Happy Halloween!

It’s been a while since I last updated, but there really hasn’t been a lot of interest happening in my life, and I also have not felt inspired to write. Here’s hoping that will change as of tonight. How could I not be inspired on a night of the dead and candy?

I was on the phone with Alisha, my inspired disciple, for the past hour. It was nice to talk to her again. It’s been a couple months since I last called her. Someday I must visit my Georgian disciples to experience their southern land. A road trip on the bus would be the best way to get there, most definitely.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Eyes For Telescopes today and yesterday. They have cemented a permanent spot on my list of favourite artists. I’m enamoured with the two CD’s I have now, and I was enthralled by their live performance. This is another band you all need to listen to. I’m not kidding, it’ll make your day.

In moments I will break out the essential Fall CD, Poe‘s Haunted. It’s a beautiful album that I can never recommend enough. It is without a doubt one of the greatest of all time. I loved this CD from the moment I first heard it, and I’m quite sure it will become as haunting for you as well. Put it on your list of gems to get and you won’t regret it.

I rearranged my room yesterday. It was the first time I had undertaken that since I came to this cave. There was a time when my room would shift every few weeks. I enjoy being in an environment that changes. I always have.

I have mirrors on my table cloth-curtain reflect light down upon my eyes now that I have placed my desk below my window. I enjoy that aspect more now. The sun-touched oranges are so far removed from the colors I usually surround myself with that I still don’t understand why I would choose them. They cover my window well enough, so I really can’t complain. And the light causes reflection for more than the mirrors.

Time to call up the dead.

Sweet dreams.

Tonight my fortune cookie had the following to say to me:

“Que votre coeur responde pour vous.” / “Answer just what your heart prompts you.”

I absorbed the last word and dot of Hawksley Workman’s Hawksley Burns For Isadora mere moments ago. 50 pages of love, danger and a web of meaning passed through my eyes quickly and effortlessly. It was a wonderfully sensual read filled with beautiful symbolism and words dripping with love and passion.
It was a book composed of 25 letters from Hawksley Workman to Isadora, an enigmatic lover who emerged from Hawksley’s imagination and from beneath the ice covering a winter lake. The letters fuse poetry and prose seamlessly, and create an enchanting and haunting landscape of passionate love filled with symbols of nourishment, the natural world and folklore. All are enfused with with true emotion and thus intensified.
Each letter from Hawksley to Isadora is accompanied by a companion drawing by Beverly Hawksley. These are facinating works themselves, and lend much to the story and to the decoding of symbols.The female forms depicted are more curved and realistic, and also symbolic, than can be found in much of mainstream art, and I think this aids the presentation of Isadora as both very natural, and also somehow supernatural.
I really appreciated how often Lover/Fighter references this book in its lyrics and packaging. The theme of fighting for beauty is apparant in both, and Hawksley’s website helps to meld the two further through the use of a quote from the final letter as the anchor of the main page.
This is a book to treasure and to read when you are in love, or looking for it. The pages are meant to be slipped under your pillow to guide your dreams. These words are words you need to absorb, words that will tempt your resolve with commitment. Read it.

1. What is the most essential item you include in your suitcase when you travel? Why?

It is now my Clie, since I can use it for many important tasks such as journalling, a schedule and as a portable library.

2. What is the least essential item you include in your suitcase when you travel? Why?

Deodrourant, because it’s really not that important (who cares if you carry a natural scent?).

3. How early do you start packing for a big trip (say, a week)? Why so early or so late?

I would pack the night before, but plan what to take about a week in advance. Packing my things too soon would mean I could not use them in my daily life.

4. What do you pack in your carry-on bag if you’re flying? If you’ve never flown, estimate what you’d pack.

I would bring my Clie, my cell phone, my wallet, and my mini disc player.

5. What kind of stuff do you (or would you) pack if you were traveling with a child for a three-hour flight?

I would definitely bring a book for them to read or have read to them, some music for them to listen to, and some other quiet activities, as well as their own camera so that they could feel they are interacting with the world below (assuming they have a window seat).

