Monthly Archives: November 2014

“Keeping Things Whole” by Mark Strand (1934-2014)

Posted on November 30, 2014 by jyourist

In a field I am the absence of field. This is always the case. Wherever I am I am what is missing. When I walk I part the air and always the air moves in to fill the spaces where … Continue reading →

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“The Dice Player” by Mahmoud Darwish

Posted on November 29, 2014 by jyourist

This very powerful short film animated by Nissmah Roshdy, won the 2014 ZEBRA Prize for Best Poetry Film, illustrating an excerpt from Mahmoud Darwish’s “La-eb al Nard,” “The Dice-Player.” Below is the poem in its entirety. The Dice Player Who … Continue reading →

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Greetings from Niagara Falls

Posted on November 28, 2014 by jyourist

My mother has a friend in her assisted living facility. In fact, we have been hearing quite a bit about him over the last year. After exercise class, he always volunteers to wheel her from the class back to her … Continue reading →

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Not much distance at all

Posted on November 25, 2014 by jyourist

This photo was taken by Declan Haun in 1961 in Monroe, North Carolina— 53 years, 753 miles, 12 hours away by car from Ferguson, Missouri. Not much distance at all.

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The seasoning of seasons

Posted on November 24, 2014 by jyourist

These tomatoes were all rescued from before the frost. These last tomatoes—Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Black Cherries, San Marzano, Green Zebra, Sun Sugar, and Mortgage Lifter— in our well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, have embraced some eggplant, onion, garlic, green pepper, and … Continue reading →

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Now we glow

Posted on November 23, 2014 by jyourist

Before: After (about 7:30 this morning): IB came over this weekend to help put together sheets of Haruki paper to cover our dining room windows. He actually knew how to handle this project from his experience working with Kyoko Ibe, … Continue reading →

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Mike Nichols 1931-2014

Posted on November 22, 2014 by jyourist

Mike Nichols died last week. Along with his work as a film director on such iconic films as The Graduate, Catch 22, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolff and his theatrical directing of Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple—to name … Continue reading →

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Bravo, Mr. President

Posted on November 21, 2014 by jyourist

Kevin Drum, a blogger for Mother Jones, has called this executive action by Obama absolutely politically brilliant. He details how the Republicans will be tripping over themselves, alienating themselves from the fastest growing sector of our population, latinos, and tying … Continue reading →

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Steamboat Willie

Posted on November 18, 2014 by jyourist

Today is the day that Mickey Mouse was born with the debut of “Steamboat Willie,” Walt Disney’s first distributed Mickey Mouse animation in 1928. (“Plane Crazy” and “Gallopin’ Gaucho” had been produced before but there were no distributors interested in these … Continue reading →

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“Husband” by Philip Schultz

Posted on November 17, 2014 by jyourist

What could be more picturesque than us eating lobster on the water, the sun vanishing over the horizon, willing, once again, to allow us almost any satisfaction. William James said marriage was overlooking, overlooking, yes, but also overlapping: opinions, histories, … Continue reading →

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