Trevor Burrows 🔒

Heard this via the New Yorker Poetry podcast, where Ferrell reads this alongside Lucie Brock-Broido's "Carrowmore" and absolutely loved it.

Made me think of the poem I posted just a few days ago, from Gbenga Adesina. Very different poems but fun to read alongside each other.

She's got a new volume out that is discussed on the podcast, *The Future*. Looks really good - just ordered a copy!

With the same fevers and pus
Though they probably let you die of colon cancer
Without making you defecate first
Into a box lab techs will scan for polyps

And if you looked nothing at all like me
They probably left you alone at the lunch counter
With “Meditations in an Emergency” by O’Hara
The cook in his white apron nods gravely
Both of you know it’s serious

2/2

"The Fifties" by Monica Ferrell

They were such innocents
They took straight razors to clean faces
Smoked and drank milk at the same time
Crammed whole junk yards with steel

Nearly never touched plastic
Whatever they touched was real
The TV was a box of shadows
In the living room

And if you wanted really to go crazy
There was always the bomb shelter
They were babies, comparatively
They woke each day completely new

They never had to worry about memories
Swelling and following them like algal blooms
Through the internet’s tides of forever—
I don’t even know what starch is

And have never used Brylcreem
Or testified, sweating liberally,
Before the Un-American Committee
I’ll bet back then was crummy too

1/2

#TodaysPoem #Poetry #MonicaFerrell

Good moment to note Erdrich collaborated with her (mother?), Aza Erdrich Abe, who drew/printed the artwork.

It's wonderful!

There's a frontispiece for each story. They're lovely and add a nice dimension to the physical book.

Story no 2: "Wedding Dresses"

When Dora loses four wedding dresses to a flood in her basement, she is pressed by her visiting niece, Martha, for the stories behind each of those dresses, the marriage and portion of life and divorce each represented. We readers hear not only what she told Martha, however, but also some of what she didn't confess. The telling, combined with figuring out what to do with four ruined dresses, becomes a means of revisiting and working through her past relationships, the good and the bad.

I really liked the idea of using each dress to tell a story. Could imagine as a short film in that way. As much of the story here is in the omissions: why doesn't Dora tell everything to her 11-year-old niece? Why does she keep back what she keeps back?

But ultimately this one was just ok.

One of Erdrich's skills is penning memorable scenes that are almost mini-stories in themselves, scenes that have a lot of chaos and unpredictability to them.

In *The Beet Queen*, for instance, there is a scene in which several members of the novel's central family attend the grand opening of a snooty family member's new restaurant only to find that literally everything has gone wrong and they themselves are drafted into the kitchen. (Or something like that.) It's a simple premise from which Erdrich wrings out surprise and laughter and depth.

Without giving much away, the school assembly w/exotic animals is that scene here. It's short but perfect.

I liked this story a lot.

Thought I would jot just a quick sentence or two per story, at least as long as I'm moved to...

"Python's Kiss": A narrator tells two related tales from a period when she was 8 and stayed with her grandparents for a few weeks: the story of Nero, a guard dog who continually breaks out of his elaborate enclosure to see a cockerspaniel on the other side of town; and the story of her uncle Jurgen, who plans to marry that cockerspaniel's owner but has to first conquer her overprotective father. A third reminiscence of a school event featuring exotic animals, such as snakes, brings the story together.

As much a story about coming to terms with the more-than-human world:

"As I looked into his eyes, which were the same brownish-gold as mine, I had my first sensation of self-awareness. I realized that my human body, my human life, was arbitrary. I could have been a dog."

"He was the second, or perhaps the third, Nero owned by my grandparents. With a grocery store that included a butcher shop and a slaughterhouse, they could feed as many dogs as they liked."

--- #FirstSentences of Louise Erdrich's story, "Python's Kiss"

(This is also the title story of her new short story collection. Reading notes will go here.)

#LouiseErdrich #ReadingNotes #Bookstodon

For no other reason than that it is here, here is an excerpt from his letter on May 14, 1921, to Wilbur Underwood:

"Yes--- I keep on reading the *Dial*. Occasionally, also, the *Freeman*. The new New Orleans attempt called the *Double-Dealer* has some good poems in it this month by Padraic Colum. Has a copy of Carlos Williams' *Contact* strayed into Washington yet? They started printing it on the multigraph but now, I hear, have graduated to the printers,---and are also giving reproductions of paintings etc. Some really good things in it. Address G.P.O 89. N.Y.C. $.25 per copy."

