Monthly Archives: November 2006
A VERY HOT NIGHT AT BROOKLYN READING WORKS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS
THREE GREAT WRITERS at the Old Stone House. Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets. 8 p.m.
Elissa Schappell is the author of USE ME, which was a finalist for a Pen/Hemingway award. She is co-editor with Jenny Offill of THE FRIEND WHO GOT AWAY and the forthcoming MONEY CHANGES EVERTYTHING. The co-founder of TIN HOUSE with Rob Spillman and Win McCormick, Elissa also writes the HOT
TYPE column in Vanity Fair.
Ilene Starger, is a poet whose work has appeared in
Bayou, Oyez Review, Georgetown Review, and numerous other magazines.
She was a finalist for the 2005 Ann Stanford Prize.
Darcey Steinke is the author of SUICIDE BLONDE (chosen as a New York Times notable book of the year), UP FROM THE WATER and JESUS SAVES.
Come one, come all. You won’t want to miss this one.
Pouilly-Fume, Chardonnay, Pouilly-Fuisse, Sancerre.” I chant my mantra in the backseat of our white rental car: ELISSA SCHAPPELL AT BRW
ELISSA SCHAPPELL will read on Thursday November 16th at Brooklyn Reading works at 8 p.m. The Old Stone House. Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets. Five dollars.
Excerpt from her novel, USE ME:
Pouilly-Fume, Chardonnay, Pouilly-Fuisse, Sancerre." I chant my mantra in the backseat of our white rental car, Josephine, as we speed through the Loire Valley countryside, past chateaus and vineyards and endless rows of grapevines.
It’s not fair that all my friends get to be normal and go to the beach, and I have to go to France and be a total Albino. I barely ever see the sun because my parents are constantly dragging me and Dee through every museum, church, and restaurant in France. We spent two whole days in the Louvre!
Oh she was high as they flew nowhere in particular in Ted’s white Ford with the harelip fender: DARCEY STEINKE AT BROOKLYN READING WORKS
DARCEY STEINKE WILL BE READING AT BROOKLYN READING WORKS ON THURSDAY NOV. 16TH AT 8 P.M.
At the Old Stone House. Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets. 8 p.m.
Excerpt from Jesus Saves by Darcey Steinke:
Oh she was high as they flew nowhere in particular in Ted’s white Ford with the harelip fender. Her dirty blonde hair whipped around her face. A single strand caught on her tongue as she sucked the sweet pot smoke. Her lungs tightened and she coughed a little, ran one finger down her cheekbone and set the taut hair free, then pressed the joint into the ashtray. Tears swamped her vision and the car swelled gently around her. The light changed from red to a textured leaflike green, as if life itself gestated behind the curve of glass. It was a sign for her to levitate off the seat, slip out the window and fly up, like a piece of paper caught in a whirlwind, high over this place until the houses looked like strings of Christmas lights and the mall a Middle Eastern mecca.
We grew dizzy with the ending: ILENE STARGER AT BRW
ILENE STARGER WILL READ AT BRW ON NOV. 16th AT 8 p.m.
The Old Stone House. Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets.
Ferris Wheel, 1966 by Ilene Starger
Asleep by day, a steel colossus;
at night, high-powered neon, glorious.
I begged you to take me to it,
centerpiece of the country fair;
August sign of summer’s passing.
Much unsaid beneath bright surfaces.
I begged you to lead me to it,
paradise, found: the Wheel,
pleasure palace, rentable
for one dollar.
Coupled behind the safety bar,
we sat in our private car, an awkward
father-daughter pair.
Urged on by electricity and shouts,
the Wheel, ringed planet,
began its rotation. We rose
above our lives; gravity was gone.
Your sweater hugged my shoulders.
Suspended, we seemed close
to stars; we dipped into their silence.
You would leave us soon.
I saw it in the distance, asterisked,
the price of flood-lit beauty.
The Wheel’s gears, jittery, groaned;
descent, toward slow ground.
We grew dizzy with the ending:
our dollar’s worth, one ride.
Another century; starred
words, suspended, in cool dark.
PARK SLOPE IN A STATE OF JOY OVER ELECTION RESULTS
Park Slopers are reacting with joy to the results from last week’s mid-term elections. At a dinner party on Saturday night someone said, "After the elections we have so much more in common with the rest of the country."
Who said that? It might have been me.
A palpable feeling of relief, the elections make Park Slopers feel like there’s real consensus about the mess in Iraq.
