three kinds of cat voices
this morning, the cat is wandering around the house talking in her asking voice—when she is asking for something, something general, voicing a desire she may not even know the source or object of, her meow is a clear, plaintive, long whine. when she is talking familiarly, asking for something directly of me alone—to be picked up and held, a part of our morning routine now, where I cradle her in the crook of my right arm, and she purrs while we look out the window of the living room at the rain or the cars as they pass—her voice warbles. it’s how she says my name. other times, her speech seems more phatic—a short, thin cry I’ll often hear from another room. it sounds lonely. the question may be “hello?” or “are you there?” or even “am i here?” and i will answer “hi, zora!” by which i mean yes, you are there, i am here.
MacDowell 2024
will be going to MacDowell for some much needed time in the woods. goals include 1) silence 2) presence 3) fluidity
Felisberto Hernandez’s “The Balcony”
just read & now recommending this weird little tale feat. convalescence, bad poetry, an aging piano, primary colors, parasols, animism, and human-balcony relations
VCCA 2023 cont’d
went to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. met writers, artists, composers. listened to new Envision album, Brian Eno. ate a lot of peanut butter. played board game called Therapy. experienced mild transmission failure on the drive back (fixed now). most importantly, finished a draft of my memoir/oral history manuscript and feel good about its shape.
Haunted Love
hex’s Haunted Love issue up. i’m pleased to have helped to edit this collection of stories by some very talented writers.
Living by Henry Green
there are sometimes unwieldy/beautiful extended metaphors. here are two from ch. 11. both link ships, the sea, color, and nuances of romance. i especially like the second excerpt, where physical setting and figurative setting gradually collapse into each other.
