It was incredible!”
After giving me a deadpan stare my acquaintance returned to his iPad. (Mind you, it too is called a tablet.)
But a Kindle? Must I have one to read books? Of course not. (Well, not yet any way.) I love paper-and-ink books; they are a comfort to me. I will admit I am just harkening back to the past—my past. I remember being comforted by books when I was a small child. I liked holding them and reading them and being read to. And I want that same comfort as an adult. I’ve even started collecting books, particularly older editions from the early- and mid-20th century. I like the way they look and feel, their sturdy construction, and the vintage graphic designs on the covers. Oh, what a doddering old fart I am, eh?
But I also understand the big picture. I know that I am simply a little point on a wide spectrum of time. In maybe 20 years, paper-and-ink books will become rare; we will have to get Kindles if we want to read new books. People like me will become quite nostalgic about the old days of paper and ink.
Ah, but then in a hundred years there will be a new way of communicating stories and ideas. The old fogies will become nostalgic about the good old days of Kindles. “Remember, honey, when we used to have those cute little Kindles, and we got stories by reading from a friendly little screen? Those were the days. Nowadays ideas just get wired directly into our brains—what’s the fun of that?”
We can look at ancient history and find similar situations. Before stone tablets were invented, people had to remember information as it was handed down orally. All learning was done by memorization. When the stone tablet came along, some people were horrified. “What will become of people’s minds?” they asked. “We’ve always kept them sharp by memorizing information. But with this new invention, if you want to know something all you need do is read it off a damn stone tablet. Pure laziness! Our brains will turn to mush!”
An acquaintance of mine recently pulled out his brand new iPad, of which he was very proud. “Look at this,” he said. He changed its position from vertical to horizontal, and the image on the screen automatically adapted to the new orientation. He looked at my face to see how impressed I’d be. But I disappointed him by shrugging. I said, “So you brought it home from the store and opened the box and found some wires and an instruction booklet inside?” He nodded. “Well, let me tell you something,” I said, “and this is really amazing, you won’t believe it. I bought an old vintage book through the mail, and when the box arrived at my door I opened it up. Inside was a 1928 edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I pulled the book out and—well, I simply opened the pages, and I started reading! No wires, no batteries, no instructions! The words were just right there! It was incredible!”
After giving me a deadpan stare my acquaintance returned to his iPad. (Mind you, it too is called a tablet.)
Dec 1, 2010
Three Rock Shows (#1)
I went to three rock shows in three weeks. Something amazing for me these days. I usually stay home with my pipe and slippers. (OK, a manner of speaking. I do like to stay home, but no pipe/slippers.)
The first show was at the venerable San Francisco club, Bottom of the Hill. Or as we musicians affectionately call it, BOTH (but really there’s only one). The band was Shonen Knife, an all-female, Japanese power-pop band that’s been around since the ’80s. Let me mention at this point that all three shows I attended had “old timer” bands, all of them formed in the ’80s. However, the women in Shonen Knife aren’t exactly wrinkled and gray. Truth be told, the bassist and drummer joined more recently and are in fact youngsters. The leader founded the band in 1981, probably before the two current newcomers were born. Still, she is very youthful and you’d hardly know there was such an age difference.
I’ve heard about Shonen Knife for many years, but aside from a few snippets here and there I’d never really checked out their music. Visually, their style is cute and bubbly; they have long, shiny hair and 60s-mod clothing. Keep in mind that this band is embraced by the indie/alternative rock world, and even Kurt Cobain was a fan. So I always assumed that the kitschy cuteness and naivety was a put-on, self conscious, presented with a dose of irony. Nope. After hearing their set, I can attest that there are no clever winks, there is no irony at all. They are simply cute, period. Fresh, wide-eyed energy is their thing and in a simple, direct way, that’s exactly the vibe they put out. Example: in between songs, the bassist, struggling with her English, said, “We not have time for sight-see. But we see Golden Gate Bridge! Fisherman’s Warf! Now have good memories.” All said with a beaming smile. She embraced the Kodak moment, wasn’t making fun of it. Then they launched into a Ramones-esq punk rock song—yes, even cute young Japanese women can rock hard. The songs they played include “Pig Out” (introduction: “Next song about barbecue party. Corns on the cob! Hot dog!”), “Banana Chip” (“Here’s a song about delicious snack.”), and my favorite song title, “Catnip Dream”.
When their set was over they rushed to the merchandise table and signed CDs and posters. The show wasn’t quite what I was expecting, which is a good thing. I guess I thought it would be too cutesy. If it had turned out they couldn’t rock, it would’ve been. Just goes to show that having the ability to rock out can often save the day. Viva Rock n Roll! Or as one man put it: Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World.
