BirchLane.net
April 2005
Saturday 30
MASSMoCA
Friday 29
Thursday 28
Nava. For the past three months, I have been taking a series of photographs of a watercolor by my neighbor, Nava Grunfeld. She is being featured in the August issue of The Artist's Magazine and my photos will illustrate the article. The series consists of six images and a self-portrait. We started here:
About midway through the series:
And the final:
The artist:
Wednesday 27
Lee and Christy. Portrait Series:
Tuesday 26
True Nature.
Monday 25
Hat by Hat. The Women's Fellowship at church (or is it the Women's Book Group?) is reading "Seeking Enlightenment, Hat by Hat; A skeptic's Path to Religion," by Nevada Barr. A few men are reading it, too. I am one of them. How can one resist a book that begins:
In, Mississippi, where I now live, people still talk about God in everyday conversation. When the name "Jesus" pops up (and not in the context of taking names in vain), nobody squirms or rolls their eyes. One of the getting-to-know-you questions asked at picnics and bar-b-ques is: "What church do you go to?" People not only talk about God, they talk to Him. And then they tell you about it. When I moved here, I was a godless heathen, and proud of it. According to the priest at the Episcopal church, I am still a heathen but no longer godless.
Another review here. And here.
Sunday 24
We must remember that art is art.
Well, on the other hand water is water isn't it?
And east is east and west is west.
And if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce
they taste much more like prunes than rubarb does.
Now you tell me what you know.
-Groucho Marx, Animal Crackers (1930)
Saturday 23
Editing. Always Editing. The mom of a friend of my daughter's asked me if I wanted to shoot her daughter's wedding in July.
Three: nature, portraits, journalism.
And dream-like imagery.
Friday 22
Back at Birch Lane. (editing)
Thursday 21
Writing About Portraiture. (editing; next Art Walk))
Wednesday 20
Portraits. (edit mode)
A friend writes to me this morning:
"It must be your skills with the camera that can make any woman look beautiful. or maybe your skill lies in the fact that you appreciate women and therefore they feel beautiful and it shows."
And someone else writes to me today:
You must have at least some idea how much life and beauty you bring into people's lives each day.
And another today:
Bruce, your pictures are a constant source of entertainment,
inspiration and comfort for me.
Days are scrolls: write on them only what you want remembered.
~Bchya Ibn Pakuda
Tuesday 19
.......
What would you do inside me?
You would be utterly
lost, labyrinthine
comb, each corridor identical, a
funhouse, there, a bridge, worker
knit to worker, a span
you can't cross. On the other side
the queen, a fortune of honey.
Once we filled an entire house with it,
built the comb between floorboard
& joist, slowly at first, the constant
buzz kept the owners awake, then
louder, until honey began to seep
from the walls, swell
the doorframes. Our gift.
They had to burn the house down
to rid us.
Monday 18
La Grande Illusion. I watched Renoir's "La Grande Illusion" last night on Turner Classic Movies. After it won a prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1937, the Nazis declared the film "Cinematographic Enemy Number One." Not one battle scene in it, but what a powerful antiwar movie. And a superb cast.
A review from Pauline Kael here. She begins: "La Grande Illusion is an escape story; yet who would think of it this way? It's like saying that Oedipus Rex is a detective story." And years later, Kael said the movie was "the greatest achievement in narrative film."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
~ Leo BuscagliaAnd on my walk:
Sunday 17
Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten.
And on another note:
the apartment advertisements
for better or for worse
lies
cozy means
dark and dirty
always is not
always
this is
the perfect match
reminds me of someone
once knew or knew once
there were killer whales out
early this morning
they were killing
baby seals
watched the whales
heave their black mass
forward listening
seals swimming
what is her story
the one
in the photograph
for how long
that chapter written
the words mean something
different inside
this old person
a younger one wondering
what the hell happenedAnd in other news:
Saturday 16
No One Knows. Yesterday was
black and white---quad tone. Today is color. I went for two walks today; the first was rather short and the second was rather long. On my second walk I came upon two people people making love in the bushes near the pond embankment. I turned and walked away, circling the pond, and there on the other side across from where they lay I could once again see them and not too far away from where they lay a father and his son circling, too, the pond in a canoe.
