No this isn’t the Obama campaign’s weekly staff meeting. This clip from the 1961 film version of the musical West Side Story was what we used to say was the Jets at their best. [“America” was the Sharks at their best.] I also think the message is quite appropriate for the moment. And NO I’m not advocating gangs. But West Side Story has one of the most wonderful scores penned by Leonard Bernstein. If you hear it as straight music performance, it’ll blow you away. Years ago the series Great Performances did a fantastic documentary about Bernstein’s re-recording of the West Side Story score with operatic singers — the way he felt the score and songs should sound to be fully appreciated.
I could use a little cathartic dance breakout myself right now. Let’s hope cool beats crazy. Enjoy!
The mediocre have no importance except through appointment. They feel invaded and defeated by the presence of creative folk among them.
Zora Neale Hurston
As the old schoolers used to say “She’s quite a pistol.” Folklorist, author, anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston was evasive about her true age for many years, but is estimated to have been about 69 when she died of hypertensive heart disease in 1960. That’s eight years before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the medicaid and medicare bill into law. Her literary Harlem Renaissance soul brother Langston Hughes (poet) died at age 65 in 1967. Would access to quality and affordable health care have given them 5 to 7 more years to write the blues? Enquiringminds are wondering these days.
Speaking of Zora…and writers, my friend, poet and literary activist Ethelbert Miller has a message from author Edwidge Danticat on how you can help the people in Haiti suffering from hurricaine damages and losses.
I wrote to Edwidge Danticat and asked her to recommend an organization folks could make donations to in order to help the people of Haiti.
I’ll post more information as I get it for relief programs for Florida, the Gulf Coast and other communities hit by Gustav, Hanna and now Ike. Probably the Equity and Inclusion Campaign is the best place for information on recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast, and the Red Cross for immediate relief efforts. Additional suggestions are welcomed.
This post has been updated to include the actual date of the first National Book Festival in Washington, DC.
I’ll never forget the first National Book Festival. It was September 8, 2001 (pre 9-11 event). The tents and tables were spread all along the Capitol and Library of Congress fronts. People strolled from tent to tent listening to authors, poets, getting books signed, posing for photos. It was a booklovers paradise. Laura Bush, showed up in a powder blue pants suit. Just a few secret service men around her. She made a stop in front of the Library of Congress’ Madison Building to have a taco. The weather couldn’t have been better that day.
That was then, this is now. The National Book Festival has moved to the National Mall here in Washington, DC. Open space, still the tents, but it’s still here post 9-11. The date is September 27. I won’t miss it.
But enter the new RNC “It Girl, Sarah Palin. As the unofficial and I now assume more comprehensive vetting process conducted by the press and other interested parties continues, I find yet another show stopper for the book lover in me: Sarah Palin supports book banning. Hold my earrings!!!
Today’s New York Times has a story about her Wasilla activities as Mayor of the small Alaskan town.
Shortly after becoming mayor, former city officials and Wasilla residents said, Ms. Palin approached the town librarian about the possibility of banning some books, though she never followed through and it was unclear which books or passages were in question.
Ann Kilkenny, a Democrat who said she attended every City Council meeting in Ms. Palin’s first year in office, said Ms. Palin brought up the idea of banning some books at one meeting. “They were somehow morally or socially objectionable to her,” Ms. Kilkenny said.
The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to “resist all efforts at censorship,” Ms. Kilkenny recalled. Ms. Palin fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office but changed course after residents made a strong show of support. Ms. Emmons, who left her job and Wasilla a couple of years later, declined to comment for this article.
Laura Bush was a librarian. She loves books because she loves books. She brought us the National Book Festival and she’s the national chair of The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts.
If anything I’m impressed with the citziens of Wasilla who support their librarians and library. For small communities, the library may be the center and only source of cultural life and life-long learning. Post 9-11 it was the librarians who defended first admendment rights and civil liberties without fear.
