LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Showing posts with label New Year Day 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Year Day 2009. Show all posts

Thursday, January 1, 2009

First Entry of 2009

It is a frozen day. I just now made brunch. We are moving very slowly around here, partly because it is cold, and partly because we didn't get back until very late. Haven't done that in a while. It was a networked Haitian Vodoun New Year -- all the houngans here in NYC timed their actions so they would all be doing / calling / invoking / blessing the same things at the same moment all around the city.

It was a special New Year's eve. For one thing I was in company with four of the people I love most dearly -- Vaquero, of course, the Houngan Artist that Vaquero first met in Buffalo back at the end of the 70's, Houngan Artist's Haitian mambo wife, and Editor Amiga. I felt so much last night, sending and receiving.

We've been invited to a couple of open houses today, but staying in feels more attractive. We've got the movie, Band of Angels (1957), based, probably loosely, on the novel of that name (1955) by Robert Penn Warren, with Yvonne de Carlo playing the beautiful slave and Clark Gable, the slave trader who buys her and sets her up on his Louisiana plantation. Sidney Poitier is also in the movie, a highly educated black man that Gable rescued when a baby in Africa during his slave trading days. I've never seen it. I don't think it's been available on dvd until recently. Vaquero saw it several times when a little boy and is eager to see if the actual film matches his memories of it. We also have The Court Jester (1957) -- Danny Kaye in 12th C England.

I made posole yesterday, which was one of the most successful posoles I've ever managed. Posole is one of those stews that's even better the next day. We have tortillas and cheesecake and beer and bubbly in the refrigerator. Omar Sosa's wonderful cd is playing – A-FREEcanos is one of my favorites this year. Vaquero's happily composing his favorite recordings of 2008 essay for Da List. Outside it's only 25º, the open houses are far apart from each other, and seem far away. It feels so nice in here, and we are feeling so very lazy.

Happy New Year!
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