Only just noting that Crane's entire output is about just around 150 pages, including the unpublished stuff.

By comparison, the "selected letters" in the Library of America Crane volume take up 550+ pages!

Forgetfulness is like a song
That, freed from beat and measure, wanders.
Forgetfulness is like a bird whose wings are reconciled,
Outspread and motionless,--
A bird that coasts the wind unwearyingly.

Forgetfulness is rain at night,
Or an old house in a forest,-- or a child.
Forgetfulness is white,-- white as a blasted tree,
And it may stun the sybil into prophecy,
Or bury the Gods.

I can remember much forgetfulness.

-- Hart Crane, "Forgetfulness" (1918)

#HartCrane #Poetry #TodaysPoem

If I wrote recipes, I'd go out of my way to use the verb "pulverize" at least once.

Fell asleep during the movie
When i woke up, tubi has autoplayed The Golden Child.

That's a trippy movie to wake up to...

Janet's "I Get Lonely" is such a jam

Saba and NoID repurposed it o their "Breakdown", off their album last year, and it's kind of wild no one did that before.

#Saba #NoID #HipHop #JanetJackson #RnB

Tomorrow is the first #NewMusicFriday in a few weeks that really feels loaded.

New albums from...

Black Milk
Loraine James
Little Simz
Broken Social Scene
Az

And that's just a first look.

Black Milk will probably get first listen.

#Music

Although I reading two hefty books right now, the end of the semester has me wanting to line up a whole list of books to binge once grades are submitted.

With that in mind, Pulitzer prizes/finalists just announced. For Fiction, *Angel Down* (Daniel Kraus) wins, with Katie Kitamura's *Audition* and Torrey Peters's *Stag Dance* as finalists.

Angel Down and Audition were both on my big "would like to read" list. Don't know that I've heard of Stag Dance? Not ringing a bell, anyway.

#Bookstodon #Pulitzer

Some #Homelab success today:

Finally finished a rough de-duping of my old music files, enough to justify setting up #Navidrome for streaming from my home server.

So I did! Even got it up and running on my phone and my wife's phone. Trying out #Amperfy on my wife's iOS and #Ultrasonic on my GrapheneOS.

So far so smooth!

I wish there was a way for my wife to build her own library out of our super large library (that is mostly my files)... but we can probably find a work around for that later.

#NowListening to a new record, just dropped yesterday, from Zo! and Tall Black Guy. Album is called "Expansions" -- and as expected, so far, it's top notch!

If you're looking for uplifting grown-folks R&B/soul, light house, etc., they're always a good listen.

Plus, plenty of great collabs: Raquel Rodriguez, Darien Brockington, Jazzy Jeff, so many more.

Good chance this is my daily player for a minute.

Here's "High On Your Love" w/Brockington and Jazzy Jeff on the turntables:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIZVcruiaw8

#soul #hiphop #Zo #TallBlackGuy #randb

Most interesting thing out this week, as far as new albums go, might be this compilation of Talking Heads covers out on BBE, "Naive Melodies."

Unlike the comp of Stop Making Sense covers put out last year, which felt quite staid and predictable, this one leans R&B, hip hop, diasporic:

#Bilal doing Seen and Not Seen (yes please)

#RosieLowe (!) doing Burning Down the House (? so confused but so intrigued)

#Astronne doing Psycho Killer (I can hear this already in my head)

Liv.e doing I Zimbra (word? and just straight props for choosing this for a comp, no matter how it sounds)

Georgia mf'in Anne Muldrow doing Girlfriend is Better (YES LAWD (c) a.paak)

Theo Croker. Florence Adooni. There's lots of folks here.

I haven't listened to a single cut yet but this will almost certainly more entertaining than the other. There are some genuine risktakers here.

About to put it on for my commute.

https://bbemusic.com/product/naive-melodies

#NewMusic2026 #NewMusicFriday #NowListening #GeorgiaAnneMuldrow

Made Claire Saffitz's Kabocha Turmeric Tea Cake from *Dessert Person*.

