Everything about the hockey in latter weeks has expressed some urge for “participation”. As I ponder Weds nights events, beyond the mind-blowing matter of doing an event called Rereading the Riot Act during it, that explored another reading of the Riot Act in the city’s history in 1935 (hunger rather than privilege) — I return to this question of whether this hole, that clearly exists, into which people want to pour their participation does not point up the lack of funding by the Province into arts & culture.
Is this what you get when you do not fund the arts? Are people’s identities so bound up in this singularity of entitlement to “an event”, this event, this match, right now, our time, our turn.
In the last two weeks I could feel something brewing. Language changed, people sounded like we were in a war situation (us/them), all day Wednesday I had a terrible sense of foreboding that I could not place. It hit me in the community garden that morning early in the day when an incident took place on the road with a man who leapt out of a car. And since then I keep thinking about identity, the clutching at it and the hunger for participation. (in something).
Rereading the Riot Act June 15, 2011
“Her Majesty the Queen charges and commands all persons being assembled immediately to disperse and peaceably to depart to their habitations or to their lawful business on the pain of being guilty of an offence for which, on conviction, they may be sentenced to imprisonment for life.”
Rereading the Riot Act. June 15, 2011 literally.
You couldn’t make it up.
In 1935 the weather forecast was given a regal column and divided into three parts. (Or it sat above these other two sections this scan is v hard to read)
Weather
Coastwise Movements
The Tides (including graphics that epxlained the moon?)
It was a 36 hour forecast that was given including barometric pressure predictions. On this particular Monday in April maybe the 27th date is missing) Vancouver and vincinity — Strong winds or gales, mostly East with South, mild with rain.
The weather forecast also included a section entitled Synopsis. Tomorrow I will share the synopsis with you.
A splendidly anxious day at the Rare Books archive today.
I am thinking of doing one of those naming gestures people do on park benches on a generic chair in that room, I have such moments in there. That being the little plaque rather than pencil engraving.
V. curious to see the stopover during the 1980’s in the labour history archives … and a fairly blank street since.
Increasingly I wonder what literary criticism will evolve into. It seems the longer form essay has some oxygen left in it, but the shorter form review, customarily found, though in a much decreased quantity and breadth in newspapers, seems out of puff. Several I have read lately where so deeply uninspired it seems the requirement that a piece of criticism be an engaging piece of writing in its own right (aside from that which it refers to) has gone out the window.
If the writers of reviews are stumbling in the quest to arrive on the page effectively, it made me question how might more immediacy and pulse be possible? The idea that came to me was that of a multi media format. The writer could engage multiple digital platforms. An interloping style review that discusses the work, but draws in other reference points, immediate, vivid and visible to the reader. Something has to evolve, no? Inter relation? Inter essays? A review that becomes more like a tube map to other essays on ideas or what-have-you?
No bingo II & III
All day I have been trying to find out some information about leads and projectors and many, many hours later I am none the wiser. It could require three possible leads. Hmm this is the plug n play age, but it’s not. We’re also swimming in information until you’re looking for something and suddenly search terms are crucial.
We also have instant communication, that’s not so instant.
I am trying to recall how we found out things before we had all this. I guess we phoned somebody up. Or there was only one kind of plug to worry about.
On Saturday I was at the library and desperate for the title of a journal. Google via the librarian produced no useful information and we were flummoxed. Finally I had to search my old sent email box and eh voila there it was. I had written to someone asking about the journal and they had not replied!
Well whatever Roberto Luongo may be experiencing I sincerely regret the double shot of wheat grass an hour ago.
Presently I am thinking thoughts about Roger Federer.
Had a lovely chat with an Ethiopian woman walking up the hill (from the unfortunate wheat grass infusion) she told me all would be well because she’d prayed for Luongo. She declared to the traffic that he wasn’t support by his players during that other match. As she left she repeated I prayed for him. V moving. Never mind the goals, he’s a lucky man to have this woman’s prayers and sympathy.
If that wheat grass keeps me from the tumbling mats tonight I shall lose all faith in the power of greens. Gurgle, gurgle, you need the stomach of a bovine to digest it.
Today some funny things:
A handle fell off my cup.
I had to bandage my arm. (unrelated)
I walked along the street carrying an open box of salt and the Prime Minister’s radio address from January 5th, 1935. (Would that be Bennett?).
I salted the garden to repel the ballooning & polyamorous community of slugs and forgot I had not watered it.
I read part of a book about neuroscience and the brain and found it boring. This is a first. I never find the brain boring.
Today was the first time I looked forward to a day where I do not have to think about 1935. I’ve decided next Tuesday I will absolutely not think about 1935.
Tensing with G.
To read Gertrude Stein only for tense is a funny thing to do, for you see what’s in her, on her and at her. Go and do it. And now. And then.
To have read Gertrude Stein only for tense was a funny thing to do, for I see what’s in her, on her, at her. Gone and have done it. And now. And then.
To read Gertrude Stein only for tense was a funny thing to do for I saw what’s in her, on her and was at her. And is beyond. And was beyond in the beyond. And would be and could be and can be.