Taken from Weekly Wrap-Up – #76 – Travel

I walked on down to Random Play during the 3:30 – 4:30 hour in order to meet my silly disciple. It turned out she was a bit late, so I spent half an hour browsing the obscure CD’s until she arrived. Once she did she introduced me to her friend Dan.
From there we went to Tim Horton’s, where we chowed down on BLT sandwiches, doughnuts and coffee. It was a better meal than I was expecting, and we ended the meal with the great idea of visiting one of the many chains of “get stuff for a buck or three” to find Wanda some hair accessories (though she did pick up some other things as well, including a Pixie Stick that will come into play later in this tale).
We treked to the venue, my beloved Marquee Club, the best place to see a concert in Halifax. We decided to take some photos outside, and the one of Wanda to the left is one of the results of that. We were the first two to show up for the event (around 7:30) and were a bit worried that Hawksley would not have the large audience he deserves. Those fears were brushed away before long, as a huge lineup formed that stretched down the block. I have never seen that many people waiting to get into an even at The Marquee. It was certainly a pleasant surprise.
Around 8:30 we were allowed into the club, had our ID’s checked and stamped with the ink of the night. We headed for the Hawksley Workman merchandise table. There were some great items on sale, including all his CD’s, shirts, belt buckles and his book. Wanda got a very cool red Hawksley shirt, and Wanda and I both chose to purchase Hawksley Burns For Isadora, his book of love letters formed with something between poetry and prose.
Here’s what Hawksley’s website has to say about this book:
It was mostly spring when I wrote these letters. In the winter prior, I went to the frozen lake at midnight and heard the ice moving. They were strange and painful sounds. I imagined whales under the ice. I imagined a lover too, who dwelled in the water. Seeing her through the ice, I asked if she needed a warm place to stay through these dark cold days of winter. I offered my bathtub. I cooked a lot that winter. I washed the dishes with hot, hot water-as hot as I could stand. Through the days I would visit the cemetery. I would cover my eyes and practice walking, just in case the day came that I was blind. When I returned home, I would brew fantastic teas of dandelion root and mint and twigs. I slept on the floor in the kitchen like a cat and woke up early most mornings. A fox would visit sometimes, but mostly the cardinal. Spring finally came. I let the water from the tub. I cried a while. Spring is filled with so much happiness. I visited the lake. I waited on the shore for my lover. The ice was out now. The fish could once again see the moon at night. I wished that I could be under there with them, with my lover. I wished I could breathe under water. I thought of how quiet it would be. I imagined I was a dirty dish waiting to be washed. Once filled with soup, then empty. I wrote these letters in the spring. Once filled with soup, then empty.
This 50 page cloth hard cover book includes 50 illustrations by Beverley Hawksley along with prose, poetry, love letters and much more all by Hawksley Workman.
We snuck up front after some minutes and slipped into standing position one layer from the stage. Mark Bragg and the Black Wedding Band were the opening act, and put on quite a good show. I have a lone song by them called “My Buick” in my collection and I hadn’t paid it much attention before tonight (I’m listening to it now and enjoying it quite a lot). They have some really interesting songs, and they were quite an animated act, especially Mr. Bragg himself. It was an act very well suited for opening at a Hawksley show. This is one local band I would enjoy watching again some day.
We waited patiently during the intermission and talked of how we had enjoyed Mark Bragg and the Black Wedding Band well enough for that to be worth the effort and ticket cost alone. That band seriously put on a much better show than I had expected. Though Wanda seemed more impressed than I, I must say that they are one of the best local bands I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live.
Hawksley Workman and the Wolves roared onto the stage after a standard break in the action, and also after much chanting of Hawksley’s name by the female members of the audience (which seemed to be the majority). His first songs were taken from the Lover/Fighter album, his newest release. It was such a strong opening to the show, and certainly brought me in instantly because of my affinity for his newer material. His vocal skills and guitar prowess were very apparent from these opening songs. He then moved on to older songs, including the classics “Jealous of Your Cigarette”, “Tarantulove” and “Striptease”, which are high on my list of favourite Hawksley songs. I had not previously listened to quite a few of the songs he played, but I enjoyed them all greatly. Hawksley is a performer that can excite an audience in multiple ways, as was evidenced by what he referred to as “a rowdy bunch” yelling out between songs.
