From Britain with Love

My pal Marica and I went to opening night of "From Britain with Love" at Lincoln Center.

First we ate at Cafe Luxembourg which I had not stepped into since I celebrated my 22nd birthday there with my friend Craig when I last lived in New York. Wow. Loved it. It has not changed a bit. I have.

The event at Lincoln Center was a screening of Toast, based on early life of Guardian food writer Nigel Slater. I had read the book and quite enjoyed it. The director SJ Clarkson was there for a very fun Q & A. She is just a stitch and a storyteller. Marica and I got a chance to speak with her at the reception and she was someone I could have talked to all night. I am attracted to peoples' "delivery" and their take on life. She was one for certain.

A fun night out of dining well and then watching a movie about food.

In the small town that is New York I saw my friends Tom and Philip at Cafe Luxembourg (I had seen Philip earlier that day at the drugstore in the West Village) and then at the film! What fun.

Met some really nice people at the reception and just had a fine night out in New York.

The HIgh LIne - When You Need a Lift

Nothing says New York like the opening of the second phase of a rusted elevated train converted into a park. I was there. Well, not for the opening, but one the opening weekend.

The High Line rocks my world every time I walk on it. Probably because it is urban, enviro, groovy, close to my house (house meaning apartment, just another sign I am not a native) and mostly for the...wait of it.... perspective.

This has been a tough year for perspective for me.

But the perspective I get from walking on the High Line always bedazzles. It is not looking from high atop the Empire State Building (a magnificent view though I like the top of the Rock better) and it is not street level looking up. It is that "just a little bit" lift like your father putting you up on his shoulders when you were a kid that changes your whole view of things.

I love seeing the tenement buildings from up here. I look at their detail as I never did "on the ground." In "part deux" I really enjoyed looking down the leafy Chelsea streets as if I was on a camera crane shooting down or I was in a bird's nest (or whatever you call them) working on a telephone pole. The world is just a bit different from up here.

Please when in New York wander/meander through the High Line and change your perspective.

From Britain with Love

My pal Marica and I went to opening night of "From Britain with Love" at Lincoln Center.

First we ate at Cafe Luxembourg which I had not stepped into since I celebrated my 22nd birthday there with my friend Craig when I last lived in New York. We were young. They wire trees on the table with hard boiled eggs. We had champagne. This time no wire trees. No champagne, but I loved it. Other than the wire trees it has not changed a bit. I have.

The event at Lincoln Center was a screening of Toast, based on early life of Guardian food writer Nigel Slater. I had read the book and quite enjoyed it. The director SJ Clarkson was there for a very fun Q & A. She is just a stitch and a storyteller. Marica and I got a chance to speak with her at the reception and she was someone I could have talked to all night. I am attracted to peoples' "delivery" and their take on life. She was one for certain.

A fun night out of dining well and then watching a movie about food.

In the small town that is New York City I saw my friends Tom and Philip at Cafe Luxembourg (I had seen Philip earlier that day at the drugstore in the West Village) and then at the film! What fun.

Met some really nice people at the reception and just had a fine night out in New York.

Horse Sense and Sensibility

My friend Ron and I went to Delaware after attending a fancy and lovely Bat Mitzvah in mainline Philly. We got changed into our suits for the event in the men's room of the science building at Haverford after chowing on cheesesteaks and gelato in town. The first of a few costume changes that day.

Our friend Kara who was urban cool in Philly has chosen the contemplative life of a horsewoman in the country. And we were the beneficiaries of this "inner city school kids go to summer camp" experience of being out of Big Apple and on the grassy paths of the DuPont Estate to walk Kara's horse.

Our next costume change: guys who walk with a woman who walks her horse.

I loved the whole thing. Fresh air is inspiration. After I had my fill I was back in Manhattan for a 7pm curtain in the East Village. Ahhh.

All good.

Lost Bohemia - the Doc

Josef Astor, Editta Sherman and I can't remember his name but he fought hard for the artists.

Sean and Peter and Diego and I went to Sean's friend Josef Birdman Astor's documentary about the ousting of the last residents of the apartments high above Carnegie Hall first requested to be put there by Andrew Carnegie himself as a place where artists could be artists. Writers, painters and dancers all lived. My idol Bob Fosse was one. Isadora Duncan another. And Caruso and Marilyn Monroe. Mark Twain hung out there. It was that kind of place. And now it is a place with cubicles and warrens with no light. Sad.

We saw the doc on opening night at the IFC on 6th. Editta Sherman, photographer, a.k.a. "The Duchess of Carnegie Hall was there. She is 97, I believe, and is still on the ball. She signed a book that she and Bill Cunnigham, NY Times man about town with his camera and fellow Carnegie Apt. evicted resident, did in the 1970s. I bought one. I now cannot find. Lost Bookhemia.

ASTOR
Editta signing my misplaced book.

The Arcos Orchestra - Highlights of the Lowlands

My friend Patricia (friend from high school, friend from college, friend from early years in New York and friend from early years in Europe) was in town from Amsterdam with her partner Ym. I adore them both and we had the good fortune of being able to go to a concert of Dutch music composers at the Temple Emanu-El on 5th Avenue. Patricia is kind of a big deal in the Dutch music scene in Amsterdam both as a singer and a radio show host.

The space alone is so beautiful and the music was wonderful. Patricia's mother from San Francisco and brother John who lives in New York were there as well.

It was wonderful to see Patricia's mom again. I had not seen her since college I think. She always insisted on clearling the plates at dinner and would not allow help as she doesn't like them to be stacked due to mess getting on the bottom of the dishes. I thought of this while listening to "Lullaby of Young Girl Dreaming" by Patricia's friend and fellow Yank ed-pat in Amsterdam, Vanessa Lann. She was at this event and we had a chance to talk before and after the concert.

Patricia's brother John told me as we walked up to the aisle of the massive temple to our seats that he knew my ex-boyfriend of sorts, Dr. Ron. They both went to Yale together. New York is a small town. And Yale is a village. But what I have to do with either constantly amazes me. I am having a renaissance with Dr. Ron and grateful for his friendship. So here this Catholic-grazed boy from San Francisco culturally via Scotland and Ireland sits in the biggest temple in the world listening to Dutch music and muses about Patricia, Dr. Ron and dirty plates in San Francisco all the while it buckets and buckets rain outside.

And I sadly beg for it to wash away the previous time I was there.

Hunter College, NYC Distinguished Writers Series

My head has gone from "I want to write" to "I am a writer" to "I need to get a masters in Creative Writing." Clear signs that I am 1. on to something and 2. I need to take some baby steps as the "All or Nothing" monster is lurking.

I am interested in taking the program at Hunter College on East 68th Street. They have a top program and it is affordable. AND it is hard to get into. But so was "Modern Love."

My baby step was to go to Hunter College tonight and hear Nicole Krauss speak and read at the Distinguished Writers Series they have. She has written three novels and numerous essays and short stories. Her bio is quite impressive and so is she for that matter.

I was taken with her the moment she began to read from her novel GREAT HOUSE. There was a Q & A afterwards and I was so struck by her intelligence, tranquility and humour. She has the voice that I could listen to on a meditation tape, but she is not at all boring. She is a wonderful speaker: articulate and insightful. Her writing process is one of complete abandon to letting ideas and characters evolve. It almost sounds aimless, yet there seems a relief in not trying to force the page. I found it all very interesting, inspiring and daunting.

The "all about me" bubbles were: "I don't read enough." "I don't write enough." "She is way smarter than me. Or is it I?" "Damn."

You can go here and read some of her New Yorker essays. etc. Well worth it.