In a cab yesterday, returning home from Louis and Capathia’s show at Joe’s Pub, a friend said that her heart breaks for the family members of those soldiers who’ve died in Iraq. How can they live with that pain? she asked out loud.
Indeed, Americans collectively mourn the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives (civilian and military) and fear for the lives of the troops in Iraq, as well as the lives of innocent civilians.
In the cab, we also discussed how we heard the cheering news of Rumsfeld’s resignation. That event in tandem with the election results was a double whammy. News of his resignation spread through the city like wild fire. An actress friend heard the news over headphones just before the Wednesday matinee performance of a Broadway play. "Rumsfield has resigned," the stage manager told those who were listening. The night before, that same stage manager was delivering state-by-state results to the actors and tech crew.
I heard about it during the Leonard Lopate show on WNYC during my work shift at the Food Coop. Where were you when you heard that Rumsfeld resigned?
There’s a feeling of unity that hasn’t been felt since the weeks after 9/11. Even the Europeans must be relieved that the American public has spoken and have expressed their dissatisfaction with Bush’s policies in Iraq loud and clear.
For the first time in years, Park Slopers and the rest of America can feel proud to be American. Let’s see what happens next. Hopefully this consensus will mean that peaceful decisions are made that make the world a better and less deadly place. Please.
HOMEWORK AND GREEN NEWS FROM SEEING GREEN
This piece about homework from Seeing Green. Go to the site for his weekly, Green News of the Week:
"What day is it?" asks the little D as we go to school in the morning.
"Thursday," I reply, and can’t help adding, "and what day is
tomorrow?" You see he still has a tenuous grasp of the sequence of
weekdays, and I figure a little impromptu drilling can’t hurt. He
ignores the question in his usual pre-teenage way."Yay! No homework today!" he yells.
"Why not?" I ask.
Well, it turns out that his class has managed to be "good" enough on
every occasion when it counted towards a star, or, more accurately, a
marble which was placed in a jar. When the jar is full, they have no
homework for a weekful of days, which they, again collectively, decided
to take one day off a week on Thursdays. Apparently a marble can be
taken out too, for "bad" behavior. Seems to be a school rule, as D
claims that any teacher can affect the marble level."You mean that if you (not putting him on the spot or anything) are bad, the whole class is ‘punished?’"
"Yup."
"But everyone has to be good to have a marble added?"
"Yup."
And I thought collective punishment was outlawed under the Geneva Conventions…oops, I forgot that as of Oct 19, 2006,
our dear lame-duck President Bush had decided that these laws no longer
apply to the inhabitants of these United States of America.Didn’t take long for the news to hit the local schools, did it? Just kidding…
But on a more interesting note, what does this say about the
symbolism of homework as conveyed by our school? If you can avoid
homework by being "good" (albeit collectively), then:
- Homework must not be "necessary" for academic success.
- Homework is "bad" and a chore.
Is this what the little D needs to hear?
And do the authors of the book mentioned by me and originally by OTBKB (here) a few weeks ago, "How Homework is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It", who’d agree with D in considering homework evil, or at least non-productive, know about this trend?
GUESSING GAME
My twin sister and I frequent many of the same shops. But only in two of them can the confusion cause a problem.
It’s become a guessing game for the people in Palma Pharmacy and Personal Cleaners.
Everytime I walk into to Palma to pick up a prescription, Frank, the nice white haired man (without the beard) tries to guess. "Caroline," he’ll shout out as I walk into the store. "Wrong,{ I’ll say. "Louise, I’m Louise."
It’s a little game. He looks disappointed when he gets it wrong. "You fooled me again, Louise." And he’s always apologetic.
It’s important that he get it right because I don’t want to get the wrong prescription and visa versa.
Same thing at Personal Cleaners. Claudia, the beauty who works there, never knows the difference. But she never tries to guess. She just gets a funny look on her face like, I have no idea who you are. The first thing I do is give her my phone number so that she can figure it out.
"You had me fooled again," she said.
I don’t understand it. I think I look different enough from my sister. But when we’re without kids (sis has a 2-year old red head and I’ve got a nine year old brunette) they can usually figure it out.
But when we’re alone. Forget it. It’s like we’re one person — something we’ve been hearing our entire lives.
Oh well. Maybe Frank and Claudia will figure it out one of these days.
GOOD LUCK KIWI LADIES
Looks like Kiwi, the Seventh Avenue dress shop, is set to re-open in its new space today or tomorrow. I saw the Kiwi ladies pushing a clothing rack up Seventh Avenue from their old shop on Seventh near Berkeley to their new space where Soundtrack used to be (on Seventh Avenue between Carroll and President).
