'echoes on bare walls'

Music sounds better in here than anywhere else in the apartment.

somewhere between what you need and what you know

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Heaven Can Wait from Charlotte Gainsbourg on Vimeo.

The other day, this made me feel good, in a Gallic California sort of way.

people have the power

A few nights ago I met Patti Smith.
She was lovely. I waited 40 minutes for her on the corner of Madison and 34th St. (it was my assigned role as part of a larger event to whisk her from the street to a dressing room). Her taxi went to the wrong address. Looking for a car, I see this punk earth mother crossing the street with a guitar strapped to her back. At this point I was quite nervous because I knew there had been delays and that she was meant to be dropped off in front of me so that I could carry her stuff. 'Hello, Ms. Smith', I said, 'I'm Derek'. She said, 'Hello Derek!' and it was immediately clear that she was going to be very cool about everything and wonderful and warm and open-hearted - everything you would hope for. Our conversation was very mundane but I am on a buzzy inspired high even now (and I really am not very into meeting celebs - or at least find it all very awkward).

And at the event she shone.

There is a really great interview with the author, illustrator, fabulist, Shaun Tan here. The Guardian also has posted one of his stories, which Neil Gaiman linked to the other day. Definitely worth a read.

keep a notebook

Yohji Yamamoto looks like the happiest, wisest person in this photograph.

I really liked Wim Wenders' documentary, Notebook on Cities and Clothes, which focuses on Yamamoto's philosophy and on Wenders' own changing relationship to film with the advent of video.

The care that Yamamoto takes with his words is deeply moving.

paul & tom

Lots of thoughts about these verses, and ideas behind them, this week. I am currently a big mix of churning emotions - trying to pay attention to these and keep the bigger picture in mind too.

jameses

Green and Yorkston.
Really happy with the way this looks on the page in the notebook. Less so with the scan - but here it is. Mr. Yorkston is not so thick lipped. Maybe Mr. Green could use this in place of his passport photo.

you're never too old for a revolution

I watched Schultze gets the blues in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Set in Saxony Anhalt (for the most part), it's quite a strange film full of grace, good humour and a lot of love for the characters. Recently forced into early retirement, Schultze finds inspiration in a piece of zydeco music he stumbles across on the radio.



All a lot more low key and less pat than the trailer suggests. The post title is from the film.

first notebook pages (almost)

...in which I make my first appearance. I did not mean for the pope to look so angry.

from where i sit (sometimes)

From where I was sitting the other day, down in the doldrums of my joblessness, it was good to come across a radio show on genius entertainer, playwright, observer, Ken Campbell. (For just a few days more, the show is available here.) Since then, I have been wondering where all the KC wonder came from - as well as his insatiable curiosity and wordiness. This all leads to some happy and unhappy self-examination, prayers, musings, doldrum-sittings and conversations with myself, wondering about my place in the world. Part of me responds, Just get on with it! But then with, Get on with what? Then a sigh. But, for today at least, a cheery sigh with a twinkle in me eye.

This is the last drawing posted from my second notebook.

abdolkarim soroush