I’m tired now. (Pipe and slippers?) Guess I’ll fill you in on the other two shows in a later blog
The first show was at the venerable San Francisco club, Bottom of the Hill. Or as we musicians affectionately call it, BOTH (but really there’s only one). The band was Shonen Knife, an all-female, Japanese power-pop band that’s been around since the ’80s. Let me mention at this point that all three shows I attended had “old timer” bands, all of them formed in the ’80s. However, the women in Shonen Knife aren’t exactly wrinkled and gray. Truth be told, the bassist and drummer joined more recently and are in fact youngsters. The leader founded the band in 1981, probably before the two current newcomers were born. Still, she is very youthful and you’d hardly know there was such an age difference.
I’ve heard about Shonen Knife for many years, but aside from a few snippets here and there I’d never really checked out their music. Visually, their style is cute and bubbly; they have long, shiny hair and 60s-mod clothing. Keep in mind that this band is embraced by the indie/alternative rock world, and even Kurt Cobain was a fan. So I always assumed that the kitschy cuteness and naivety was a put-on, self conscious, presented with a dose of irony. Nope. After hearing their set, I can attest that there are no clever winks, there is no irony at all. They are simply cute, period. Fresh, wide-eyed energy is their thing and in a simple, direct way, that’s exactly the vibe they put out. Example: in between songs, the bassist, struggling with her English, said, “We not have time for sight-see. But we see Golden Gate Bridge! Fisherman’s Warf! Now have good memories.” All said with a beaming smile. She embraced the Kodak moment, wasn’t making fun of it. Then they launched into a Ramones-esq punk rock song—yes, even cute young Japanese women can rock hard. The songs they played include “Pig Out” (introduction: “Next song about barbecue party. Corns on the cob! Hot dog!”), “Banana Chip” (“Here’s a song about delicious snack.”), and my favorite song title, “Catnip Dream”.
When their set was over they rushed to the merchandise table and signed CDs and posters. The show wasn’t quite what I was expecting, which is a good thing. I guess I thought it would be too cutesy. If it had turned out they couldn’t rock, it would’ve been. Just goes to show that having the ability to rock out can often save the day. Viva Rock n Roll! Or as one man put it: Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World.
I’m tired now. (Pipe and slippers?) Guess I’ll fill you in on the other two shows in a later blog
Sep 6, 2010
Rhoda and My Parents and Norman
Rhoda, the old 70s TV show, is now out on Shout Factory video. (This company also put out some fascinating Dick Cavett shows—the Fred Astaire episode is one to watch). Rhoda, as you may remember, was Mary Richards’ (Mary Tyler Moore) friend who moved back to New York for a spin-off show. Rhoda’s sister is played by Julie Kavner who’s wonderful in the role.
So this is my life? Watching reruns? Ken Kesey, back in the days after he’d written Cuckoo’s Nest and Sometimes a Great Notion, was asked if he was working on anything—it had been a long time. He replied something like, Well, I guess I should get going on something, but it’s awfully tempting to sit and watch Gilligan’s Island reruns. It seems he didn’t end up writing anything too noteworthy after that. Uh oh.
The first time I ever heard the word gay was on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. I must’ve been around 10. Rhoda fixes Mary up on a date with some guy. The next day, Rhoda wants to know all about the date, what was he like? Mary says, “He’s smart and funny … and he’s gay.” I asked whoever was watching the show with me what that meant. (Was it my parents? Probably not—I think it was the next door neighbor girls).
So I didn’t know what homosexuality was till age 10. Interesting, since my parents had a couple of gay friends. But these friends didn’t live in the area when I was growing up (one of them had moved to Greece) so I didn’t know them. When my mom was in college she had two men friends: my future dad, Merle, and this other friend of theirs, Norman. (My grandma was always giving my mom Merle Norman cosmetics because of her two beaus.) Well, as it all turned out, my mom married Merle, and Norman was gay. He was a concert pianist, and one of his fellow pianists was his lover. My parents didn’t know about this until years later when they were all in their 30s (probably in the late 1940s or early 50s). The story goes, one day Norman gathered some of his friends around him, including my parents, and announced he was gay. A brave and potentially perilous thing to do back in those days (hell, sometimes even in these days, unfortunately). I think it speaks to the strength of Norman’s and my parents’ friendship that he felt he could make that announcement without some kind of awful consequences.
I did get to meet Norman shortly before he died when I was 11. My parents took me and my brother on a long trip abroad, including the Greek island of Paros. This is where Norman lived as a kind of recluse. He had his grand piano, but his career (for reasons unknown to me) was behind him. I remember the sleeping quarters were kind of cold and damp, and I remember one night waking up in the middle of the night, crying and moaning—the night frights. It was Norman who heard me and was in my room before my parents. By the time my parents got there I was already well-comforted. Though the time was too brief for me to know him well, I remember Norman being a very warm person, someone I could trust.
