a writer's notebook
We always stop for Julianna Barwick.
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Bowie got home from the vet last night, he ate breakfast this morning and is now back in his bedroom hideyhole like the frustrating little bastard he is. But he did at least eat. I have averaged about six hours sleep a night for the last week, I am smoking too much and drinking espresso by the pint and I am the walking dead.
OPERATIONS: Damage control and triage while waiting to see if the mancub emerges for lunch. Herself is back in a few hours so I’ll finally have some help in the house.
STATUS: Inbox is at 91 and I am now trying to catch up with everybody and everything.
READING: HERESY: JESUS CHRIST AND THE OTHER SONS OF GOD, Catherine Nixey (UK) (US+)
LISTENING: Night Tracks
LAST WATCHED: SHAOLIN SOCCER
MISSION CONTROL: I can be contacted via the Cheng Caplan Company or Inkwell Management. Link in masthead to join my free newsletter.
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Vinklu Turns Forgotten Plot in Bucharest Into Tiny Coffee Shop.
morning computer: some useful things first thing in the day.
My free weekly newsletter is at https://orbitaloperations.beehiiv.com/
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Cheng-Tsung Feng’s ‘Sailing Castle.’
From Fourteen views of Himeji Castle.
Smith Point Lighthouse, Chesapeake Bay, via Today In Tabs.
morning computer: some useful things first thing in the day.
My free weekly newsletter is at https://orbitaloperations.beehiiv.com/
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Which immediately put me in mind of the film SLEEP HAS HER HOUSE, which I bought as a download from Ether Films six years ago. Apparently a revised version has been released since then? Here’s the link for more.
morning computer: some useful things first thing in the day.
My free weekly newsletter is at https://orbitaloperations.beehiiv.com/
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I popped down to the Fishermen’s Chapel in Old Leigh over the weekend to attend the Konsztrukting Soundz event. Four acts, two of which I want to make notes on. Here’s the full bill.
Started off exploratory, gentle, almost traditional, almost ASMR. Halfway through it was like Diamanda Galas shrieking down a pipe. Fascinating.
Her instrument is the Korean daegeum.
According to Korean folklore, the daegeum is said to have been invented when King Sinmun of Silla was informed by Park Suk Jung, his caretaker of the ocean in 681 that a small island was floating toward a Buddhist temple in the East Sea. The king ordered his caretaker of the sun to test whether this was good luck. The caretaker replied that a dead king who turned into a sea dragon, and two great warriors are giving a gift to protect Silla, and if the king would visit the sea, he would receive a priceless gift. The king soon sent a person to look for the gift. The person replied that a bamboo tree on the top of the island becomes two in the morning and one in the night. On the next day, the world shook and it rained and wind blew, and the world was thrown into darkness for a week. When the king went to the island himself, a dragon appeared and told him that if the bamboo on the top of the island was cut down, made into a flute, and blown, the country would be peaceful. The king cut down the tree, and the flute made from the bamboo was called manpasikjeok…
She told a version of this story during her performance. There was the sighing of trees in the breeze, and ten thousand waves, and then the storm. Actually riveting.
Eiko Yamada and Teresa Hackel.
I spoke to Teresa Hackel briefly afterwards because I wanted to know what instrument she started the piece off with – it looks like a huge chunk of doorframe converted into a musical device. Turned out it was called a Paetzold Recorder
You can see it partway through this video of them playing together a few years ago.
They were absolutely stunning.
I had to leave before buying the CDs I had my eye on, which I still regret. But I had a great time and learned a bunch of new things.
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Offline today – got to somehow get Bowie to the vet, which is going to be a project all its own. Won’t be picking up emails or messages for a while.
Here’s yesterday’s newsletter.
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morning computer: some useful things first thing in the day.
My free weekly newsletter is at https://orbitaloperations.beehiiv.com/
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It is absolutely gorgeous out there today. However, I’m not going to see any of it.
OPERATIONS: crunch day 2/2. Haven’t even started the newsletter yet.
STATUS: unless we talk on a regular basis, don’t expect to hear from me today!
READING: CHOKEPOINTS, Edward Fishman (UK) (US+)
LISTENING: Dream Time
MISSION CONTROL: I can be contacted via the Cheng Caplan Company or Inkwell Management. Link in masthead to join my free newsletter.
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OPERATIONS: crunch day 1/2.
STATUS: stabbed awake by boy cat after 7hrs 30m sleep. Dropped an egg outside. Tripped by girl cat on the stairs and now she’s hiding somewhere, and I’ve just had to ask the Echo what day it is
READING: CHOKEPOINTS, Edward Fishman (UK) (US+)
LISTENING: The Sleeping Forecast
MISSION CONTROL: I can be contacted via the Cheng Caplan Company or Inkwell Management. Link in masthead to join my free newsletter.
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