The answer is really quite simple. Hugh Crawford is visiting a farm in Northern California and the Internet is quite problematic there.
No Words Daily Pix will be up and running upon his return.
Category Archives: arts and culture
OTBKB Music: Lucinda Williams on Video
Lucinda Williams has a new album about to be released. Titled Blessed, the buzz is that this album is the best that Lucinda has recorded since her 1998 classic, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. I haven’t heard the new one yet, but the first single from that album is called Buttercup and this video of it has been released. It is, as Rod Serling used to say, presented for your consideration at Now I’ve Heard Everything, just click here to see it.
–Eliot Wagner
Bklyn Bloggage: art & ideas
Closing reception for Tom Bovo show at 440 Gallery: Art in Brooklyn
Before books become kindling: Water Over Rocks
Lowlands: Brooklynometry
What exercise has done for me: Fin Slippy
Plumb Bronson house: Stylefile NYC
Serenity comics: Word Nerd
The Russian heart is dark and full of secrets: Electric Literature Blog
Balloons: Joe’s NYC
The Last Line: atwood
“Are there any questions?”
From The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Free Babeland Body Chocolate If You Mention OTBKB
Mind you, Babeland is not paying me for this ad (I asked them once to advertise on OTBKB and it was no go). I do like the store very much, however, and want you to know that they are offering FREE Babeland Body Chocolate to any customer who attends their massage event tomorrow night (details below) AND references Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn (while supplies last)
The free workshop is called: Inspiring Desire with Massage and it’s on Thursday, February 10 at 7PM at Babeland Brooklyn ( 462 Bergen Street in Park Slope). You will learn techniques to add” romantic touch to your Valentine’s Day date.” According to the “babes” at Babeland, massage is an excellent way to get things started.
OTBKB Music: Four Shows, You Choose
Here we are at February Residency Wednesday again. But tonight, we add another show to the mix and get four shows for you to choose from. One is in the East Village at 8pm, two are on the Lower East Side at 9pm, and one is in Williamsburg at 10pm. Tonight’s selections from which you can mix and match: Pete Kennedy, Milton, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Serena Jean. You can find all the details at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
–Eliot Wagner
Thurs: Improv on the Theme of Giving
On Thursday (February 10th) at 8PM at The Old Stone House my friend Nancy Graham will perform in To: From, a play developed through improvisation on the theme of giving.
It is sure to be an interesting evening and I hope you’ll join me there.
To: From:
an evening of improvisation on the theme of giving
With Jerry Wintrob + Nancy Graham
Directed by Amy Poux
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Old Stone House
336 3rd Street in Park Slope
Feb 10 at Ethical Culture: Journey to the Heart of Venezuela
On Thursday, February 10, at 6:30PM, Brooklyn for Peace presents a screening of Inside the Revolution: a Journey to the Heart of Venezuela, a documentary by Pablo Navarrete (2009)
A discussion, led by Carol Delgado, Consul General of Venezuela and Greg Wilpert, author of Changing Venezuela, and a professor of political science at Brooklyn College, will follow the screening.
At the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture at the corner of 2nd Street and Prospect Park West in Park Slope.
Subway Sleuths After-school Program for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
A friend brought this wonderful after-school program at the New York Transit Museum’s Education Department to my attention. It is for students working at grade levels 4 and 5 who have been diagnosed on the Autism spectrum.
The program begins on February 16th so sign up now. If you are interested email: Lynette.morse@nyct.com
The program uses content about the history of New York City subways to practice and promote social skills, collaboration, and problem solving among participants. Over the course of nine sessions, ten students will learn about various aspects of subways past and present and then work in partnerships to create digital media projects to share their
discoveries.
Here are the details:
— The program runs Wednesdays, February 16 – May 4 (no sessions on Feb. 23, Mar. 16, or Apr. 20) from 3:45 – 5:30 PM.
