March 9th, Friday, was a big day. Lots of coincidences. I could not believe it.
Start it off: "When I'm Gone"
Recently I began reading Just Kids by Patti Smith. The book is a chronicle of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe and their concurrent rise in the art world. When I first picked it up I read 65 pages without stopping. I completed the whole book in about a week, often reading at work while I scanned archival WWII documents or current valid photo IDs. I finished on March 9th, 24 years to day Robert died.
On the train on the way home I decided to listen to Horses. I must have taken it off my iPod because all that exists under P is Phil Ochs. On the Manhattan bridge my phone rang. I answered it--my sister--a family friend passed away--as soon as we hung up, Mom called from California. The train was moving slowly so I was able to take both calls. It is still March 9th. Two deaths on March 9th.
I put my headphones back in and it was Phil singing When I'm Gone, about who will do the political art/works when he's gone. It could have been any song as iPod was on Phil's "There But for Fortune" album shuffle. I kind of turned it off and sat stunned thinking about impermanence and the universe.
Later that night I went to see Laurie Anderson perform Delusions* (that's your cue--switch it up) at Pace University, downtown on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. How can you describe music? Laurie's not just music, but video, video on screens and a couch, and tiny with spiky hair and a suitish outfit and sparkle shoes. And Fenway Bergamot also--every scary robot voice from any scary AI movie. *This is not the best recording but I found it the most resonant now, writing, and it has many segments of the performance.
Laurie mentioned the priest who helped her when her mother died. She went back to Chicago. The priest told her how to say goodbye to her mother--Laurie said she couldn't say she loved her; the priest told her to say she cared. Laurie said the priest was also Robert's priest. Robert's! The same Robert's! It was still March 9.
Start it off: "When I'm Gone"
Recently I began reading Just Kids by Patti Smith. The book is a chronicle of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe and their concurrent rise in the art world. When I first picked it up I read 65 pages without stopping. I completed the whole book in about a week, often reading at work while I scanned archival WWII documents or current valid photo IDs. I finished on March 9th, 24 years to day Robert died.
I put my headphones back in and it was Phil singing When I'm Gone, about who will do the political art/works when he's gone. It could have been any song as iPod was on Phil's "There But for Fortune" album shuffle. I kind of turned it off and sat stunned thinking about impermanence and the universe.
Later that night I went to see Laurie Anderson perform Delusions* (that's your cue--switch it up) at Pace University, downtown on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. How can you describe music? Laurie's not just music, but video, video on screens and a couch, and tiny with spiky hair and a suitish outfit and sparkle shoes. And Fenway Bergamot also--every scary robot voice from any scary AI movie. *This is not the best recording but I found it the most resonant now, writing, and it has many segments of the performance.
Laurie mentioned the priest who helped her when her mother died. She went back to Chicago. The priest told her how to say goodbye to her mother--Laurie said she couldn't say she loved her; the priest told her to say she cared. Laurie said the priest was also Robert's priest. Robert's! The same Robert's! It was still March 9.
No comments:
Post a Comment