Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

Dear Fonzie,

 

In the middle of the road of my life

I awoke in the dark wood 

where the true way was wholly lost

 

I'm sure you too hear this first stanza of the Inferno sometimes in darker hours.  I've been hearing it lately, enough even to recall and reclaim that some sun rays rise and point the straight within a page, and terror subsides, but I can't finish the sentence there because only a few stanzas on the jaguar comes and has spots and paces and won't let him pass.  Still, at least you're moving again, if only side to side.

 

Friends, bleaders, Fonz, I am attempting an arise.  But enough about me, how you doin'?  I may be half vulcan half falcon (yes, I mean balloon boy), but I have feelings too.  And when I go outside, yes, yesterday I went outside and I did it again today and intend a threepeat this evening to teach.  So yeah when I go outside people look kind of miserable around the eyes.  Some of them are sufficiently distracted as to not actually be miserable, and of course, some of them are neutral, and yes, I'm getting to it, some of the sweet bastards are actually happy and healthy.  But it's kind of nice to be seeing these eyes that way, because either I'm projecting grief on minds that are actually at play in the field of their teams and dinner choices or I'm seeing what is really there but also not there, and either way it's weird and bad and good to be feeling especially empathic.  So I guess Betazoid.  

 

I've been down and out a few weeks, if you like your writers fluish, let's say that then, but the girl was more honestly bluishs.  This though is a note to claim revival, the author awakens to find she is convalescing in a wonderful life.  I have at least a sense of sun rays, and an intimation that I the jaguar can be outlasted.  

 

I have a regular Weds blog at the Best American Poetry site and after having not posted quite regularly these past bunch of weeks, I managed happily to post today, so have a look if you feel like it.

 

Fonzie, I'm just not the type to jump the shark, but I was feeling awfully like a Triumph hovering over Jaws.  I know it couldn't have been easy for you either, so much pressure, such ridiculous expectations, living in someone else's family, banging on things to make them work.  I just want you to know that I admire your courage and sympathize completely with the anguish of it.  I am holding you in cupped hands in my minds eye, and Fay Wray is holding me, and the ape's got her.  Lois Lane has the ape, and Superman has Lois Lane.  "You've got me?  Who's got you?!"

 

Well, for what it's worth, I've got you and I think probably the Green Lantern has me.  Because the Green Lantern lives by poetry and does the best he can.  That's Fay above, of course.  I considered the other easily available shots of her, but if you look you'll see that the idea of them paired with a blog post about an ice patch of depression makes them utterly terrifying. 

 

So right Fonz, feel the love and take it one heartbeat at a time, but, you know, take it.

 

love,

Jenny

 

Monday, November 2, 2009

sky

Here's the full moon sunset over Brooklyn last night.  Did you see my recent Newsweek mention?  I'm trying to write a book review for the American Historical Review.  Haven't been free to talk in academic for a while, it's kind of nice and kind of newly foreign.  It's hard to be a popularly oriented public intellectual, friends.  In case you didn't know.  Oh well, it's like everything, I suppose: pick a language and speak it.  

Friday, October 30, 2009

Monday, October 26, 2009

nice bridge


Tonight I'm going back to my old school to a memorial for a professor who was more a mentor to me than anyone else, and then we were friends, though we weren't in much contact, but here and there, over two decades.  I've been asked to speak and am honored to do so, but feeling the weight of it.  Anyway, nice bridge ay?  Yesterday we went to the flee market they hold under this thing on Sundays.  Man they got some good eats there, by the way.  Many strange and misplaced matters, historical widgets and lost lots.  Love bright sunlight on bric-a-braque ephemera. 

Sunday, October 25, 2009

fall under the bridge

Autumn was blowing the willow around under the Brooklyn Bridge today, which was Sunday.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Yes He Does

I've been encouraged to blog.  But which of this basket of thoughts to uncrinkle?  

Praps I'll just say I've been defending Obama's peace prize these last few days (in facebook status and casual convo), and except for all the thanks it is a thankless job.  I don't usually bother weighing in on things (beyond buddies and 'book), but I can't help saying I think all this nope saying is the contempt of familiarity.  

Every year they go in the room and try to pick a name of somebody who that year made the world peacier.   It's supposed to go to someone who is fighting the fight that most people were saying can't be fought and changing the faces to maybe.  

Sue me, I say Yes He Does.