–Regular attendance is important as each session builds on the previous session
–The program culminates in a student presentation for family and friends on May 4
–All sessions will be held at the New York Transit Museum, located on the corner of Boerum Place and
Schermerhorn Street in downtown Brooklyn
–Depending upon school locations, the Museum may be able to provide bus transportation with a bus
monitor from school to the Museum
–Parents or caregivers are responsible for picking students up from the Transit Museum promptly at 5:30PM.
Who is this program for?
–The program is open to students working at grade levels 4 and 5 who have been diagnosed on the Autism
spectrum.
–There is a suggested fee of $200 for this program. However, the Transit Museum is is committed to providing equal access to this program and no child will be excluded based on ability to pay. In other words: participants may pay according to their financial capability, from $25 to $200.
To read more about the team that put together this wonderful program and to learn how to apply click on read more:
Continue reading Subway Sleuths After-school Program for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
A Dog Named Stanley: Part 3
Hepcat, OSFO and I stood on Seventh Avenue in front of Animal Kind and contemplated whether we should adopt Roscoe (who we later named Stanley). A couple stood nearby waiting for us to make a decision.
“We have the same kind of dog at home,” the woman said. “We’re thinking of getting another.”
“The dog we have is perfect. A perfect dog. He could use a companion,” the man said.
The pressure was on. Someone else wanted the dog. I looked at OSFO. That was a no-brainer: of course she wanted the dog. I looked at Hepcat: it was obvious that he was falling for little Roscoe.
And me?
Despite the fact that I’d never owned a dog in my life. Despite the fact that we’re not allowed to have dogs in our apartment building (a fact that worried me a great deal). Despite the fact that owning a dog meant a world of unknowns, I found myself wanting to share our home with this adorable little dog.
Who could blame me? He stared up me with these dark, gorgeous searching eyes. He and OSFO looked so cute together. Hepcat, who had dogs as a child (and grew up on a farm with cows and goats and cats and even a pet crow) was all goo goo eyes for the little pup (who, it turned out, was 2-years-old).
“We’ll take him,” I said to Charlie, who runs Sean Casey Animal Rescue.
“Great,” he said. “You just need to fill out a few forms…”
To be continued…
OTBKB: Harper Blynn Early Show Tonight; Video from Lelia Broussard
Harper Blynn is a four piece band featuring high energy pop rock, lots of hooks and good harmonies. The band is playing a very early show tonight at the Lower East Side’s Mercury Lounge. How early? They go on at 7pm sharp! So if you don’t go out on school nights because you can’t get home late, this is the show for you. See further details at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
On the heels of her recent residency at The Rockwood Music Hall, Lelia Broussard has released a video for Satellite, a song from her latest album, Masquerade. It’s catchy, has a great hook and it’s just plain fun. Click here to see it.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB’s Weekend List: Sunday
It’s a Sunday kind of day. The sun is shining, the ice is melting, it’s nice day to be in the park. Click on read more for all the essential details.
A Dog Named Stanley Part 2
We met Roscoe on the big truck, along with a host of other dogs at the Sean Casey Animal Rescue adoption event. There was a whole lot of yapping and barking and children (and adults) oohing and ahhing at the multitude of small beasts.
“Is Roscoe here?” OSFO asked.
Sure enough, we found him in one of many cages. And there he was: the dog we would come to cherish. The dog we would rename: Stanley.
The three of us took little Roscoe for a walk. OSFO looked perfectly happy with the little white dog on a leash. As we walked I ran through all the reasons NOT get a dog. My heart pulsed in anxiety. Should we, shouldn’t we, should we, shouldn’t we?
First and foremost, no pets are allowed in our apartment building.
Yes, folks, that’s a big one for the negative list but hope springs eternal when your daughter has whined and pined for a puppy since she could speak. I knew that a dog would make OSFO unspeakably happy.
Besides, I thought there was, sort of, a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” pet policy in our building (or Don’t Ask, Don’t Bark). Tenants have had cats, lizards, gerbils, rabbits, fish and more over the years. Certainly, nobody would make a fuss about such a cute little terrier.
Like I said, hope springs eternal.