The show progressed with a consistant quality of musicianship from all band members, and supreme stage presence from Mr. Workman. He told us stories, made witty remarks and tossed flowers out into the audience during “Dirty and True”. His turn on the drums showed how impressive a multi-instrumentalist he is, as he performed even better than his touring drummer.
Eventually, after a lengthy set, Hawksley and band took their first step off the stage. It would not be the last, as they came back on for three fantastic encores, something I’ve never experienced before. Hawksley seemed to be very appreciative of the large and enthusiastic audience (the venue had easily sold out) and thanked us for coming out countless times. We’d made his month, or so he said. I could have stood there for hours longer, because there’s just no way to become tired of his performance and songs.
At the end of the concert Wanda and I went out behind The Marquee to wait for Dan to pick her up, and also in hopes that Hawksley would come out so that we could get autographs. We waited in the cold for a good while and became quite chilled. There was all kinds of cold out there, but we survived without suffering too much. After some time Dan, Wanda’s driver, showed up but Wanda was determined to wait to meet Hawksley and thus he returned to his car. We waited for another stretch of time with still no luck.
Then, unexpectedly, Mark Bragg came out of the back stage door and made his way down towards us. Wanda called to him and we went over. He was noticibly intoxicated but seemed to be in good spirits. She was in the middle of saying, “I didn’t have enough to get your CD tonight, but I was wondering if I could get an autograph”, in other words said, “I didn’t have enough to get your CD tonight,” when he said, “Here, have a free one.” In return Wanda offered him the Pixie Stick. At first he refused, but then asked, “Is there food in that?” and quickly changed his mind. Wanda had him sign her autograph book and while doing so he ate the Pixie Stick and scattered it into the air and onto himself due to his drunken state. When he had left we checked to see what he had signed. It read, Wanda, Thanks for the sugar, Mark.
We waited even longer, until around 3 a.m. and had given up hope of meeting Hawksley. Who should appear when Wanda had finally declared that she would not meet him but the star of the night himself. Wanda called up, “Hawksley!” to the balcony in a tiny voice that only the two of us heard. We walked closer to where he was coming down and talked with him, asking if we could get some autographs and take a photo of he and Wanda together. He was very good about it all. I’ve never met a more laid back and appreciative of his fans artist in all my life, and it was so refeshing to see someone who genuinely is doing what he does for noble purpose. He signed our copies of his book, Wanda’s autograph book, and her copy of his first album. Wanda gave him a necklace she had made for him before the concert and he seemed sincerely joyful to receive it and put it on right away. Then I took the photo of Wanda and Hawksley you see in this entry and said goodbye to him and thanked him for the show and autographs. Wanda and I were both gald we had stayed in the bitter cold long enough to have that experience. It was a great ending to a wonderful day.
We had to wait another long stretch in the biting chill, but eventually Dan arrived and Wanda departed. I made the journey home, stopping for a snack at a certain large fast food chain. There I ran into Tommy, a guy I know from university. It was cool to see him and talk for a little while, though to see him clean shaven was shocking.
I came back here and began writing this entry. Sleep soon took over and I left this to finish until now. It’s been a really terrific week, with Monday and Thursday being a whole lot of fun. There’s a lot to be said for spending time with quality people, and nearly as much to be said for hearing great music, but alas I have not the time to get it all down. I’m heading out to dinner with my parents and sister when they arrive. Ilea turned 19 today, and that’s scarier than you might think. It’s so strange to know your little sister will soon be out drinking and is moving out of that sheltered existance of youth. I fear for the world under her terrible freedom. Nah, she’ll turn out fine, I trust.

