Dear Bleaders,
Sorry to be filing late. When I sat down at my desk there was a blue sky with white puffy snowflakes that turned out to be insulation from the house they’re building two doors down. Now it is almost pumpkin time for the little worker-bee I call me, which is six pm weeknights. I have to limit my time trying to write because otherwise I’d stay screenward too long, but rules, bread, hearts, and records are made to be broken and I rilly feel like chatting with youse right now. I liketa whisper in yer ear. For the sake of efficiency, I’m thinking bullet points. (For the rice wine of efficiency. Can we start using “rice wine” wherever we’d once have used “sake.” Oh for heaven’s rice wine.)
1) Are you familiar with the Significant Objects project? I blogged about it here the week that my story and object were for sale. Anyway the object story that is up now is by the magnificent Annie Nocenti.
2) How great has this site been lately, right? Was just quietly loving this Michael O’Keefe poet person, then realize it’s Danny Noonan. OTG. Welcome Michael! My husband saw you in Mass Appeal in 1981!
3) OTG means Oh Their God. Along with being a poet I am a minor-famous atheist.
4) Love the post on Avraham Sutzkever.
5) Did you hear the sad news that the great Howard Zinn has died? I learned via Marge Piercy on Facebook, it was a heart attack, this morning. I’m saddened by this as many will be. I never met him but of course read him, and when my book Doubt: A History was coming out the publisher sent galleys to HZ and he gave them a great blurb which now sits on the front cover in both in cloth and paper. The quote got edited down to “Jennifer Hecht’s romp—light-hearted but serious—brings to life an awesome array of figures in philosophy, science, and literature, in a way that is wonderfully engaging.” I just went into my archives and found the original and I’m proudly hanging it here today:
“I have enjoyed immensely Jennifer Hecht’s romp --light-hearted but serious -- though the history of one profoundly important idea -- doubt. She brings to life an awesome array of figures in philosophy, science, and literature, in a way that is wonderfully engaging.”
Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States
How could they have cut “enjoyed immensely”? Anyway, people have picked up on his word “romp,” perhaps subconsciously – and attached it to Doubt: A History in a way that is sweet and odd. Several people in reviews or whatever have actually argued with the categorization as if the book were titled “a romp through doubt.” It's no romp they say. It is, after all, a big ‘ol book on history and philosophy. But I love that for Howard Zinn, Doubt: A History *was* a romp. Come to think of it, saluting his memory, I am pleased as a Cheshire cat to have given "immense enjoyment" to a thinker of such courage, energy, brilliance, and grace.
6) I just went and bought Michael’s poetry book, Swimming from Under My Father. I love his “On the Efficacy of Prayer” post, don’t you? Smart, heart, walks the line. (Of course, you know the reason I walk the line. It’s because you’re mine.)
7) Laura, love the Bix, big thanks for the clip, it’s been soundtracking the writing of this note. Also the Jean Simmons vid, so sweet. Also loving Saul’s Just a Dumb Musician’s Kurosawa commentaries. Wish I could buy all Mitch Sisskind’s new posters that I see on this site. I have seen the future and it is Mitch Sisskind’s new posters.
8) Just amazoned (new word for e-bought) a novel by Brad Leithauser having read him here and one click followed another.
9) No, I do not have enough money to buy books alla time like this, I’ve been good lately but think of the delicious packages arriving in their wee book boxes.
10) David your poem Ode to Buddhism (use the Look Inside to read online) still cracks me up
11) Emma Trelles, I like your Ezili Freda a lot. Good going Katha, gotta love Mary J.
12)Jeopardy!'s half over! I gotta go.
Love,
Jennifer
ps I call the above pic Many Lights In the Night, which is also what I call all yall. wink. stay up late and read poetry! xox