If you believe in democracy, keep an eye on how leaders treat and view your local library.
Is St. Paul, Minnesota gearing up for another Chicago ’68 or NYC ’04? During the weekend, members of the St. Paul and Ramsey County sheriff’s office conducted pre-convention raids on citizens supsected of anti-war protests during the Republican Convnention. Video and story are available on CommonDreams.org via Salon.com.
Apparently, these preemptive strikes haven’t deterred anti-war marchers who made their way from the Minnesota state capital to the Xcel Center today where the subdued day 1 of the RNC convention is taking place. Convention events have been delayed to monitor activities related to Hurricaine Gustav, now downgraded to a category 2 which has some New Orleaneans breathing a sigh of relief. Let’s see how the levees hold up with the rising water. Apparently, Gustav has given Bush/Cheney a hall pass from the convention, saving the candidate McCain from further public association, although in ’04 the public display of closeness produced a photo op (the hug) that might be a little difficult to shake off.
Chicago ’68 didn’t happen in Denver for all the anticipation by Rush chaos operators, PUMA, anarchists, and media hypos. Not that there weren’t any scuffles or run ins with police. CodePink has a video link to the Rocky Mountain News from day 1 of the DNC convention. That police person who hit the CodePink protester was removed from demonstration duty. [My grandfather, one of the biggest, baddest men in the county, had absolutely no respect for men who hit women.]
CodePink has been invited to report in this Thursday, September 4 @ 6:30 PM, when ITVS and WHUT present a free screening of the documentary CHICAGO 10 at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th St., NW). There’s a reservation request email: chicago10@communitycinema-dc.org. After the film there will be a community dialogue with activists from 1968 and 2008. Other Community Cinema screenings of CHICAGO 10 are happening in over 50 venues across the country during the months of September and October. Visit www.pbs.org/independentlens/getinvolved. CHICAGO 10 will broadcast on Independent Lens on PBS stations in October.
With all the politico babble about the upcoming DNC convention, VP suspense, what the Clintons will (or will not) do for the Obama campaign, I’ve created my fantasy scenario. What say we get all those delegates, politicos, and the like up on the convention floor for some line dancing. Can you imagine? Thousands of people in perfect unison. Who goes in the middle? Step to the left, to the left, to the left. Step to the right, to the right, to the right. Now kick, kick, kick.
Line dancing just feels right when you’re all in step. It feels good! This summer I realized how out of touch I’ve been when I went to a block party in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC. I was invited by Brian Williams, founder of the dance group Step Afrika!, a professional dance company dedicated to stepping. Stepping is a dance tradition created by African American college students. Step Afrika! has travelled internationally as US cultural ambassadors. More on Step Afrika! in a future entry.
Now this block party was just folks having a good time. It didn’t matter who you were, what your busines was, or your connections, at the block party everybody’s grilling and hanging back. At least three tables were set up for the fellas to get into their card and domino games. At the end of the block, was the inflated bouncer for the kids. Grills were flipping hamburgers, hot dogs and ribs. The newcomers on the block made pasta salad and ribs. All cars were moved off the street so the block was wide open for riding bikes, skating, and line dancing.
The Cupid Shuffle, the Chinese Checkers, the Cha-Cha Slide. You mean the Electric Slide is out!? Brian reminded me these dances have been out for at least three years. Gee, I am really out of touch. As for steppers, Brian pointed out recently:
We have tons of them..they are called, in black Greek culture, PARTY WALKS, HOPS OR STROLLS.
For me, the block party was a happy reminder of how party unity is possible with a few steps, kicks and a slide. Can you put that on the platform? I found this video on YouTube courtesy of Step in the Name of Life, based in Miami, FL. Their goal on their website is to fight High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, & more within our on communities. Now that’s incentive.
BTW the music AND dance is by Cupid aka Bryson Bernard, 24, of West Lafayette, LA. (Atlantic Records 2007)