The opening of a new shop on Seventh Avenue is such a big deal. Especially if it’s not a real estate firm. The windows are always covered with brown paper to enhance the suspense.
Ooooh. What kind of store is this going to be? What’s it going to look like? Ooooh.
Seventh Avenue is our urban theater. We all walk up and down that street so often, it’s like being tuned to the same channel and there’s a new show.
Oooooh.
Word has it that Kiwi is spending upwards of $8000 per month on rent. That’s a lot of moola. They are a popular store and they’ve already moved from a side street to the main drag. This move could be the tipping point for them. I hope they don’t have to raise their already heady prices.
Everyone I knows likes their clothing especially their corderoy pants and sweaters. They’re local designers and entrepreneurs so we’re happy about that. My one complaint, they’re a little pushy when you walk in. I like to shop very quietly with very little interaction (I am very self conscious when I shop).
One friend said they always say that whatever she tries on looks FANTASTIC. But knowing her, it probably does look FANTASTIC.
Whatever. Shop and support local talent. Good luck Kiwi ladies in your new digs.
LIBERTY HEIGHTS: SOMETHING CLICKED
Something clicked at Liberty Heights Tap Room Saturday afternoon as all four teen bands played their hearts out and each presented a very unique sound. The New York Times was there so expect a piece in the Style section soon. With pictures. This scene isn’t just cute anymore. These are talented kids, who are taking their music very seriously. Impressario Steve DiPatula seemed stoked – he genuinely likes to support the kids who have made his stage their home away from home.
Cool and Unusual: In their longest set ever, they were tight and melodic. They alternated between their polyrhythmic instrumentals and complex, well-crafted originals. The vocals were spot-on and the bass and drums were, as always, cool and unusual. Highlights included: 2L, the Test, Rain Song and the Odyssey. They brought back an old favorite cover, "Where is My Mind" which sounded great.
Dulaney Banks: Think Janis Joplin singing with Robert Johnson and you’ll get some idea of this incredible vocal and blues guitar duo (Kane Balser and Julia Banks Harris). Handpicked work songs from Alan Lomax’s collection, lots of blues, some originals and a really dirgey, down and dirty, "Me and Bobby McGee."
Fiasco: In a 40 minute instrumental set, they improvised like free jazzers banging, strumming, picking, reverbing and changing instruments. Quite impressive the way they held it together and held the attention of the audience.
Jet Lag: An edgy Jimi Hendrix vibe with the intense and lanky Luca Balser on vocals. He even played piano at one point. With tight bass, drums, and guitar, they are good to go as one of the new major bands in this thriving teen scene.
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
FLOYD BENNET FIELD: AVIATOR SPORTS AND RECREATION
This from NY 1:
Former Knicks player John Starks helped
inaugurate a basketball court, the latest addition to the new Aviator
Sports and Recreation facility at Floyd Bennet Field. The
state-of-the-art sports complex inside an old airplane hangar will have
its grand opening later this month, but parts of it are already
operating. Reporters got a tour of the center Thursday, the same day
Madison Square Garden announced it is becoming a partner in the
operation."Aviator presents an enormous opportunity for the residents of
Brooklyn and parts of Queens to experience a world class facility that
rivals anything else operating today, with the additional benefit of
the unique association with Madison Square Garden and its sports
teams,” said President of MSG Sports Steve Mills.
Continue reading FLOYD BENNET FIELD: AVIATOR SPORTS AND RECREATION
THE LIMBO ROOM: SISTERS MAKE MOVIES
DON’T MISS a film written by my friend, Jill Eisenstadt.
The Limbo Room with a screenplay by Park Slope novelist, Jill Eisenstadt,
and directed by her sister Debra Eisenstadt wll be playing at the
Avignon/New York Film Festival at Hunter College in the Kaye Playhouse
on 69th Street between Park and Lexington Avenue.
Dates:
Thursday, November 16th at 1 p.m.
Saturday November 18th at 7 p.m.
for tix: www.avignonfilmfest.com
Also at the Queens International Film Festival
Friday November 17th at 7 p.m.
3412 36th Street
Astoria, Queens
SMARTMOM WANTS HEPCAT FRAMED
Here’s this week’s Smartmom from the Brooklyn Papers:
Smartmom was so impressed with the Annie Leibovitz show at the
Brooklyn Museum — with its ravishing shots of Demi, Brad, Scarlett and
a host of family and friends of the photographer’s — that she decided
it was about time she had her very own digital camera.