So this is my life? Watching reruns? Ken Kesey, back in the days after he’d written Cuckoo’s Nest and Sometimes a Great Notion, was asked if he was working on anything—it had been a long time. He replied something like, Well, I guess I should get going on something, but it’s awfully tempting to sit and watch Gilligan’s Island reruns. It seems he didn’t end up writing anything too noteworthy after that. Uh oh.
The first time I ever heard the word gay was on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. I must’ve been around 10. Rhoda fixes Mary up on a date with some guy. The next day, Rhoda wants to know all about the date, what was he like? Mary says, “He’s smart and funny … and he’s gay.” I asked whoever was watching the show with me what that meant. (Was it my parents? Probably not—I think it was the next door neighbor girls).
So I didn’t know what homosexuality was till age 10. Interesting, since my parents had a couple of gay friends. But these friends didn’t live in the area when I was growing up (one of them had moved to Greece) so I didn’t know them. When my mom was in college she had two men friends: my future dad, Merle, and this other friend of theirs, Norman. (My grandma was always giving my mom Merle Norman cosmetics because of her two beaus.) Well, as it all turned out, my mom married Merle, and Norman was gay. He was a concert pianist, and one of his fellow pianists was his lover. My parents didn’t know about this until years later when they were all in their 30s (probably in the late 1940s or early 50s). The story goes, one day Norman gathered some of his friends around him, including my parents, and announced he was gay. A brave and potentially perilous thing to do back in those days (hell, sometimes even in these days, unfortunately). I think it speaks to the strength of Norman’s and my parents’ friendship that he felt he could make that announcement without some kind of awful consequences.
I did get to meet Norman shortly before he died when I was 11. My parents took me and my brother on a long trip abroad, including the Greek island of Paros. This is where Norman lived as a kind of recluse. He had his grand piano, but his career (for reasons unknown to me) was behind him. I remember the sleeping quarters were kind of cold and damp, and I remember one night waking up in the middle of the night, crying and moaning—the night frights. It was Norman who heard me and was in my room before my parents. By the time my parents got there I was already well-comforted. Though the time was too brief for me to know him well, I remember Norman being a very warm person, someone I could trust.
Sep 5, 2010
Polly Jean Harvey
I was a dumbass. In the early 90s I bought an EP by PJ Harvey, 50 Foot Queenie, and it had some raw and rocking songs, including one or two she recorded in her living room. I liked it. Then I bought the fully produced CD that came out around the same time called Rid of Me. I decided it was pretentious and fussy, so I sold the CD and wrote her off.
Fast forward to last year. I decided to revisit her music and bought her early record, Dry. Every time I listen to it, it becomes more amazing. She is a force. Check out her ability to rock out in a meaningful way here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMmJsszNkM8
Now check her out paired up with Bjork. This is a lesson in how to rock hard without the benefit of a rhythm section (it’s just the two singing and Polly Jean playing electric guitar). Polly Jean rocks, Bjork shreds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AX2bcWtg1Q
I’ve discovered she’s been putting out great stuff all along. I’m currently listening to her 2007 release, White Chalk. It seems she’s constantly pushing forward with new ways of expressing herself. So she’s a great rocker? This record has no rock songs on it—hardly an electric guitar or drum set to be heard, mostly piano and vocals. So she’s “experimenting”? The problem with an experiment is that it’s very uncertain. But her music always seems to be sure-footed (notice how she moves around on those high heels).
All this time I could’ve been going to her shows, but I didn’t because I’d written her off. Wish I’d gotten it sooner.
Fast forward to last year. I decided to revisit her music and bought her early record, Dry. Every time I listen to it, it becomes more amazing. She is a force. Check out her ability to rock out in a meaningful way here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMmJsszNkM8
Now check her out paired up with Bjork. This is a lesson in how to rock hard without the benefit of a rhythm section (it’s just the two singing and Polly Jean playing electric guitar). Polly Jean rocks, Bjork shreds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AX2bcWtg1Q
I’ve discovered she’s been putting out great stuff all along. I’m currently listening to her 2007 release, White Chalk. It seems she’s constantly pushing forward with new ways of expressing herself. So she’s a great rocker? This record has no rock songs on it—hardly an electric guitar or drum set to be heard, mostly piano and vocals. So she’s “experimenting”? The problem with an experiment is that it’s very uncertain. But her music always seems to be sure-footed (notice how she moves around on those high heels).
All this time I could’ve been going to her shows, but I didn’t because I’d written her off. Wish I’d gotten it sooner.
Aug 29, 2010
Blog #1
Drank some drinks with a friend, he played for me on his piano Stravinsky's Serenade in A and then we watched Mystery Science Theater 3000 about some kid who's trying to be a hobo on a freight train (it was called The Girl in Lover's Lane), then I went home and started reading Housekeeping, which also has trains/hobos and was written by Marilynne Robinson and now I've finished it and it was very good, lyrical in a scary kind of way. Read it.
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