Back to our walk, I thought of all the positives: a puppy for OSFO (check), the love and companionship of a dog (check). Just as quickly the negatives popped into my mind: walking a dog three, maybe four times a day. Somehow I knew that the responsibility would fall to me and I’d spend my life nagging OSFO and Hepcat to walk the dog. I’d already been warned by my friend, an experienced dog owner, that kids rarely walk the dog in a sustained, responsible fashion.
I had other concerns, too: What if he’s ill-behaved? What if he’s not house trained? What if he barks? What if, what if?
I’ve never owned a dog in my life and it was a world of unknowns to me. But OSFO and Hepcat were already bonding with little Roscoe on our walk back to the Sean Casey Animal Rescue adoption event.
To be continued…
OTBKB’s Weekend List: Feb 5-6
Let’s hear it for the weekend! TGI-Saturday and all that. HOT TIP: The Lenny Bruce show at St. Ann’s Warehouse is amazing. I saw the 90-minute verbatim “impersonation” of his Feb 4th 1961 Carnegie Hall midnight show last night. It’s like seeing history live.
Or how about Marketa Irglova (of Swell Season fame) playing with Aida Shahghasemi at Zora Space. I didn’t even bother listing Neko Case at The Bell House on Sunday night YES! “This Tornado Loves You” at the The Bell House). because it’s sold out. But there’s plenty of other things to do. Click on read more for all the essential details.
The Last Line: jackson
“It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,” Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her.”
From The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
OTBKB Music: Sister Sparrow and Aaron Lee Tasjan
The wonderfully brassy, both in terms of instrumentation (the band has four horns) and personality (of lead singer Arleigh Kincheloe), Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds packs them in where ever they play and then gets everyone up and dancing. And their self-titled record released this past November was one of Now I’ve Heard Everything Best Albums of 2010. For the details about their show tonight and a brand new video of their song, Guns, click here.
Wednesday night began the February Rockwood Music Hall residency for Brooklyn’s Aaron Lee Tasjan, one of the hardest rocking up and coming musicians I’ve seen. While we wait to see if there are any videos posted from his show, click here for a video from a few months back from Aaron.
–Eliot Wagner
Pavilion Theater is a Mess
My sister went to see The Fighter last Saturday night at the Park Slope Pavilion on Prospect Park West and she told me that there was a sign on the door of the screening room that said there was no heat inside.
“I had to wear my coat through the whole movie,” she complained.
And that’s just the half of it. With rumors of a bed bug infestation, broken seats, broken seats and more broken seats, the theater is a shadow of the theater it was when it opened up many years ago.
Remember when there was that lovely cafe on the second floor? History. All history.
According to Park Slope Patch, two managers of the theater recently sent an email to Park Slope Parents apologizing for the hideous condition of the theater. The employees have repeatedly asked management to clean things up.
Four years ago the theater was bought by Cinedigm as a place a to test out their high end digital projectors. The managers say the problems are at the corporate level and that there’s not much they can do to improve the situation there.
Here is an excerpt from the letter the managers sent to Park Slope Parents:
Let us begin by sincerely apologizing for the current state of the Pavilion Theater—specifically for the broken seats and the heating problems. This theater holds a special place in our hearts and it pains us every day to see how much it has deteriorated. We, the other managers and the rest of the staff are not oblivious to the apparent problems; rather, we are bombarded by them every day. Unfortunately, until our parent company approves our budget proposals, we are entirely powerless to make lasting improvements. We know that the community wants this theater to be better than it is. We couldn’t agree more. We are both Park Slope residents and this is our neighborhood theater as well, but until our parent company takes action, we are simply confined to our own limitations. It is our job as managers to take responsibility for the physical state of the theater and the performances of our staff. While we maintain the day to day operations of this theater, we can only hope we are given the assistance to fix the bigger problems at hand. We still think this is a great place to see a movie in Brooklyn, but nothing would make us happier than to see this theater improve.
It’s a bold move for the managers to apologize to the neighborhood. Clearly, they are frustrated by the situation, too, and are being “bombarded” with complaints. In the letter they also attempt to dispel the bed bug rumors.