I just had some coffee, so perhaps now I can get an entry out. I’ve been planning to update since last night, but I haven’t been able to capture any inspiration. So I’ll drink to the coffee gods, to the duck gods, and to my disciples and make an attempt at chronicling one of the best days I’ve had in months.

I met up with April and Wanda in Sunnyside Mall. I hadn’t expected April to be there, but she and Wanda had been waiting together for about twenty minutes. It was the first time my creative and silly disciples had ever met, and they seemed to get along smashingly. That didn’t surprise me at all, because all my disciples are great people.

Before leaving the mall we went to the sushi stand located in the far end of it. There we tried some cucumber sushi and found it edible, so I bought a take out combo with two other types of sushi. That was stowed away in my bag for later consumption after I made sure the sauce would not leak.

Disciples and saviour hopped on a bus headed towards Random Play and spent the time discussing various things. One of the great ideas we decided upon is that there must be a Disciple Dome for the Disciple Bus riders to stay when we are not on the road. It should be a fabulous place to dwell when we return to beautiful Nova Scotia from our travels abroad.

At the record store I picked up The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band with Chior (a.k.a. Silver Mount Zion)’s album This Is Our Punk-Rock, Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing,. It’s a side project of Godspeed You Black Emperor! members and is very much in the same vein of music. I’ve been enjoying it very much so far. The packaging for this album is very enjoyable, and so refreshing compared to most others. The music itself is beautiful beyond what one expects from music in our times. It is something that must be heard, and bring you to tears over the loss of beauty in our world. It does that for me each time I listen.

From the Constellation description of the album: The amateur choir assembled for the ‘fasola’ sing-along on the opening track sets the tone for an exuberant community-rallying protest music that constitutes the spiritual foundation of the record. Destruction of communities (foreign & local) are lamented & eulogised in the following tracks, culminating in the album closer: an ode to the unzoned terrain surrounding the railyards adjacent to the neighbourhood where the band, along with many other Montreal musicians & artists, have lived since the early 1990s. This land is now being swallowed up by big box & condo development.

“This is Our Punk-Rock,”… addresses head-on the local/universal demise of uncontrolled and unregulated urban landscapes – a demise that stretches from the docile walls of superstore complexes & protest ‘pens’ in the West to outright military surveillance, harassment & murderous ‘surgical’ strikes by Western-backed armies in South America & the Middle East. This unbroken curve is at the heart of Mt. Zion’s poetics & politics – this is their punk rock.

I will definitely need to pick up more of the albums released on the Constellation label, as most of the bands they choose to release albums for are interconnected, and of obvious quality. I find it remarkable that communities of artists such as those involved in these projects can exist in today’s world, when competition and greed mark most involved in the “industry”. Does it give hope, or a final glimpse of community in a world losing its soul?

After looking around the store for some time the trio of holiness departed and explored some other stores before deciding it was time to try the sushi. We didn’t find it to be very good, as the taste and textures really didn’t fit with the sushi we had earlier. The fish eggs popped oddly, and make it even less appealing.

In front of the public gardens we had a nice older woman take photos of the three of us in front of a azalia bush. Along with some other photos, it should serve as a nice record of the day. We really need to get all the disciples together for a group photo someday, though.

We then chose to depart on a walk to my home. During that walk we had more laughs than could be counted. I swear there was some divine kind of chemestry that brought out the creativity and silliness in each of us, as we lightened our hearts and made out cheeks hurt from laughter. Wanda invented the most glorious word, a word angels would sing as the voice of divinity and one which would inspire laughter in the darkest of hearts. That word was Mlampsha, and it is now the most holy word in our circle of disciples and saviour. Learn it and fear not the gloom of the modern world.

Soon after the speaking of the glorious word I made the audio journal entry with my phone that you can find in the entry from yesterday. It was important to record as much as I could of the most enjoyable day I’ve had since the summer when Ashley was here. As you can hear on the tape, we were passing a hospital that appeared to be burning, as the evidence of smoke suggested. However, there was merely a chimney placed at just the right position.