Not that there’s any shortage of family pictures around Smartmom’s
apartment. Being married to a professional photographer means that
every event large or small gets duly documented.
Still, Smartmom thinks it’s time she had her own camera because
having her own private paparazzi has made her lazy and a bit bossy.
“Get plenty of pictures of the bride,” she told Hepcat at the
wedding of her second cousin in Baltimore, or “Get that shot of City
Councilman David Yassky dressed as Elvis Presley,” she commanded at the
recent Park Slope Halloween Parade.
When Smartmom channels Lina Wertmuller (thick Italian accent, dark glasses, and all) it gets on Hepcat’s nerves big time.
But being married to a photographer can be annoying, too. A simple
trip to the Food Co-op to buy free range chicken thighs and Newman O’s,
can involve lots of stop and go while Hepcat grabs shot after shot.
After years of this, Smartmom just keeps walking; she and Hepcat generally travel two to three blocks apart.
So getting a digital camera seems like a good idea for a bunch of reasons.
First off, it would give Smartmom something to do while Hepcat is
taking pictures of the Key Food sign or one of his other artsy muses.
Second, she’ll get the shots she really wants: the people, places, and things that really matter to her.
But most important, she’ll finally have some pictures of Hepcat. She hardly has any of those.
Truth is, it’s just plain weird that the family album of their lives
is missing one of its major characters. Not that he’s completely
absent. Like Alfred Hitchcock, Hepcat sneaks himself into a photo from
time to time, but it’s usually just his shadow or his finger slipping
into the frame.
Diaper Diva doesn’t have that problem at all. She manages to shoot a lot of pictures of herself with Ducky.
Of course, everything Ducky does is a photo op as far as Diaper Diva
is concerned: Ducky at the Third Street Playground. Ducky at Beth
Elohim. Ducky with her dad. Ducky at ConnMuffCo. Ducky at Music
Together. It’s all Ducky, all the time.
In July, Diaper Diva took more than 300 shots of the red-haired
mini-Diva in the inflatable kiddie pool in the backyard of their summer
rental in Sag Harbor.
And she’s even good about ordering prints for the extended family, as a way to keep everyone appraised of Ducky’s every move.
Not so for Smartmom. It’s just not her thing. And she never
understood why people needed pictures of themselves in front of famous
sites like the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the Botanic
Gardens. Haven’t you already seen a trillion pictures of those places,
already?
It’s not that Smartmom doesn’t love to have visual evidence of what
she and her family have been up to for the last 15 years. But her
snapshots tend to be the stories she writes in her journal, her blog,
and her column. She records the important moments in her mind, paying
special attention to the sensory details, the words and the humor.
And like a good reporter, she makes notes in her trusty Moleskin notebook. Just in case.
Still, sometimes you really need a camera.
Like last week, when she and Hepcat were walking up Lincoln Place.
Hepcat noticed a bird standing very still on the sidewalk. As Smartmom
continued up the street (she figured he was stopping to take yet
another photo), Hepcat picked up the bird and cradled it in his hands.
“I think there’s something wrong with this bird,” he said as he stared lovingly at it. “I’m not sure it can fly.”
Smartmom walked toward Hepcat and savored the image of her six-foot-tall urban farm boy handling the tiny bird.
“I think it’s a finch or a thrush,” he said, making Smartmom wish she had a camera.
They stood on Lincoln Place for more than 10 minutes trying to
figure out what to do. Hepcat bonded with the bird and considered
taking it home. But as they approached Eighth Avenue, the bird flew off
to a tree in front of the Montauk Club.
Hepcat rushed over to make sure it was all right.
Moments like these say so much about Hepcat. A picture would have
been worth thousands of words as it expressed the gentle, animal-loving
side of Hepcat that Smartmom adores and few get to see.
So that decides it. She’s off to B&H to pick up a simple
point-and-shoot. She knows that her snapshots won’t be nearly as
interesting as Hepcat’s or Diaper Divas. But at least the next time
Hepcat does anything even vaguely photogenic, she’ll be at the ready to
record another small, decisive moment in their lives.
NOTE: Today’s Pix of the Day is Hepcat’s beloved bird.
GRILLED CHEESE WITH GROOVY GRANDPA
Smartmom is always thrilled to have lunch with Groovy Grandpa. They rarely get together one on one. Usually, they meet for dinner as a large group with his wife, Mima Cat, Hepcat and the kids. Sometimes Diaper Diva, Ducky, and Bro-in-Law are dialed into the mix.
