The Danger of a Single Story

To Philip Glass, to Virginia Woolf, and to Michael Cunningham

The music of Philip Glass has moved me more than any music I have ever heard. I recently obtained a copy of Glass’s music to the movie, The Hours, and in the CD booklet is an essay by Michael Cunningham. This essay has explained to me my unexplainable and odd fascination with Glass, and in addition, with the work of Virginia Wolf. I guess I am one of the “wild and lonely ones,” because I often listen to Einstein on the Beach (and any other work of his that I have collected) on repeat, especially while writing.

Elizabeth Gilbert & Crazy Creativity

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat, Pray, Love” challenges the association of creative genius and insanity. In a lot of ways I agree with her (we must see creativity springing forth from our interconnected experiences in this world–creativity inspires creativity, and so on. A creative genius do not live in a vacuum. [Exception: Emily Dickinson]). But at the same time, I think the best work I have ever done is when I am on the brink of insanity; darkness produces profound art.

I don’t think that being creative makes people crazy, I think crazy people are creative.

Great is language….

“Great is language….it is the mightiest of the sciences,

It is the fulness and color and form and diversity of the

earth….and of men and women….and of all

qualities and processes;

It is greater than wealth….it is greater than buildings or

ships or religions or paintings or music.”

— Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass:  Great are the Myths (1855)

You Decide

Is the world really this crazy or has journalism really gotten this bad?

Headlines!

February 3rd, 2009

Poll: Majority Of Republicans Want Party To Be More Like Palin

Joe The Plumber Now Advising Republican Party

Phelps’ Sponsors Sticking With Him After Bong Photo

Worker At Salmonella-Infested Peanut Plant Talks: ‘I Saw A Rat Dry-Roasting In The Peanuts’

Random Porn Clip Interrupts Super Bowl Coverage, Shocks Viewers

Miley Cyrus’ slant-eye pose slammed by Asian group

And drumroll for winner headline of the day….

Healthy kidney removed through donor’s vagina

Slugabed

This has got to be my new favorite word, from Word of the Day:

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slugabed \SLUHG-uh-bed\, noun:
One who stays in bed until a late hour; a sluggard.

Nemecek’s business is not for slugabeds. He opens for business every weekday at 4 a.m.
— Drew Fetherston, “He Can Really Make Pigs Fly”, Newsday, December 12, 1994

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The English Language is Dum

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Taylor Mali Poetry Slam

Reclaiming Cunt

You know what they say– all press is good press!

I think it is hilarious that the words used in “The Vagina Monologues” are still causing such a ruckus–even in the year 2008! What is ridiculous is that Fonda used the ::gasp:: “C-WORD” in complete context–she was simply naming the monologue she was asked to perform, she was not using it in a profane way. Yet everyone FLIPPED out. Common, people!

Language is all about context, and Fonda was completely appropriate: words do not hold inherent power, only so much as we give them power. And we have the power to change the meaning of a word if we want to, because language is dynamic, not static! This is the very pointof the monologue itself! The short monologue, written in a sensual slam-poet type of way, is an empowering piece that shifts the negative connotation away from the word and moves it into a place of profound acceptance and ownership; the piece is called “Reclaiming Cunt.” Maybe instead of freaking out and apologizing to the viewers which only perpetuated the dirtiness of the word, a conversation could have started about why Eve wrote the piece, and its important and powerful purpose in our culture.
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The actress used the four-letter c-word for a woman’s anatomy on the show Thursday while talking about the play “The Vagina Monologues.” Fonda, 70, is appearing in a 10th-anniversary performance.

Fonda said she was asked to perform a monologue with the slang term for vagina as the title — and she used the term itself on the air. She said her reply was, “I don’t think so. I’ve got enough problems.”

About 10 minutes later, “Today” co-host Meredith Vieira told viewers that “Today” and Fonda apologized for the remark.

NBC News has recently apologized for comments made by Chris Matthews and David Shuster

–Associated Press
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