Cyberspaces 18 April 2005 part two

Bernie talks about the new Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Me and my roomies plan to go soon.

The beautiful Mama Junkyard turns us on to Mshairi, the Kiswahili word for "poet." Check out both of their sites.

Troy has an interesting entry about hands. It makes me think of a few lines from Toni Morrison’s Nobel Lecture. Here’s a snippet:

“One day the woman is visited by some young people who seem to be bent on disproving her clairvoyance and showing her up for the fraud they believe she is. Their plan is simple: they enter her house and ask the one question the answer to which rides solely on her difference from them, a difference they regard as a profound disability: her blindness. They stand before her, and one of them says, "Old woman, I hold in my hand a bird. Tell me whether it is living or dead."

She does not answer, and the question is repeated. "Is the bird I am holding living or dead?"

Still she doesn't answer. She is blind and cannot see her visitors, let alone what is in their hands. She does not know their color, gender or homeland. She only knows their motive.

The old woman's silence is so long, the young people have trouble holding their laughter.

Finally she speaks and her voice is soft but stern. "I don't know", she says. "I don't know whether the bird you are holding is dead or alive, but what I do know is that it is in your hands. It is in your hands."

I encourage you to follow this link for the rest of the story.

I am not sure if Maurice’s last post, “His Cups Runneth Over” (great title, by the way) is the stuff of fiction. You read it, you tell me.

Heru posts an update on the update on the investigation of a rare strain of HIV in New York. Also: check out his illuminating view on same-sex marriage, or rather how same-sex marriage advocates shoot themselves in the foot trying to look, act, present homos as normal. We all know they ain't, the buggers they are!

In an interview, Merv’s was asked: "You're from England. Did you ever meet Winston Churchill?" Churchill died January 1965. Merv is, like, 19.

Ronn remembers Emile Griffith. Here are not one but two articles about Griffith, and an interview. Bob Herbert wrote an ed-op piece about Griffith for The New York Times last week.

I haven’t seen Donald in week or so. We hope to break bread this week. We have many projects between us. Both of us work 9-5ers and, well, I’ve been cleaning house obsessively.

Larry revises "God" and shares why. Also: check out his beautiful spring-inspired photographs.

EJ’s trip to New York was inspiring (even though I didn’t get to see him (that was one busy-assed weekend!) or any of the other bloggers in the Brown Bloggers event. Waaah!

Black Griot is reading Samuel Delany’s Motion of Light in Water - his life's story up to the 60's. Lovely book, lovely man.

Kevin reports on problems at the Source. He has an interesting post about Mariah Carey, as well. Personally, I find her a little annoying. What a great voice, what pedestrian songs. I hope she stops being sexy soon. Maybe then the music will get better, which is all I give a fuck about.

Monday, April 18, 2005 @ 11:28 AM