But lunch alone with Groovy Grandpa is a rare treat. Except for one thing: he’s got a thing greasy spoon coffee shops.
It’s not that he’s not a gourmand. Groovy Grandpa is always up on the latest Brooklyn and Manhattan restaurants. And MiMa Cat is an incredible cook, who specializes in French and Italian specialties.
But for lunch, he likes to keep it simple. Sandwich. Tap Water. Neat.
This time, wanted to go to the Park Diner on Seventh Avenue, the coffee shop between Berkeley and Union.
But Smartmom suggested they try someplace he’d never been: the diner on Flatbush Avenue across from the Crunch Fitness.
GG liked the look of the place: it has a roomy, vaguely Art Deco feel. They sat in a nice booth. and the waitress, wearing a Rolling Stones T-shirt, handed GG the gigantic menu. "What is this, Voltaire?" he said handling the gigantic, multi-paged book with full color pictures of everything from Belgium pancakes to Mousakka.
GG is a risky kind of guy: "It’s always dangerous to order chicken salad in Greek Diners," GG told Smartmom. "You never know what kind of mayo they’ll use." Still, something compelled him to order it.
Smartmom, who has been to this diner quite a few times always orders their delicious, small Greek salad with a side of toasted Pita.
While they waited for their lunch choices, GG told Smartmom that MiMa Cat was at home preparing the Brazilian national dish, a stew that has twelve kinds of meats, including organ meats, linguisa, and blood sausage, for a dinner party they’re having on Sunday. MiMa Cat is an adventurous cook, who likes challenging, labor intensive dishes like cassoulet.
When GG’s chicken salad sandwich arrived, he looked dubious. The chicken salad appeared blenderized, completely smooth. He took one bite. "This is awful," he said. Smartmom advised him to send it back. He decided to order a grilled cheese instead.
Get grilled swiss on rye Smartmom advised. GG waved the waitress over, handed her his sandwich plate and ordered American cheese on white bread.
While he waited for sandwich number two, GG eyed the plates of food the waitress carried to other tables. "Gee, looks like I ordered the wrong thing," he said as he saw milk shakes, fried chicken, and cheeseburger deluxe dance by.
Finally his grilled cheese arrived. GG went straight for the small paper cup of cole slaw. One bite of the grilled cheese later he said, "Yuck. The Amercian cheese is so salty."
What did you expect? Smartmom wondered.
No, but this is really salty.
GG left half a sandwich on his plate. They moved on to other topics. So what if the lunch wasn’t top notch, the food is never the draw.
It’s the conversation. That’s the what it’s all about anyway.
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
OUR NEW TV
The family that for a few years lived without a television — Hepcat actually cut the cord once night because he was so sick and tired of it — just got a 32 inch LCD high definition.
television.
For those who are interested, we got it on sale at Best Buy. It’s a Westinghouse and it really was a good buy. Apparently, the price is going down some more next week.
Our new TV: It’s a big one and it arrived in a huge box yesterday. Smartmom and OSFO just let it sit in its box for an hour or so before cutting the box open just to see exactly how big it was.
When Hepcat got home, he unpacked the box, found the manual, and turned the thing on. There’s a whole bunch of set up that happens with a digital television. It needs to locate the signals – the stations that you get. On-screen text directs you through the process. It takes a few minutes.
For every network, there are two or three channels. One is regular broadcast, one is High Def. The High Def channels are incredible, expecially if they’re showing shows that were shot in High Def.
Our new TV is a flat screen beauty and we were utterly blown away by the reception (we’re a cableless household), the clarity, and the color.
THIS GOES OUT TO A FRIEND: YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE
I saw you today with your handsome hubby going for a walk in Prospect Park. You looked beautiful as always and you shared some of the details of your situation with me.
You are my hero. I’ve always loved your forward-thinking, fun, sparkling attitude about life. Even in this situation, as hard as it is, you haven’t lost your sparkle.
Which isn’t to say that you’re not feeling all sorts of other things, too. This may not be a walk in the park, but I hope you had a pleasant walk in our Prospect Park on this surprisingly warm fall day.
I’m sure you know how cherished you are by your friends. I hope you know that you inspire us every day. Now more than ever.
