2 November 2009: St. John, New Brunswick, Canada
Rarely does an individual deserve his name up in lights - this person does. So I was shocked to get this picture in my electronic mail the other day. But then I'm not surprised, either. It's a great one-upmanship piece of humor shared between two combat vet friends. The photo came over the airwaves when I was in the midst of listening to Judy Collins' "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" and Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms." Can't get through the last song without a lot of deep thought about the Vietnam War and my old little black book of names and addresses, which is fast becoming out of date as so many of my old war buddies are on their way to Valhala. I know that's their ultimate destination. As I continue to transfer all my new material (and some old) into newer file-keeping technologies my old black book is looking more everyday like the Tibetan Book of the Dead. All well and good until this or that system crashes or another cell phone gets washed again in my favorite pair of Levi's. Time passes into the great changing of the world. Some things remain like art and poets and writers to remind us that there is still a lot of beauty in the world and the flipside which is negativism, evil, hatred, and man's injustice toward other men. We don't seem to learn anything in this existence. We Vietnam Veterans now have sons and even grandsons fighting in two more wars and I hate the politicians, liars, and draft-dodgers who continue to get us into these situations. I'll hate them till the day I exit out of my own little black book. Our only defense is to vote the bums out of office, every chance we get, and to get knowledgeable about every candidate who runs for public office.
There's always a guy like Clyde waiting in the wings to expose the foibles and pity of our human condition. It's the poet's job to do it with language elevated to a level of the transcendent. The listener or reader is required to do his or her part in order for the words to come alive in the human experience. Clyde's craft is in the artistry of the voice. I met him at a time when "performance art" was just about to become all the rage with anyone who could find a stage and think they could perform something "deeply meaningful" on it. But no - this guy was different, and he REALLY had something honest to share with his audiences. He also did something I always admired in him - he refused all offers to show up at any public place that promoted the once popular "poetry slams" - the pseudo-poetry gong-shows of the 80's and 90's. It's not a game with Clyde and never was since the day he left a big chunk of his life invested in his service in Viet Nam. The themes of war, the losses thereof, and remembrance are never far below the surface of anything he writes or performs.
Just published and Available: Bridges You Can Walk Across by Clyde Wray
Clyde Wray appeared 2 November 2009 at the Imperial Theatre in St. John, New Brunswick in the production: Diary Within My Head and Lysistrata
http://www.saintjohnartscentre.com/literary_arts.asp for an interesting interview with Clyde Wray.
12 November 2009:
One of the best choral groups in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Lyric Chorus under the leadership of Robert Train Adams, presents its annual Christmas program at the First Unitarian Universalist Church on Franklin Street, December 6th and 7th at 7:00 pm. This year the program consists of selected works from "The 50 best Christmas Carols and Works from BBC Magazine."
I've spent a lot of time in South Korea on various projects dealing with the Korean War and the history of this magnificent country. South Korea is usually not anyone's priority as a significant travel destination - and that's a shame because America's ties with this important outpost of Democracy on the Pacific Rim run deep. The people of South Korea have a lot to teach us about our own democratic ideals and you can add a lesson in Family Values, too. There, family values hold the whole social structure together and it's not just some throw-away platitude like here in the U.S. Our veterans and the war veterans of South Korea have shared the deepest bond - the sacrifice of life and blood for the continuity of Freedom. Remember them this November 11th, 2009 and if you ever get the chance, visit South Korea. One of the most advanced, modern countries in all of Asia, a trip to the Republic of South Korea will not disappoint.
The Central Gate (looking toward the Song Huong - Perfume River -) as it appeared in 1988 before the influx of international tourism. Photo by Ed Henry, June, 1988.
October 23, 2009 - San Francisco
A fascinating place, an interesting book produced by archivists Roger Bennett and Josh Kun. We recently browsed the exhibit Jews on Vinyl at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco and I couldn't get past the Museum Gift Shop without picking up a copy of the above. Bennett and Kun were concerned that an important part of American Jewish history was being lost in people's old 33 rpm and 45 record collections, so they began rummaging through attics, yard sales, and neighbor's houses to find the rich sources of material that comprise the current exhibit Jews on Vinyl at the Museum. The book is a rare collection of 40's, 50's, and 60's album covers from both the U.S. and Israel and covers a broad range of issues concerning the history of Jewish music production in the recent past. Bennett and Kun continue the search for more material with the establishment of www.trailofourvinyl.com and in collaboration with www.rebootstereophonic.com hope to re-release some of these lost classics.
also: www.thecjm.org
"Magic Dan" Sneider's popularity keeps calling him back to the Excelsior Branch Library
29 October 2009: San Francisco (on the Left Coast)
After numerous entries concerning either Bluegrass music or the latest Chopin concert, why would I concern myself with writing about a children's magician who shows up at a local library? Dan Sneider (AKA "Magic Dan") is not your average children's entertainer, so I discovered last week as we trundled our little grand daughter off to the Excelsior Branch Library in San Francisco. I expected the usual, another adult talking down to kids, maybe somebody dressed up in the obligatory Ringling Brothers clown suit. Who was I to think that "Magic Dan" could entertain me, or the rest of the adults and some 60 or 70 giggling little munchkins who crowded the meeting room of the Excelsior Library? Before I get into what Magic Dan accomplished that beautiful San Francisco morning, let me state that Magic Dan allowed me to experience the joys of being a grandfather as I witnessed our own little one being transported (if only for a moment in precious time) away from the cares of her own little universe. The amazing thing is Sneider's talent for controlling a room full of rambunctious kids with so much genuine caring for his audience, and to witness the children's response in return. I howled with laughter right along with everyone else as Magic Dan sometimes purposely failed at some of his tricks, fumbled about, and showed the kids that it's OK to laugh at one's self. This is no fool. It reminded me of the "Rocky the Flying Squirrel" kind of humor, enjoyable for all audience age levels. Magic Dan did all the usual tricks you see a magician perform, but he always stayed focused on entertaining his intended audience. It was a little over an hour of pure fun and games - but if you think this kind of a job is a cake-walk, then try it yourself. Dan's got the gift for it and it's obvious he loves his work.
This is truly a talented guy and it shows in his scheduled bookings of 300 to 400 performances annually. We had a great conversation after the kids had departed and he was packing up his bag of tricks. He told me that his talent takes him outside the state to annual children's learning and teaching conferences in the midwest and other venues. Thanks, Dan, for a wonderful time.
See more about Dan Sneider: www.magicdan.com
Actual overview of the amazing "Hay Maze" constructed annually at Arata Farms,
two miles south of Half Moon Bay, California. The maze is built with thousands of hay-bales.
October 8th 2009
2009 is passing into a blur toward the beginning of True Autumn here in the Piedmont. The leaves have barely begun to change except for up in the Blue Ridge. The nights and mornings are getting colder. I'm still picking tomatoes and the Snapdragons out back are still blooming. It will soon be winter. We haven't had any snow to speak of for three years. We're lucky in that respect. But winter is winter whether you're in San Francisco or Virginia. The end of lush green-ness. The beginning of the dead season and having to wear socks again. I'm afraid to look and see if the moths got to my favorite collection of Korean tailor-made wool suits and topcoats. That's the downside of living at my geographical location and the smell of moth-balls is pretty hard to take. Two nights ago I saw a Christmas commercial on television (October 6th) and all the financial pundits are predicting the worst Christmas shopping season ever. Good. Maybe they'll finally realize that Malls have worn out their capitalistic purposes with the American public, and never really appealed to any American male worth his salt. Save the planet. Stay away from shopping malls - and tell your wives and kids to stay away, too. When you think about it, there's nothing there you really need.
