Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
You know, I wonder how many interesting tidbits I've missed in the
Journal because I read it before Neil went back and edited.  Just now,
for example, I had the page open and something about a pornographic
cookbook caught my eye.  "Oh," I thought, "Did a new post just come up
since last time I was here?"  But no, it was just an extra paragraph
shoved into the ghostwriter entry.

I guess there's something to be said for staying a little bit behind.

On a loosely related note, I did find that "momentarily" link a couple
of days ago, but didn't post it here.  It's
http://www.word-detective.com/back-b2.html#momentarily.

And believe it or not, I'm too tired to finish posting tonight.  I'm
going to bed.  Goodnight, you guys.

Christy
  

    
it has begun...
I feel sick
and sad
and helpless.

I've marched in the protests, I've written the letters, I've known all
along that it wouldn't stop this from happening... 
but still...
  

    

Today, while walking outside, I came to a conclusion.
There was nothing I could do about the war. About the President. I was
feeling despondant and knew that any around me were as well.
I saw a "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty" bumper
sticker.

It struck me as a singularly wonderful idea. It always is, of course, but
right now, when the little things mean so much...

Help a homeless person eat. Call a friend you haven't talked to for some
time. Tell someone you love them. Trite as hell, right? Well, welcome to
hell, trite's what I have to offer.
That's my thoughts on the matter.
  

    
I was briefly in the streets tonight and will be again tomorrow.  Useless, I
know, but.
  

    
After reading the article Neil linked to about Baghdad, I realized
that I've never actually read any of the 1001 Nights.

Is there an edition in print that anyone recommends?  Should I settle
for "selected stories" or is it worth it to plow through them all?
  

    
My favourite is the Mardrus and Mathers translation (from Arabic into
French and then into English). Do a search on Bookfinder.com of
Abebooks.com. It's in four volumes. I can't see it for cheaper than
about $10 a book, but it's well worth it. It's more readable than the
Burton, and feels more satisfying than most of the other translations
I've run into. 

And start at the beginning and move through in sequence -- otherwise
you don't see that there is a sequence, and a change from the misogyny
of the first stories on.

Robert Irwin wrote a terrific book about the Arabian Nights -- A
Companion, which I also highly recommend.


Christy -- I'll post and edit and add and post as I go on the blog,
mostly because I learned too many times that if I tried to get it JUST
RIGHT before posting, I'd wind up working on it for ages then losing it
to a blogger crash. 

But it's unlikely that I'd do anything (except occasionally add a link
when I forgot) to anything over about 12 hours old.

Gull and Druitt were both Jack the Ripper suspects.

Dodge - that's fascinating. 

Erynn -- I'm glad you saw her. I miss her...
  

    
The other night my friends and I wondered if Tori would say anything
about the war. She sang Imagine and it was . . . there really are no
words. It got a standing ovation because, I think, everyone was feeling
that song in one way or another. There was this energy in the room. I
really wish that energy would have traveled to the White House and all
over the world somehow and smacked some people in the face. 

I protested too. I feel so helpless. I really wish I had more money so
I could make an impact on something. Because that's really what it
boils down to...

Anyway, no matter what is going on in the world, my cats are always
begging for food. 
  

    
Working in San Francisco is frightening right now. I'll be glad when I
can wander around Union Square and not see and hear the police and
news helicopters overhead. 

Had to walk to Costco to pick up some things after work closed early
from all the protests (and taking the bus was not an option) and have
never been more afraid to just walk across the street at a green light
before. Riot police were gathering at a few crucial intersections and
arresting people if they stepped into the street against a light, or
didn't keep moving when the light turned green.

According to boy, most of the protests were kind of cool (I only
walked a little way with a bunch of other marchers - don't do crowds
well). If nothing else, it's an awesome thing that can close Van Ness
from California to Market for a bit. Luckily, the boy did not get
arrested at that time, though I'm a little concerned at the moment -
told him to get in touch with me and haven't heard from him for hours.

Any way, hope everyone out in suburbia is having a slightly less
frazzled day today. 

squeaks, who isn't really complaining - except for the lack of hours
at work.
  

    
Well, this will be an interesting weekend when I fly up there
tomorrow.

Joy.
  

    
Squeaks - hope boy is well.

I looked on Bookfinder for Mathers' Arabian Nights, but couldn't find
it for less than $117, and the other copies were over $1000 each.

Poo.

I'm at home, sick, with a fever, and my *hair* hurts.
feh. 
  

    
Dan -- don't look for "Arabian Nights". Just type "Mardrus Mathey" in
as authors on Bookfinder and on Abebooks and see what you get, the
click around a bit. 