From the Romans' decem our decibels and decimal system, O tenfold
the sorrows of Israel, Decameron tales meant to be told over ten nightsin December, solstice month frozen in moondrifts of snow. Our fingers
and toes. Kingly ten-pointed stags reigning over Europe's greenwoods,for miners a measure in tons of coal or type of tallow candle weighted
ten per pound, the legion poor mending by its light. What else is thereto say? Higher than nine. A number whose power is mighty to multiply,
comprising one and nil, wand and egg, gold spindle and heavenly wheelof goddess Fate who turns time and tides; what our parents say summer
evenings, hearing our voices dart and flicker in neighboring yards beforewe dance from them into darkness and love's rule ends — I'll count to ten.
~ "The Song of 10," Ellen Wehle
On Spring days like today when the sun is starting to grow strong and warms our backs and people are out and about in their yards raking and hoeing and fathers and sons and fathers and daughters are playing catch or playing on the swings I think of Betsy and Danielle and Daryl; I see Betsy standing in the garden we planted at my parents house in Ramsey, New Jersey, dressed in a red shirt and jeans, her hair so full and frizzy, a sweet and tender smile greets my camera. Click. And there is a
Friday 15
oh. I was waiting all day to take this photograph; not specifically this one per se. but I saw something like it in my mind's eye early this morning--I simply had to find it.
At Daryl's lacrosse game this afternoon, as the sun set, this tree across the field called out to me:
And late at night Emily Dickinson:
The Loneliness One dare not sound --
And would as soon surmise
As in its Grave go plumbing
To ascertain the size --
The Loneliness whose worst alarm
Is lest itself should see --
And perish from before itself
For just a scrutiny --
The Horror not to be surveyed --
But skirted in the Dark --
With Consciousness suspeded --
And Being under Lock --
I fear me this -- is Loneliness --
The Maker of the soul
Its Caverns and its Corridors
Illuminate -- or seal --~1863
"This is the kind of loneliness that threatens to engulf oneself, a loneliness so pervasive that one is afraid to admit it, much less to explore its depths." From In a Dark Time.
Thursday 14
Anne Arden McDonald and Paul Kozal
Wednesday 13
Change. There are many holes in the wall.
"Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it... but by sitting still, and the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill... Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right."
-Søren KierkegaardBruce, contact them.
Tuesday 12
Limbo. Sometimes I feel I am stuck in the state of Limbo. When I was a child, kids would tease each other by saying "You're going to Limbo." Not Hell, but Limbo.
My neighbor sent me the following yesterday:
This is what The Dalai Lama has to say on the millennium, which began 01/01/2003. All it takes is a few seconds to read and think about. Instructions for Life in the new millennium from the Dalai Lama:
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, respect for others and responsibility for all
your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able
to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring
up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go some place you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other
exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.But, neither this chain message nor its "Instructions for Life" originated with His Holiness (from SNOPES). The "Instructions for Life" are a truncated version of a much longer list that worked its way around the Internet in 1999 in conjunction with an ASCII art representation of a "Nepalese Good Luck Tantra Totem" The longer list is itself yet another truncation of an even larger work, which in this case is
Life's Little Instruction Book , by Jackson Brown andH. Jackson Brown, Jr. Who cares, I ask? One way or the other, they are good lessons.
- Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
- Memorize your favorite poem.
- Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
- When you say, "I love you", mean it.
- When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.
- Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
- Believe in love at first sight.
- Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
- Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
- In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
- Don't judge people by their relatives.
- Talk slowly but think quickly.
- When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
- Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
- Call your mom.
- Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
- When you lose, don't loose the lesson.
- Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
- Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
- When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps
- Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
- Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
- Spend some time alone.
- Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
- Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
- Read more books and watch less TV.
- Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.
- Trust in God but lock your car.
- A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.
- In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
- Read between the lines.
- Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
- Be gentle with the earth.
- Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.
- Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
- Mind your own business.
- Don't trust a man/woman who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.
- Once a year, go some place you've never been before.
- If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
- Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.
- Learn the rules then break some.
- Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
- Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
- Remember that your character is your destiny.
- Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
Meanwhile, my cough persists and I have night sweats which leave my pillow soaked. I wonder why?
Jennifer, the chef whose portrait I took last week, called to say she loved the photos. These two are of Tonya, a student intern.
Out the window tonight: (how much longer will I be here)
Monday 11
Imagine.
Yesterday afternoon, I took Daryl and Kiley to see Sin City.
Sunday 10
Late Last Night. A friend writes: "artists unite to make Bruce FAMOUS!"
She says:
Bruce-
I just got off the phone with Mia Hanson,
http://www.miahanson.com/
not only is she Wawk Alfredson's partner,
http://hem.passagen.se/hawkalfredson/
but she is a very talented and special person. I
think you should have a Mia show. these are two folks living at the Hotel Chelsea with talent
galore and stories to tell. I am seeing a show +
gallery talk. I would promote the hell out of this. they have such great talent plus mesmerizing living stories, it would be a hit. if you never take my advice ever, take my advice on this. I have talked with her at length over the past months and she is compelling and genius and a draw.
Saturday 09
Overview. Slept fairly soundly. Woke at eight. Went for walk with photographer Angela Simpson whose work I might exhibit in Studio 19. Slept for four hours. Woke. Slept again. Woke. Not hungry but made dinner. Watched a movie; Underworld.
Friday 08
The Internet's Landfill Alternative: Throwplace, the global give-away site.
I have Bronchitis.
Thursday 07
Gray vs. Grey.
Wednesday 06
Because.
A friend writes:
6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you have peace. 7. May there be peace within your walls, serenity within your mansions. 8. For the sake of my brethren and friends, I ask that there be peace within you. 9. For the sake of the House of the Lord our God, I seek your well-being.
(Psalm 122)Interesting exhibition.
For laughs:
The top ten ways the Bible would have been different if it had been written by college students:
10. The Last Supper would have been eaten the next morning...cold.
9. The Ten Commandments are actually only five, double-spaced, and written in a large font.
8. New edition every two years in order to limit reselling.
7. Forbidden fruit would have been eaten because it wasn't cafeteria food.
6. Paul's letter to the Romans becomes Paul's e-mail to abuse@romans.gov.
5. Reason Cain killed Abel: They were roommates.
4. The place where the end of the world occurs: Finals, not Armageddon.
3. Out go the mules, in come the mountain bikes.
2. Reason why Moses and followers walked in the desert for 40 years: They didn't want to ask directions and look like freshmen.
1. Instead of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, He would have put it off until the night before it was due and then pulled an all-nighter.Tuesday 05
Google Alerts. I am so happy to learn of Google Alerts; type in key word/s and they send you news stories once a day on the subject.
Monday 04
Bound.
Sunday 03
Art and Food. Yesterday I went to the opening of Tracey Eller's "Morocco" at Forbes Library in Northampton. From her statement:
Tracey Eller's "Morocco" contains a rich variety of portraiture and still life depicting the deeply vivid colors, mysterious atmospheres and ancient architectures of the North African country of Morocco. Eller traveled to Morocco in 1998 on a private commission to photograph for a future book project. Sometimes poignant, sometime humorous, with a painter's aesthetic for depth of color and composition Eller reveals in the ordinary persons and objects she photographs something extraordinary, achieving her art in images which seem to quietly reflect the profound meanings-ever present often unseen-within the everyday.
I met Tracey when she came to the opening of "19 @ 19" here at Studio 19 where soon after she arrived she knocked a framed print down; albeit I had it hung in a very bad place--on a door!
This afternoon I had a great session with Jennifer Winick, a professional chef and owner of "For The Health of It," which offers customized culinary classes, personal chef services, and catering.
Saturday 02
Cough. Cough. My cough continues to persist to keep me up most of the night and feel weary throughout the day.
Celan, I read, wrote to orient himself within his own life--not merely to express himself.
I would like to learn more about Sophie Calle.
Woe to him, . . . who has no court of appeal against the world's
judgment.
~Thomas Carlyle, Essays--Mirabeau~Friday 01.
Coughing. I met the CEO of ENN today for lunch at the Public House in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. I coughed the whole time.