TRASH CAN AT ATM
A small trash recepticle at the Bank of America ATM (on Seventh Avenue and Union) has been moved between the two ATM machines. That makes it much easier for ATMers to toss their receipts and paper detritus. It used to be by the desk. It may be a little too small for the amount of paper garbage that’s generated over there but it’s a good start.
It seems to have made a huge difference. Overall, the place looks a lot neater.
I got a kick out of the fact that it was moved over there. Do you think someone who reads OTBKB put it there?
A PAINTER ON THE WEB
My friend Shawn Dulaney FINALLY has a website. And it is GORGEOUS. I am so excited for her and very tempted to buy one of these mono prints for my office (it would be so hard to pick a monoprint).
I am lucky to be the proud owner of quite a few Shawn Dulaney’s. Here’s who she is:
Noted painter Shawn Dulaney has exhibited her work nationally for
more than two decades, including important venues in New York, Santa
Fe, California, Pennsylvania and Colorado.
From The New York Times (Sunday, April 27, 2003):
"Stylistically, the paintings are a cross between the atmospherically
intense seascape paintings of J.M.W. Turner, and the impulsive,
intuitive abstractions of Cy Twombly. One distinct characteristic of
Ms. Dulaney’s work is the use of poetry; enigmatic words inscribed
directly into the wet acrylic paint. A soupy, drippy texture to the
acrylic paint characterizes all these works. The exquisitely painted
surfaces of all are a pleasure to see."
SENATE GOES TO THE DEMS
Republican Senator George Allen conceded to Virginia Democrat Jim Webb
Thursday, officially giving Democrats control of the Senate.
The results of the election were released last night, showing Webb
ahead of Senator George Allen by a little more than 7,000 votes, but it
was not until just this afternoon that Allen gave the official word he
was conceding.
Allen, who had been considered a possible presidential candidate
for 2008, said he believes a recount would not change the outcome of
Tuesday’s election.
"The people of Virginia, who I always call the owners of the
government, they have spoken, and I respect their decision," said
Allen. "The bible teaches us that there is a time and place for
everything. And, today I have called and congratulated Jim Webb and his
team for their victory."
Webb’s win gives the Democrats a sweep of six Republican Senate seats.
"We’re gonna work hard to bring a sense of reponsibility on our
foreign policy that will, in my view, result in a diplomatic solution
in Iraq," said Webb.
The breakdown in the Senate is now 51 Democrats to 49 Republicans, with Virginia giving Democrats the edge.
The Democrats have also won control the House, marking the first
time in 12 years that the party has controlled both houses of Congress.
The shift in power in the House was more decisive. Democrats won more than two dozen Republican seats to take control.
Representative Nancy Pelosi will take Republican Dennis Hastert’s
spot as Speaker of the House, making the California Democrat the first
female speaker.
Hastert has decided not run for minority leader.
FEELS LIKE THE START OF SPRING
Today reminded me of a song I wrote when I was 16 years old. It was written about a fall day just like today. I was humming it to myself all day.
Feels like the start of spring
but you know it’s just a funny fall day
Feels so pretty in this town
The leaves are changing back from brown
The birds are turning round and heading back north again
Oh mama, show me the way
to the playground
where we gonna play
Push me on a swing
Now we’re gonna sing
I got a long hard winter ahead but today is like the first day of spring
I got a long hard winter ahead but today is like the first day of spring
I LOVE THURSDAYS…
…because of OSFO’s piano lesson with piano teacher extradoniare, Helen Richmond, who uses a room at Old First Church. Sometimes the lesson is in the Sanctuary, which is really awesome (literally) place for a piano lesson. And for me, it’s great for meditating during the lesson.
But it gets cold in there and Helen has moved the lessons upstairs to room used by the Old First Nursery School, a glorious room with a vaulted ceiling and lots of light.
There are also lots of Little Tykes vehicles, legos, a plastic toy kitchen and plastic fruit and food. All kinds of equipment for the pre-school.
The room is infused with the spirit of the kids who play there during the day. Their names emblazoned on their cubbys. Their life-sized self-portraits on the wall.
OSFO is learning to make lovely music in that room. I listen, observe the room, answer the door downstairs for the next student.
Thursday has it’s own unique rhythm.
DOES THIS HAPPEN TO YOU?
Does this happen to you? You go into Manhattan – the big city as I call it – and you see a familiar face from Seventh Avenue. And both of you smile like, "Hey, what are you doing outside of Park Slope? I didn’t know they let people out of there?"
Sometimes I will actually converse with the familiar face as in: "Hi, don’t I know you from Park Slope?"