Regarding bed bug rumors—there is no evidence that we have bed bugs at the Pavilion. However, being a public place and being a movie theater in New York City in particular, there is always a risk of getting bed bugs. That is why we have routine checks and treatments as suggested by the extermination company. It is a major concern, and if bed bugs were ever to be discovered in the theater, we would not sit idly by. The theater would temporarily close while we rectify the situation.
Bklyn Bloggage: art & ideas
Triple canopy call for submissions: Art in Brooklyn
Light and salt and beds and water: Old First
Old tools: Brooklynometry
Sounds of presence: Water Over Rocks
Paul Schiffman RIP: Self-Absorbed Boomer
The accidental tourist: A Year in the Park
Rhys Chatham & Tony Conrad: Brooklyn Vegan
Sheepshead Bay at night: Brit in Brooklyn
OTBKB’s Weekend List: Feb 4-6!
Hey, it’s Friday and the weekend is hovering. Time to make some plans. Time to get out there and have some FUN! Like, how about Marketa Irglova (of Swell Season fame) playing with Aida Shahghasemi at Zora Space. I didn’t even bother listing Neko Case at The Bell House on Sunday night YES! “This Tornado Loves You” at the The Bell House). because it’s sold out. But there’s plenty of other things to do. Click on read more for all the essential details.
Parent’s Anniversary
I always post this piece on February 3rd. It was originally published on February 3, 2005 on my old blog, Third Street (which was the original OTBKB).
Today is the anniversary of Smartmom’s parents. February 3rd. The date is etched in her mind. She and her sister would go to the same gift shop year after year to buy their anniversary gift. West Town House smelled of bath soap and sachet. It was just a block and a half from their Riverside Drive apartment. They’d browse for an hour or more. With only a few dollars folded in their small hands, they’d find something to buy: maybe a stone paperweight or a letter opener, which the owner would gift wrap in green paper and a black ribbon bow.
Smartom’s parents aren’t married anymore. They’ve been separated since 1976. But February 3rd still stops her short. And while they’ve been separated for longer than they were together, February 3rd means only one thing: the beginning of something that later came to an end.
Manhattan Granny showed OSFO her wedding album a few weeks ago. A large, white, leather-bound book, the black and white photographs present Smartmom’s parents on their ceremonial day. In a simple and elegant, calf-length gown, Groovy Grandma looks like Audrey Hepburn; her hair is close-cropped like Hepburn’s too.
Groovy Grandpa, with no trace of the beard that would later define him, looks pleased with himself and his bride. Their parents gather around them – mythical parents, they are all dead now. They look happy for this union, for this coming together.
Later, OSFO said, “Grandma doesn’t look like herself,” Maybe she didn’t recognize her 78-year old grandmother as a beautiful young bride. Maybe she was surprised to see her grandparents together; she’s never seen them that way. It probably seemed strange; a little out of whack.
Bklyn Bloggage: home & design
Researching a Cobble Hill alley: CasaCara
Gallery wall obsession: Brooklyn Limestone
Melt snow with pickle juice: Reclaimed Home
Rainbow headboard: Swiss Miss
Observation: Stylefile NYC
10 things to do in house when snowed in: Apartment Therapy
Illustrated guide to 25 cities: Design Sponge
The Last Line: strout
“”All gone,” she said. He kissed her cheek, and put her head against his neck. And everything seemed remarkable, the familiar scent of his child, the snarl in the back of her hair, the quiet house, the bare birch trunks, the snow on his face. Remarkable.”
From Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout
Feb 17: The Memoirathon: Experience & Expression
I love this event and hope you’ll join me…
On February 17th at 8PM, Brooklyn Reading Works at the Old Stone House presents its 4th annual Memoirathon: Experience and Expression curated by Branka Ruzak with poet Howard Altmann, prose writers Mindy Greenstein, Chris Macleod, Sue Ribner, Andrea Rosenhaft, Elena Schwolsky, Beverly Willett and Annalee Wilson AND exhibition of works by photographers Jamie Livingston and Hugh Crawford and painter Kathleen Mackenzie.
