Monday, February 28, 2005

this is what I'm talking about





I hate knowing that my flag now stands for a country capable of torture and unconcerned with the opinions of the world, arrogant and ignorant of history, contemptuous of others. I understand now the feelings of idealistic Zionists, seeing something beautiful and cherished turn malign.

It's difficult to know whether to fight to for your vision of something, or against the thing it is becoming. To make a terribly trivial analogy, what was the point in Star Wars where it became more appropriate to fight against the emerging Empire than to try to rescue the democratic Republic it came from? How do you tell if a structure is still sound, or if it needs to be torn down and built again?

Sunday, February 27, 2005

The End of the Moon





I saw Laurie Anderson's new piece at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last night. The stage was dark and simple, only a chair off to the side, a control stand downstage, a stand upstage center for her souped-up viola. The floor was lit with randomly placed candles, white, in low glass jars.

It's funny following someone's work. Even though I hadn't seen this piece before, I know what she's working on - I recognize the turns of phrase and can even predict them. I can see why fans start to think that they have relationships with the objects of their adoration. "How can I know him so well without him knowing me?"

The show made me cry, mostly the clear eyed gaze on the militarization of the world and this country. Her description of her fear that one day there will be a military base on the moon, barely visible even by telescope "but you'll still know it's there," gave me chills.

What should you do when you're aware that something precious is being lost, but you don't know how to fight for it?

Friday, February 25, 2005

let the beauty we love be what we do



I know I have read this before, but sometimes you have to see something more than once to really understand it.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

- Rumi