Winter Break - "A Season With Snow"

Bansky would be proud of me because I exited through the gift shop. Actually, he'd be appalled (though I wonder how he feels about being nominated for an Oscar). But I love museum gift shops, I got a nice box of blank cards - big fan of those. The main feature was an exhibit on Houdini. There were some interesting thoughts presented about the connection between magic and art. And who knew Norman Mailer portrayed Houdini in a movie?

I wish I would have liked this play more. I have come to feel a strong affinity for Lewis and the characterization of him in this play didn't fit. He came across as wisenheimer rather than as a loving, gentle soul. True he had to contend with Freud's sharpness, still that disposition just didn't seem right. It's probably a better play than a lot of what's out there (I think the last play I saw was Inherit the Wind, some years ago), but I'm not sure that's enough to recommend it.

I passed by this museum/library, walked in, caught a tour just starting and learned somethings. The tour guide talked exclusively, not great teaching. The material kind of spoke for itself. The best room was not included in the tour: a display on diaries. Doodles, and notes, and confessions of famous people in journals, and notebooks, and backs of atlases. Way cool.

As I type, James Taylor sings, "I'm gone - say nice things about me." Can you name the song? (The words may be improvised, as it's a live version and he likes to do that.)

The other day a friend alerted me to a beautiful line from Mishlei - 10:12

שִׂנְאָה, תְּעֹרֵר מְדָנִים; וְעַל כָּל-פְּשָׁעִים, תְּכַסֶּה אַהֲבָה

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

There's a lot to that line. I'm thinking a lot about it. I'm not going to write a lot about it - for now.

Here's a link to something I posted a few months back. I just received the email again.

Here's an edit of a poem I wrote years ago:

I am pleased to know

Those who pass my way

Grow into haiku

The following was written and performed collaboratively. To me a wow, big time. Sigh.

Handle With Care

By Petty, Tom; Orbison, Roy; Harrison, George; Dylan, Bob; Lynne, Jeff, 1988

Been beat up and battered 'round
Been sent up, and I've been shot down
You're the best thing that I've ever found
Handle me with care

Reputations changeable
Situations tolerable
Baby, you're adorable
Handle me with care

I'm so tired of being lonely
I still have some love to give
Won't you show me that you really care

Everybody's got somebody to lean on
Put your body next to mine, and dream on

I've been fobbed off, and I've been fooled
I've been robbed and ridiculed
In day care centers and night schools
Handle me with care

Been stuck in airports, terrorized
Sent to meetings, hypnotized
Overexposed, commercialized
Handle me with care

I'm so tired of being lonely
I still have some love to give
Won't you show me that you really care

Everybody's got somebody to lean on
Put your body next to mine, and dream on

I've been uptight and made a mess
But I'll clean it up myself, I guess
Oh, the sweet smell of success
Handle me with care

A packet of 12 bookmarks featuring the art of Dorothea Barlowe with quotes by Thoreau on the back cost $1.50 at the Morgan museum gift shop. Hurry, while supplies last:

Nature is full genius,

full of The Divinity

so that not a

snowflake escapes its

fashioning hand.

We discover a new

world every time that

we see the earth again

after it has been covered

for a season with snow.