Strand Fan
AS Spiros & I headed home we wended our way through the EV enroute to the
Union Square subway when I spied the book-laden tables outside
Strand. Immediately I was drawn to one of my top favorite places in the city but S. bawked til I pointed out the "$1" sign stuck above some of the tables. Then he, too, wanted to investigate but was adamantly against actually entering--since he knows well that, once inside a bookstore, it can be hours before I emerge.
Of course, once close enough to get a peek inside at some of the 18 miles of books within, a new Strand fan was born! An opportunity for me to remind him that the Strand is the place I went to research & prepare for my first trip to Greece--where I met him 12 1/2 years ago! My used copy of "
The Rough Guide to Greek Islands (1995)," was what I read to acquaint myself with Hellas in general and Hydra in particular. In the back was my first language lesson with a list of phrases for the traveler.
After a mere hour or so my haul included a hand-sized edition of "
Socrates," for a fresh reading of the Symposium and all its talk of love--my book's central theme & a topic of endless discussion/speculation; a new edition of "
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" to aid me so I can continue to deepen my physical practice; and a pretty little edition of "
Edna St. Vincent Millay: Selected Poems," with its blue-and-white cover & satin ribbon marker. Meanwhile, S. was deeply immersed in the Music section scoping out a trove of tomes stuffed into packed shelves & piled high on carts blocking the narrow aisles.
Labels: books, music, philosophy, poetry, poets, reading, travel, writers, yoga
Anne Waldman: Collaborative Works
Went down to the EV last night to witness
Anne Waldman at the
Poetry Project at
St. Mark's. Wow--what a night! Waldman & her posse of collaborators presented a full evening of words, music, images & dance. In The "Manatee/Humanity" Project, dancer
Douglas Dunn, in grey jumpsuit & cap, slithered his way up the center aisle in kinetic accompaniment to Waldman's incantatory 7-part meditation/manifesto on the plight of our world as seen from the perspective of these gentle mammalian water creatures. Providing the mesmerizing sonics was
Ambrose Bye, sporting a lovely purple
Naropa t-shirt, who spun musical webs around his mom's monoliths of words. Musician, poet & ethnomusicologist
Steven Taylor, currently with the
Fugs, formerly with the False Prophets, did the music & vocals for The "Usura" Project: "Cyborg on the Zattere" a work-in-progress. Julie Patton, rocking a great head wrap, was substituting for Akilah Oliver & lent her ethereal voice to an improvisation of "G Spot." The short DVD "Colors in the Mechanism of Concealment," was a visual/aural exploration of Guantanamo's legacy on us all & included pictures by Waldmans' husband, Ed Bowes & paintings by the late poet-artist,
George Schneeman. Waldman wrapped up the evening with "Show My Face," accompanied by Bye on the baby grand. On the way back to the N/R I stopped in at the
St. Mark's Bookshop to browse some books and magazines & scope out the bulletin board.
Labels: books, dance, film, humanity, manatees, music, painting, performance, photography, poetry, poets, writers
Tanya & Andre Have a Soiree!
Rain started coming down lightly as I walked the few blocks to
P.A.B.T. to catch a bus over to the Garden State for a backyard BBQ. Carried the couscous I'd made for the occasion, along with
Elizabeth Kostovo's brilliant--& big!--"The Historian," to read on the ride & hurried through the throngs of tourists--only knocking down a couple!--to get under cover before the skies really opened.
By the time the BBQ got underway the rain had stopped & the sun made a showing & it turned out to be perfect weather for the al fresco affair. Our host Andre who hails from
Rio (congrats to the Cidade Maravilhosa [Marvelous City] on snagging the 2016 Olympics!) was expertly concocting
caipirinhas in the kitchen. This sweet drink made w/fresh lime juice was def. putting people in a party mood! (after awhile A. was getting caipirinha elbow from smooshing millions of limes). We ate all the great food our lovely hostess Tanya had prepared & that people had brought--man, what a menu! Everything was scrumptious like the
spanakopita T.'s mom made; beet salad, potato salad, green salad and rice & beans. Plus, they'd fired up the
Jenn-Air & grilled Italian sausages, lamb kebobs & salmon--served w/T.'s delicious tropical salsa. For dessert: the wonderful spice cookies & lemon-creme cookies Lora made & the eye-popping, rich red cake Dorhyne
, Christoph & Christian contributed. A wonderful day in Wayne thanks to Tanya & Andre!Interesting conversations ensued including some political talk & the sorry state of health care in this country (see my 9/22 post re the
'Big Insurance: Sick of It' rally I attended) & how organizations like
MoveOn.org are helping to mobilize the millions of Americans who need a public option--NOW.
Thank you to Joris & Jessica for the lift back to the city-- including a fuel stop somewhere in the wilds of NJ where flag-wavin' grizzlies roam....
Labels: BBQ, books, drinks, food, friends, grilling, health-care reform, public option, writers