I was glancing down while walking and I found the most unusual piece of paper. It was crumpled and had obviously been stapled to a pole or board somewhere, as the corners were ripped. The page featured a drawing of a Pan-like goat/lama/something-else man who grew up from the roots of a very thin tree. The figure had quite a pronounced penis and a hand coming out of loin hair. As I read the paper I soon realied that this was intended to be an ad for a band of some sort. The text bits of this paper included “~Matinee~ The Maughams Live! … at the Metro Center…”, “Admission: 25 (cents) “, “Suite 1201 Duke Street 2:00 pm”, “Saturday 18th (At the Metro Center)” and “(Be on time because we mightget kicked out… seriously.)”. Part of that last bit of text was accidentally ripped off during its transport, but the rest of it can be viewed in full by clicking on the image to the left. Please show disgression, as it is not suitable for children. The interesting fact that anyone not from Nova Scotia would not reallize is that the Metro Center is a large sporting and performance center that can seat thousands of audience members. What kind of crowd did this over-achieving band believe it could draw? An obvious amount of effort went into this poster, and I really wonder what the intent of it was. Perhaps it was an art school project, a prank, or perhaps an honest attempt made by a band to gain some attention. The latter may be true, as I discovered a posting on an online forum that mentioned the very same show. It was my first truly interesting piece of found art I have discovered. I will likely submit it to Found Magazine soon.

Wanda, April and I derived much of our laughing time from comments made about this piece of paper during the walk to my place. One such ccurance was when a man was approaching us. April said, “The penis man with the hand coming out of his ass,” and made us and the man crack up.

Back here in the cave we sat for a while so that I could find my second copy of Tori Amos’ Scarlet’s Walk to give to Wanda. It’s the special edition two CD version with Scarlet’s Stories, Tori’s personal commentary for each song. We also needed to warm up, as the night air was multiple varieties of cold, from chilly to biting.

At last we had headed down to Halifax Shopping Center, where we had some food (because the sushi was definitely not filling). I splurged on some great tasting ice cream on a waffle cone. Waffle cones are greatly superior to normal ones. After some wandering we had to go to find a bus stop so that Wanda could make it home.

It took us a while, but we finally settled on a bus stop, even though Wanda needed to pee. Somehow April suggested she climb a tree to do her urination, and we discussed the act at great length. Until the bus arrived we talked and laughed and laughed some more, as we had for the entire day. Then I walked April to another bus stop and ended up getting a drive home from her mother, since April’s bus would not have arrived for another hour.

It was a fantastic day, and I didn’t do it justice at all. We laughed so many times, and we all got along so very well. Out spirits were definitely light the whole time. The first gathering of Wanda, April and I was definitely a success and a sign of good days to come. Hopefully we can repeat this sort of levity on coming Mondays. I do believe it bodes well for when all of my disciples and I can unite. If we had that much fun and power as a mere trio, imagine how amazing it will be when all six of us come together to change the world. Nothing will stop that supreme force of holiness!

Voice Entry

( MP3 )

Click the link above to hear my voice entry.

In Writing Alone and With Others Pat Schneider, author and writing workshop leader, writes about keeping a journal. Schneider calls it “saving a life.” By this, she does not mean saving someone from death, although someone could certainly argue that journaling has healing properties. Rather, Schneider meant that keeping a journal meant one could literally save the moments in one’s life — archive elements, memories, feelings, even images. Whatever form it takes, a journal “saves the perspective you have of this day as you are living it.” So this week’s Wrap-Up is about saving your life.

1. Describe how much you agree or disagree with the idea that journals and blogs are a way to “save” your life?
I think that journals do serve that purpose for many people, though there are certainly other things that come into play. The sharing of thought, the catharsis of writing and creating art are all reasons why I write, beyond that saving of my life.
2. How often do you reference other blog entries you’ve written? How often do you link to those blog entries as documentation of your history?
I seldom reference other entries, as I like each to be somewhat stand alone. Refering to the previous post is common for me, but otherwise I won’t refer to another entry.

3. How many entries does your blog have? What are the top two topics you most frequently write about?
I have around 700 entries in my public journal, and likely 3 times that in my livejournal. I write most often about music, as it is one of my biggest passions.

4. Have you ever rebooted your blog to erase your previous online life? If so, why? If not, under what circumstances would you ever consider it? No, I have never done that and most likely never will. I like having a sense of history and concrete evidence of my mental growth.

5. Share a blog that you best feels “saves” someone’s life? Why did you pick it?
I won’t share the url, but my dear friend Alisha’s journal seems to be the journal that best does this. She captures so much about her situations that other people would likely overlook, and tells it all in a way that is art rather than mere chronicle of her day-to-day.

Taken from Weekly Wrap-Up #75