Remember, the book is not called the Arabian Nights... but you don't
know if the bookseller will have listed it in a database as "The book
of a thousand nights and one night" "The 1001 Nights" "The Arabian
Nights" or whatever. For some reason, "The Arabian Nights" gives you
the most mega-expensive editions... 

Mouse and Martha -- hope all's well there. fingers crossed. 
  

    
Neil: I'm so happy to hear that you're doing much better.

Mimi: It was loverly to see you on Wednesday!  And "modeling" (such as
it was) was lots of fun.  And you are a fabulous photographer!  I
loved seeing everything you brought with you.  I still want one of
those business cards!

Erynn: I'm so glad to hear that your dad's doing so well.  And
congrats! on seeing Tori.  A few LA-FOG's are trying to convince me to
go here, but I'm more like Michelle--I don't do crowds well, either.

Madman and Martha: I'm with you.  Sometimes it's not about whether or
not we have the power to make the big choices; it's just about making
the choices we can and following through.  Trite?  Maybe.  But I think
it's the only true sanity.

Davey: I know I owe you an email.  It's coming.  I'm just really,
really buried, right now.

Michelle: Yikes!  Hope your Boy's safe and sound.

Dan W: Your *hair* hurts?  Owies.  I hope you feel right as rain in no
time.

Many apologies to the SF Wellies: Walker may have already told you,
but I had to cancel for this weekend.  Personal obligations, absolute
barking madness at work, and an unexpected alternator replacement to
Little Red--not to mention the insanity happening this week--all added
up to "not a very good idea" just now.  I hate that I'll miss you all. 
But Walker's still coming!  And I haven't given up.  I'll be there
sometime!

Walker: Safe travels.  Don't forget to call me when you're there and
settled in.  

     *

"Excess of sorrow laughs. 
Excess of joy weeps. 

The roaring of lions, 
the howling of wolves, 
the raging of the stormy sea, 
and the destructive sword 
are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man."

--William Blake

-P
  

    
Right.  So, I searched on Mardrus and Mathers and Zubal.com is now
sending me "The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night. Rendered
into English from the literal & complete French Translation of Dr. J.
C. Mardrus" The 1947 printing.

All 4 volumes in very good condition for just under 40 including
shipping.

Thanks a lot Neil!


Oh - as long as I'm here, I'll mention that I read "Good Girl, Bad
Dog" on the train in this morning.  A nice short story by (soukup).
  

    
Here in SF. Everything *seems* normal... except for the clockwork
passes of the helicopters and single-engine aircraft circling the city
excecuting their Command Presence over the Hill.

For those traveling: Definitely get to the airport earlier than
normal. People are edgy, baggage handlers are using fine-tooth combs,
and there are (at least at LAX), some rather uptight looking National
Guardsmen with Very Big Rifles wandering around. I took time to say
hello to them, and brighten their day.

I think the shoes, shirt, and sunglasses with flames on them that I
was wearing, as well as the burgundy beard, somewhat unsettled them.

It's a gorgeous day in SF. Almost makes you forget about what's going
on in the world.
  

    
ABC news reports fewer demonstrators, though they're still out there, and
the ones they talk to stress that they intend to obey all laws including
traffic lights etc.
  

    
Pamela -- me too. It's weird getting better from meningitis -- every
now and again you have a day that feels like you're back in it again.
And this is apparently quite standard for the process, and it will go
on for months; and I had one of those yesterday. Today, OTOH was great,
and I swam and got sun on my skin and feel like I'm putting myself
back together again.  And novelling.
  

    
interesting article in the Guardian on how the peace movement has
changed the shape of the war...

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/comment/0,12956,919625,00.html
  

    
Thanks for the link.  There've been small remarks to that effect here and
there in the coverage I've seen, but it's interesting to see it summed up in
one essay.

(glad you're feeling better by the way)
  

    
> I feel so helpless. I really wish I had more money so I could make
> an impact on something. Because that's really what it boils down
to...

   Not meant as scolding, but -- no.