Times like that I feel so provincial like a Park Slope mouse venturing in the big city. Better get back before midnight or you’ll turn into a pumpkin.
OLD FIRST: NEW BLOG ON THE BLOCK
Pastor Daniel Meeter, of Old First Dutch Reformed Church (Seventh Avenue and Carroll Street), is a blogger. His blog, Old First, is just a couple of months old. But it gets you inside the head of one of the most thoughtful and spirit-full members of our community. We were talking a few weeks back and he told me that he was going to mention one of the homeless of Seventh Avenue in his Sunday sermon. I tried to get over to the service that Sunday at 11 a.m. but life and Boo-at-the-Zoo intervened. I am glad to see that he posted that sermon, as well as other sermons and observations on his blog. Here’s an excerpt:
One morning last week, on the church’s front steps I found Robert
sleeping. He’s the panhandler who has taken up residence in the shelter
of our building. He’s been drinking 24/7 and he worries me. I have told
him that during school hours he can’t sleep here, because the Nursery
School parents get upset. I figured if I had to wake him up to move him
at least I could feed him. I bought him a coffee and a fried egg
sandwich. I woke him up. He sat up, I gave it to him, and the first
thing he said was, "Dear Jesus thank you for this food. Thank you for
everything you’ve given me. Please bless me like you bless other
people. Amen."When he asked Jesus to bless him like other
people I found myself feeling the need for God’s mercy. Sometimes your
soul cries out for mercy. "Lord have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy
upon us. Lord have mercy upon us." Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
The
blind man Bartimaeus is a panhandler. His spot is just outside Jericho,
on the road up to Jerusalem, and he’s there because the pilgrims who
are going up to worship at the festivals will be generous with their
alms. Jesus passes on his way up to Jerusalem—this is just before Palm
Sunday. Jesus no longer is hiding his identity. He is the Messiah, the
Son of David returning to the city of David in order to set up the
kingdom of God.And to the Son of David the blind man cries for
mercy. What does he mean? What they say on Seventh Avenue? "Anything
will help. Anything will help." A little extra cash from the royal
purse? A disability pension from your new government? Or is it please
don’t exclude me from your kingdom just because I have a Gentile name
which I got from my Gentile father? Or please don’t exclude me because
I am unkosher, being blind, and not allowed in the temple, and barred
from all the rituals and practices? What does "Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me" mean?photo by Dope on the Slope (found on Flickr).
JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL
I grew up in Manhattan but my mother, her sister and brother-in-law and many others we knew were born and raised in Brooklyn.
"Where did you go to high school?" was always an important question to that generation of Brooklynites. And they could always tell you where Woody Allen, Barbra Streisand and others went to school.
My mother was in the first graduating class of Midwood High School. Her
sister and her husband went to Madison High School. They were and still are proud of their alma maters.
My uncle tells a story about a group of Madison High School alumni who wanted to make a gift to the school and were told that the school needed a trophy case. My uncle, a big high school and college athlete back in the 1930’s and 40’s, assumed it was for sport’s trophies. Nope. It was for all the chess trophies that the school has. Apparently they have (or had) an incredibly good chess team.
Here’s some news from the Brooklyn Record about Madison High School that will really make my uncle proud.
This week’s elections named Rep. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from
Vermont, as the successor to retiring Independent Sen. Jim Jeffords of
Vermont. At a Christian Science Monitor breakfast earlier this week
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) predicted the historical significance of
this win — when Sanders takes office, it will mark the first time the
the Senate would include a Democrat (Schumer himself), a Republican
(Norm Coleman of Minnesota), and an independent (Sanders) who all
graduated from the same high school — Brooklyn’s own James Madison High
School, a public school in Midwood. Can anybody report on how things
are going at H.S. 425 nowadays? According to Inside Schools, "Some 85%
of graduates go on to four-year colleges," and "unfortunately, metal
detectors are building fixture, something the principal is not crazy
about."
FALL CLEAN UP IN OUR YARD
A few of us from the building were talking today and we decided that we are going to have a yard cleaning day on Saturday.
Doesn’t that sound fun? We’ll rake leaves and bag them. Throw out (or deal with) the dead plants of summer. I’ll bring the apple cider and banana bread (just kidding about the banana bread).
We’ll make decisions about things that have accumulated out there, including Teen Spirit’s decorated school desk, which he found in a dumpster at PS 321 and decorated with a Sharpie. A female friend did the same on another desk (but she took hers home).