The English noun memoir, comes from the French mémoire and the Latin memoria, meaning memory. In its very simplest form, one can look at memoir as a remembrance of something meaningful or significant in one’s life. Artists capture and explore personal memories in unique ways, dependent on how they choose to express themselves, whether it’s through painting, photography, poetry, essay, etc. This evening celebrates the expression of memoir in just a few of its many forms.
Click on read more to read about the prose writers, poets, photographers and painters, who will participate in this year’s Memoirathon.
Continue reading Feb 17: The Memoirathon: Experience & Expression
OTBKB Music: Three Mutually Exclusive Shows Tonight and A Preview at the new Freddy’s Tomorrow
Tonight is the kick off of three excellent four-week long residencies, two on the Lower East Side at 9pm, and one in Williamsburg at 10pm. Milton (he lived on 5th Street for six months a few years back) is playing The Living Room, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Friends will be at The Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 and Serena Jean can be found at Pete’s Candy Store. You’ll find the details here at Now I’ve Heard Everything.
Although Freddy’s Bar officially re-opens on Friday, there is a preview (just like Broadway) on Thursday night. Long-time Freddy stalwart John Pinamonti will play two sets there starting at 8pm.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB Music: First See Robbie Fulks Tonight, Then Plan Your February Music
If you don’t know Robbie Fulks you should. Call him country, alt country or whatever. He plays a mean guitar and writes funny, clever and yes, even poignant songs. If you read his blog, you’ll find that he’s probably one of the most literate musicians anywhere. If that’s not enough, Robbie moved to Brooklyn from his home base in Chicago and lived in Windsor Terrace for half the year back in 2009 (his wife, who is an actress was in a long running play). See the details about his early show tonight posted at Now I’ve Heard Everything by clicking here.
If you like to plan things in advance, the Now I’ve Heard Everything monthly music calendar for February is now live, just click here to see it. Remember, it is constantly updated, so go back and check it several times during the month.
–Eliot Wagner
OTBKB’s Weekend List: Sunday is Today!
Today it is Sunday there’s the Muppet Vault: Sci-fi! for all ages at Union Hall. There are movies to see and tonight: Hot Holy Mess, Brooklyn’s own dirty church band at Barbes and a weekly comedy show hosted by Eugene Mirman and friends also at Union Hall (no, this isn’t an ad for Union Hall). See below for all the essential details.
OTBKB’s Weekend List: Jan 28-30
Today is Friday and the weekend is upon us. Tonight there’s an interesting documentary at Zora Space and my man Roy Nathanson will be playing sax with The Alphabet Lounge Band on Saturday night also at Zora Space. No, this is not an ad for Zora Space. Also on Saturday: Mission of Burma at The Bell House. Click on read more for all the essential details.
OTBKB Music: A Video from The Louvin Brothers
If you are wondering why I would post a 50 year old country video, it’s because Charlie Louvin, one half of The Louvin Brothers, died earlier this week after a bout with cancer. The Louvin Brothers broke up in 1963, and Ira Louvin, the other half of the act, died in a car accident in 1965. But Charlie kept recording and touring, on and off, right up to the end. So I’ll say goodbye to Charlie with a video of the Louvin Brothers singing I Can’t Keep You in Love with Me. Just click here to see it.
–Eliot Wagner
Feb 3: Your Drunk Uncle’s War Stories Were Never This Good
Just letting you know about a reading with Roy Scranton, Jake Siegel and Phil Klay, three of the writers who were at the Brooklyn Reading Works’ Writing War event last Veteran’s Day.
This reading is at Pete’s Candy Store on Thursday, Feb. 3, @ 7:30PM in Williamsburg. Roy Scranton Jake Siegel, and Phil Klay are gonna read, according to Scranton, “some hard-hitting, visceral, authentic, front-line, true-life stories and poems about eating in the chow hall, shining our boots, and sunsets in Iraq. Come on out! Your drunk uncle’s war stories were never this good.”
Tom Martinez, Witness: No School Today