   What would you do if you had a big pile of money?  Buy yourself a
candidate who would vote as you paid him to?  Hire some lobbyists who
would do the buying for you?  That has become business as usual, but it
ain't democracy, and it works only because it is allowed to work, only
because enough people decide that the system is rigged.  (It can be
rigged, in certain ways and on a local basis, but not nationwide and
not against sufficient numbers.  Fratboy "won" because specific effects
of a very narrow electoral margin kicked in.  The Electoral College
system stinks, as James Michener pointed out in detail decades ago, but
for now it's what we have, and the point is to make sure that he loses
very, very definitely next time.)
   You have a vote.  So do most of the other people who were out there
against the war.  Next year, the amateur Pinochet has to run for
reelection, and there are as yet no "war powers" he can invoke to
prevent this.  If you, and all those others, unite in voting against
him, he will lose.  While you're at it, make sure that the Republican
plurality in Congress goes back home to selling used cars and writing
bad checks.  And when Emperor Nero Junior* leaves town, the excrement
that makes up his cabinet will be required to go as well.
    If you feel strongly enough about this, there are things that can
be done to assist other folks in voting; they tend to be grinding
busywork with very little reward apart from maybe seeing your guys win,
but when your guys win, suddenly you have a reason not to feel
helpless.

    Again, apologies; I am by no means angry or anything like angry at
you.  But the feeling that one's vote doesn't count is the death of
represntative government; it hands the system over to those who find
representation and acountability to be inconvenient nuisances.

*Not Commodus.  Commodus had a distinguished father.
  

    
John-Mike- Yes, that is true, and no apologies necessary. I was being
half sarcastic half, well-- it just seems like the guys with the money
always win and I never feel like I have the power to do enough. I was
thinking that I would buy more TV and radio air time for those
campaigners who wouldn't otherwise have the money to able themselves to
be heard. Or help fund electric/solar power thingies, aid in bringing
them into the mainstream market. I don't know. But you're absolutely
right, and I do believe in voting, and I did vote, and will continue to
vote even though it often feels like a lost cause. The guy I voted for
went quietly back into the woods. 

"Emporer Nero Junior" is right on the money. Jess and I have been
thinking the exact SAME thing since the beginning. People at work laugh
at me, or act like I'm supporting terrorists, but I really do think
that we are witnessing the fall of Rome all over again. I'm just
waiting for the man to appoint Mr. Ed council. I am really, really
afraid. 

Say, have you ever thought of running for office? I would vote for
you:) I bet you'd write excellent speeches . . .  
  

    
Erynn--you and Jess make me feel like I'm not the Lone Ranger.  We are
being distracted by so much crap so we don't notice the loss of civil
liberties, the deficit, the state of the economy etc., etc.  And the
American public seems to be buying it.

I've never been ashamed to be an American before.  A little
embarrassed, sometimes, sure.  But never ashamed.  

It sucks.
  

    
Patrick Nielsen Hayden pointed out
http://www.theonion.com/onion3701/bush_nightmare.html
on his blog, as one of the most scarily accurate pieces of predictive
journalism he'd ever seen...
  

    
I still owe some people responses, questions, comments, etc., but
apart from those, or perhaps despite them, I think I may disappear from
the Well for a little while.

I really don't belong here.  Not right now, anyway.
  

    
Mary,  forgive me for sounding naive, but why are you ashamed to be
American? Being American is what's going to make it possible for you to
help get rid of Bush. I know that the rest of the world judges
Americans on what its government projects to them, just as we
(unconciously or not) judge other countries by their governments'
positions on the things we hear about, but being an American isn't
about the current administration's policies. 

I support the war tentatively (probably not for the same reasons Bush
and Co. do), which makes me the one dissenting voice in my circle of
friends (can't tell you how much fun it's (not) been, let me tell you).
But watching the protests that backed up Lake Shore Drive thrilled me,
because it was living proof of part of what it means to be American.
And I'm fiercely proud of that. 

I'm pretty torn on how to feel about everything. I just see so many
different angles, all of which are sound arguments both for and against
what's going on. I can't bring myself to protest something that will
result in the removal of something like the Hussein regime (especially
after reading the things I've been reading -- and no, not just by the
American propaganda machine), but I can't condone the methods our
leaders have been employing, either. 

But as for being ashamed of my nationality, I don't see the logic in
that. We can't control all the decisions of elected (or appointed)
leaders, but we can oust them every four years if enough of us can
agree on it. "Being American" isn't automatically "being for Bush."  
  

    
So this year I actually get to the International Conference on the
Fantastic in the Arts (just ended), in Ft. Lauderdale, and of course
Neil is _elsewhere_ in Florida crashing strangers' funerals, eating
curried goat for breakfast, and buying tacky caskets to use as raised
beds for this year's pumpkin crop. <hug> anyway, and I hope the relapse
days fall off quickly and forever.

I've come home with a head cold, though, and the Sudafed I took to get
through the flights has about worn off so I'm almost asleep. Trip
notes maybe tomorrow (if anyone's interested), and catching up on
conversations.

Pam: That's OK. I'm glad to know you haven't fallen off the planet.
Catch up when you can.

Christy: Butbutbut... I'm too incoherent for effective protest,
butbutbut...