There are these really tasty cumin cookies that you can get at Indian markets in the US and, occasionally, a Sikh-owned truck stop with a small Indian foods section. (Speaking from experience!)

The flavor of this bread reminds me of those cookies! Turmeric, garam masala, kabocha, and sugar, dotted with pumpkin seeds. Sort of perfect, really.

Great flavor, maybe ate a little dry. I thought about adding a bit of moisture to the squash mash next time, since the only real moisture in the bread was 2 eggs, some maple syrup, and some vanilla extract.

#Baking #Bread #ClaireSaffitz #DessertPerson

"Before the earth,

before the moon,
before the stars,

before the sun,

before the sky,
even before the sea,

there was only time and Ta'aroa.

Ta'aroa made Ta'aroa. Then he made an egg that could house him."

-- #FirstSentences (or rather, first lines) of Richard Powers, *Playground*

---
Started this morning. Looking forward to spending some time with this one.

Edited to add #ReadingNotes tag.

#NowReading #Bookstodon #RichardPowers

"The hardest thing in the world is to live only once."

-- #FirstSentences of Ocean Vuong, *The Emperor of Gladness*

---
Started this on a whim last night. Have to read it pretty quickly to get it back to the library in time, so might not have a ton of #ReadingNotes ... but I'll use this as a spot for sharing thoughts.

Despite starting it on a whim, already 100 pages in --- so not too shabby so far!

#OceanVuong #NowReading

Was planning to start Aaron John Curtis's *Old School Indian* this afternoon, but my wife brought home a copy of Ocean Vuong's *Emperor of Gladness* from the library and she hasn't started it yet.

Two very different books but am suddenly a bit torn. And by the rules of international engagement, I do believe that, since she hasn't started the Vuong yet, I can legally start it and then it's mine to finish.

Do I want a "poetic, dramatic, and vivid story," one that is "tender and moving," showing the "profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life" (Vuong, from the book jacket)?

Or do I want "humor, sincerity, and heartbreak," a book that is "brave, funny, and irreverent" (Curtis)?

Hmmm....

#Bookstodon #AaronJohnCurtis #OceanVuong

Just learned that Isaiah Sharkey, r&b/soul guitarist extraordinaire, released a solo album a few weeks ago called "Red"

Sharkey was a significant force in shaping the sound of #BlackMessiah from #DAngelo -- so I'm very excited to dig into this.

Only a few songs in but "Trade It All" REALLY got my attention.

#NewMusic2025 #IsaiahSharkey #RAndB

Though my braiding needs work, pretty happy with the look of these #challah.

Also have a large round in the oven, which is taking way longer to bake through -- had to tent it to keep it from getting too dark!

#Baking #Bread

Only just getting into new album releases on this #NewMusicFriday but super excited to have a new lp from #MadisonMcFerrin to dig into!

Album is called Scorpio. Already clear #StevieWonder vibes on "Ain't It Nice"!

Coda

There's little in taking or giving,
There's little in water or wine;
This living, this living, this living
was never a project of mine.
Oh, hard is the struggle, and sparse is
The gain of the one at the top,
For art is a form of catharsis,
And love is a permanent flop,
And work is the province of cattle,
And rest's for a clam in a shell,
So I'm thinking of throwing the battle--
Would you kindly direct me to hell?

-- Dorothy Parker

#TodaysPoem #Poetry #DorothyParker

Would happily take any #UsedCar shopping tips. We are looking for a truck to mainly use on the property and for short trips to town for larger project items (wood, garden stuff, etc)

Buying used makes me nervous but this thing just needs to run at the bare minimum. Looks don't matter. So we're hoping we can find something cheap.

#CarShopping

Waiting for some news from the vet on our cat's status.

So I'm listening to Madison McFerrin's Tiny Desk Concert from a few weeks ago. Great set!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtXMRhAwWVQ

Her 2023 album "I Hope You Can Forgive Me" is immaculate. My favorite cut is probably "Utah":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLTVfmdZodI

#RnB #NeoSoul #NowListening #MadisonMcFerrin #TinyDeskConcert

In my digital history class this semester, we were originally going to do some topic modeling work with MALLET but students struggled to get it installed.

