"Bridge Over Arroyo"

returns

The Great Sandow

Jim Elledge has an intriguing article abt Eugen Sandow in the current Gay & Lesbian Review.

cello shots

Jaani Helander was one of seven cellists who performd the American premiere of "Mystery Variations" in Santa Fe yesterday.

walking

to the gym I cd see ash in the air. so breathing is dangerous. I expect to see birds drop from the sky soon.

sunrise

there are so many fires in the area that our air is full of ash & smoke. this made for a startling sunrise.

Santa Fe pride

Herbert Lotz

Alice Playten (1947-2011)

dying again

some time ago I wrote abt the impending death of my favorite potato chip. that time it came back.

but in the latest batch of clippings from Mom I learn that the company that bought Elyria's local Thomasson potato chips is going national & will discontinue this part of their operations in another 6 months.

here are poets Robert Peters & Jacob Leed at a party at my last Kent home:

that blue & white & red can was full of Thomasson's chips.

another part of my past is vanishing.

Poem Walk

I admit it. sometimes I search my own name. & the last time I did I found something surprising. 2 months ago there was an event in Towson MD in which I took part without knowing it.

Poem Walk was part of a city-wide celebration which found poems in various establishments around town. one of the poems was mine. it was at a bagel shop.

I have no idea what poem was used. I don't know who pickd the poem. & there is no way to know how many people may have read it. but it gives me a thrill to know that I was part of such an event.

Chateau Marmont

interesting to learn that HBO will do a series abt this legendary hotel based on Fred Basten's 1987 book which quotes me a couple of times.

1921 Motion Picture Directory

this fascinating document is available to download. for the cinemaddict it's 428 pages of delight. the first section features full-page ads for those in front of the camera (such as May Allison) & those behind (William Desmond Taylor) with lovely portraits.

then a compilation of listings such as this:

WILSON, Lois; b. Pittsburg, Pa. ; educ. Ala. Normal
Coll.; screen career, representative of Ala.
in Universal's Beauty Contest, Paralta ("A
Man's Man." "Turn of a Card," "His Robe of
Honor," "One Dollar Bid," "End of the
Game"), Lasky ("Love Insurance," "Why
Smith Left Home," "It Pays to Advertise,"
"Too Much Johnson," "Thou Art the Man,"
"City of Masks," "A Full House," "Midsummer
Madness," "City of Silent Men"). Hght., 5,
5%; wght., 120; brown hair, hazel eyes. Ad.,
Lasky Studio, Hollywood. Cal.

James Franco as Hart Crane

summer solstice

& 30th anniversary of Nancy Holt's Annual Ring

Debbie's auction

this lock of Mary Pickford's hair sold for $3500

"Current Seas"

Rinaldo Rasa has postd my chapbook on his Beat Super Nova site.

our newest fire

just in from shooting this. of the many fires in New Mexico this one is closest to Santa Fe. & the winds make it scary.

art walk

Bart Johnson (with gallery director Jaquelin Loyd)



with Doug Fountain



Sean Cavanaugh

dancing with Djuna Barnes

it wdn't be summer without seeing a new Woody Allen movie. "Midnight in Paris" is slight & obvious but beautifully made.

snail mail

I confess. I don't write letters anymore. it was an activity which I loved. many of my antique epistles are among my papers at Kent State -- along with thousands of letters from others. but now it's all e-mail. so when I open my mailbox if I have anything it's bills & adverts.

however in the past 2 days I've been surprisd by 2 packages. first from Philadelphia came Jim Cory's new book:



(as a boastful aside let me note there's a Gildzen blurb on the back cover.)

then from Brooklyn came a package from Ira Joel Haber which included this original work:



this receiving brought back memories of pre-computer days when I hung on the postman's visit. & it made me feel warm to be rememberd by friends.

pennies from heaven: part 2 (the leaving)

Rm 215
Coral Sands
Hollywood
23 aug 10
      under bed

Gallery
“Colossal Statue of Tutankhamun”
Denver Art Museum
12 sept 10
      on bench

Inn Exile
Palm Springs
5 nov 10
      on top of pyramid fountain

Westlawn Cemetery
Santa Monica
19 nov 10
      on Glenn Ford’s grave

Blue Moon
Las Vegas
Xmas 10
      on top of grotto

Forecourt
San Diego Museum of Art
21 jan 11
      under Alexander Calder sculpture

Bush St. entrance
Chinatown
San Francisco
5 mar 11
      in mouth of dragon

429 Winckles St.
Elyria
10 apr 11
      at base of David Meredith’s yellow rose

Walk of Fame
Hollywood Blvd.
1 may 11
      on Lois Wilson’s star

Scottsdale Mall
27 may 11
      in pool

near Kelso Dunes
11 jun 11
      under sand at base of cactus

thx for the comment Mike

before

lunching in Baker Gary & I stoppd in Kelso. this town is even smaller. its only attraction is a restored train station. inside is a small museum. when I saw the horse saddle I cdn't resist.

Baker

is a hamlet in the middle of nowhere. but it has 3 attractions:

the world's largest thermometer

Bun Boy Motel

Mad Greek Cafe.

it was in the latter that I saw a man with a leg tattoo of Boris Karloff. I askd him if I cd photograph it.



I'm not the biggest fan of tatts. but I do subscribe to cinemaphilia. you may recall my posting a Carol Borland tattoo some 5 years ago. perhaps someone has a Lon Chaney or Vincent Price to add to my collection of fan flesh.

over the weekend

Darryl Grimm wd've had his 61st birthday. so Gary & I went to the Mojave Desert. we toastd him at lunch at one of his favorite places -- the quirky Mad Greek Cafe in Baker CA.

Mrs. Weiner

with the media swirling around Huma I wish Anne Bancroft were still around to introduce her to Uma Thurman.

snake

I confess. that's one creature I dislike. over the years they've made cameo appearances on my property. just now I was watering in front of the house & voila.... a small one slitherd by.

smoke gets in yr eyes

once again I woke in the middle of the nite. this time I felt the beginnings of a sore throat. & again the house was tightly closed.

the smoke from the Wallow fire in Arizona has made life uncomfortable. but I really worry abt its toll on birds & wildlife.

can it be?

my high school graduation was 50 years ago today...

still no rain

as our drought drones on
& Arizona gifts us with more smoke

Rita took this yesterday: the 1st wearing of the Jimmy Poyer belt buckle from the Heard.

a tale of 2 dales

sculpture (purchasd in Scottsdale) & plant (grown from leaf brought back from Fort Lauderdale)

speaking of big

Quinton Aaron

smokey

nearest fire is outside Taos. so it's surprising that the pollution we're experiencing is coming in from a fire in Arizona.

the big & the small

too much press coverage:

NJ gov in tux

&

Weiner's weiner

Marilyn

today is her 85th birthday