This desk is very important to him but most of the neighbors are tired of having it out there. Understandably, Mrs. Kravitz and Phizz wants it outta there. They’ve both hauled it to the curb on garbage night on different ocassions and someone (Teen Spirit?) keeps bringing it back.
Teen Spirit: if you want to save it take it upstairs and put it in your bedroom.
There was a flood in the basement the other day and a lot of stuff stored down there may be water damaged. We’ll also be tossing a lot of that stuff this weekend.
Fall cleaning and purging of stuff. Can’t wait.
NO WORDS_DAILY PIX BY HUGH CRAWFORD
GREEN BROOKLYN 2006: THE SUSTAINABLE CITY
TODAY AT BOROUGH HALL: 11:30 until 5 p.m.
Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment is excited to present the 2006 Green Brooklyn Conference: The Sustainable City, sponsored by Con Edison.
Location:
Borough Hall
209 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY
Directions:
Take the M/R to Court Street or the 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall.
Click HERE for a subway map of NYC.
Click HERE for an interactive road map.
Admission: FREE!
Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment
is excited to present the 2006 Green Brooklyn Conference: The
Sustainable City, sponsored by Con Edison. Featured speakers are: Jeffrey Hollender (CEO of Seventh Generation) and Co-keynote speakers Matthew D. Berman and Andrew Kotchen (Co-Principals of workshop/apd).
With discussion panels, hands-on workshops, and exhibitor tables; the
conference will bring new energy and excitement to discourse on the
built and natural environments and how to transform Brooklyn and all of
New York into a more sustainable city. The moderated discussion Panels
are entitled, "The Built Environment: Sustainable Development for the
21st Century" and "The Natural Environment: Conservation, Energy and
Sustainable Food for a Cleaner Greener Environment." Workshop topics
include: "Worms: Turning Waste to Wonder" and "Sustainable
Transportation". Panelists and Exhibitors will include: EPA Region 2,
Council on the Environment of NYC, NYC Office of Sustainable Design,
NYSERDA, Earth Pledge, Slow Food USA, Bettencourt Green Building
Supplies, Jonathan Rose Companies, Green Maps, Food Change, Sustainable
South Bronx, and many more.
Photo: from flickr
ATLANTIC YARDS REPORT: SPITZER ON AY
This from Atlantic Yards Report:
Spitzer on AY
Spitzer’s campaign told The Real Deal
that Spitzer seeks more transparency for the Atlantic Yards project,
which is proceeding under the auspices of the ESDC. What that would
mean exactly is unclear.
Note that Spitzer recently declared
that the most recent eight percent cut in the Atlantic Yards project
was "appropriate" and sufficient. It seemed clear he had little idea
that the project would be as large as initially proposed.Support for housing
Spitzer’s housing policy suggests new roles for the state, which has lagged behind New York City in supporting affordable housing. Advocates want the state to commit much more.
Some excerpts:
We
must increase the supply of affordable homes by using three tools that
New York State has: land, capital and increased densities where
appropriate. First, we must increase the amount of land
available for affordable housing. To increase supply, we should take
inventory of all public land to determine where building affordable
housing might be appropriate, revise the state’s Brownfields laws to
make it easier to build housing and create a "New York Affordable
Housing Land Trust Program"…
Second, we must improve access
to capital for homeowners and builders. We need to better leverage
current state and federal housing resources and permit the state’s
housing agencies to use more of their resources for the development of
affordable homes. We should also work with the State Comptroller’s
Office to expand its existing efforts to use a small portion of New
York State’s pension funds as a source of capital for affordable
homes…
Finally, we should partner with local communities to
encourage reform of zoning laws and permitting and approval processes
to allow for higher densities of residential housing and make it easier
for sites to become buildable.
Preserve existing affordable housing stock. New
York State’s affordable housing stock is a precious resource, yet we
continue to lose affordable units for a variety of reasons. We must
review rent regulations, when appropriate, encourage owners to
rehabilitate and maintain our existing affordable housing and develop a
strategy of how best to preserve the affordability of housing built
under subsidy programs that are soon to expire.
Better administration, better planning and better leadership.
Achieving the efficient production of affordable homes requires
consolidating the state’s housing efforts to eliminate administrative
bureaucracy and inefficient regulations, appointing effective leaders
to head our housing agencies and engaging in planning that integrates
all levels of government more than simply the housing agencies and
their programs.A few billion dollars here, a few billion
dollars there. That could add up to some significant changes, and
remind people that the Atlantic Yards project would hardly be the only
source for affordable housing.