So we pivoted and a few weeks later, used #Voyant to do the modeling, then Datawrapper to play with visualization.

Was a real success, and bringing #Datawrapper into the mix really helped compensate for Voyant's limitations in terms of visualization. The students really enjoyed trying different visualizations out, even if they were a bust, and trying to make sense of what they were seeing.

Planning to type up some notes as a more formal lesson plan. If I ever get a website up and running again, I'll share it there (someday).

#DigitalHumanities #DigitalHistory #TopicModeling #Teaching

An Idaho County Will Publish Everyone’s Ballots to Combat Mistrust (#NYTimes)

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/23/us/ballots-election-boise-idaho.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cE4.wJy-.D7ZjHDESzHLR&smid=url-share

#Elections #CivicTech #CivicData

About 3/4 of the way through Hayden Pedigo's brand new "Live in Amarillo, Texas" --- which is exceptional. So the next track on my morning playlist in the making:

Hayden Pedigo - "Nearer, Nearer/Tints of Morning"

https://haydenpedigo.bandcamp.com/track/nearer-nearer-tints-of-morning

Fans of "primitive" fingerpicking a la #JohnFahey or, more recently, folks like #BillMckay or #NathanSalzburg should enjoy, but really anyone who likes instrumental guitar work.

As Pedigo says at the start of his album, the pieces feature a lot of "long pauses." If that perks your ears, like it does mine, check out the full album.

#HaydenPedigo #SundayListening #NowListening #ImpromptuPlaylist

Two tracks from a new release on International Anthem by an artist named #Tomin:

"Come Sunday Bass (for Ellington and Dolphy)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TDFfVlPRoE

"Naima"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuHK3GuU9nw

The album is called *Flores para Verene / Cantos para Caramina*. About half of the album are miniatures like this, sketches of standards, or tunes that should be standards, set for small reed/brass ensemble played entirely by Tomin himself.

These are quiet takes on these tunes, even of the more ebullient songs, and the recordings are close enough to catch breath. Very warm and intimate.

Read more about the album here:
https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/flores-para-verene-cantos-para-caramina

#Tomin #NowListening #SundayListening #ImpromptuPlaylist

Good follow-up to the Shaw::

Haco - "A Fragment (Live)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkjISRPjVxc

From the reissued version of their eponymous album, originally issued in 1995 but reissued this year. The track is a bonus.

I love the slow build on this one: built largely out of simple, repetitive layers of synth-strings and guitar, and an ethereal vocal line floating among it all. Like the Shaw, it has that combination of sparseness and lushness that I just love.

I don't remember at this point how I found #Haco, but I've loved everything I've listened to from her.

#NowListening #SundayListening #ImpromptuPlaylist

I grew up in #Hawaii in the 80s and early 90s, and #Akebono was a *big* deal for locals.

A lot of folks know Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" but I wish more folks knew his stuff like "Tengoku Kara Kaminari" (Thunder from Heaven), which tells the story of local boys who go on to do #Sumo in the big leagues. In the style of the greatest classical epics:

"They have traveled, thousand miles away
Sometimes lonely, far away from family
All have conquered, a dream that seemed impossible
With dignity, they are Hawai'i sumotori"

Here's that tune: https://youtu.be/MGD4EQMgbYE

"Now I shall pass from one theme to another until I return to my original theme."

-- #SYAgnon, The Kerchief

#AmReading #DailyReading

"How good is a word in its proper time."

S.Y. #Agnon, "The Tale of the Scribe"

(I am thinking this may be a reference to Proverbs 15:23? From the 1917 JPS Tanakh:

A man hath joy in the answer of his mouth;
And a word in due season, how good is it!)

#SYAgnon #DailyReading #AmReading

Today's #DailyReading:
Kramer, Erin B. “Corlaer’s House: Diplomatic Spaces, Lineages, and Memory in the New York Borderlands.” The William and Mary Quarterly 79, no. 4 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1353/wmq.2022.0037

A close look at diplomacy between Haudenosaunee nations and the Dutch and English in the New York borderlands of the 17th century. Kramer unpacks the many layers of significance represented by a Dutch home in Schenectady, the house of Arent van Curler, to the diplomatic relationship between these groups over several decades. 1/6

#USHistory #Histodons #Borderlands #17thCentury #AmReading