october 1, 2005
Nature turns
Within a week, the city folk have gone from sweltering in the humid Indian summer 80-plus-degree sun to scurrying like turtles beneath umbrellas from subway stop to high-rise glass entry door. Katrina and Rita's tempers waned on their way north, but we still felt them. But the cool breeze coming through my screened window tells me the electric bill’s rise will finally relent; I can retire the A/C for the season. So much has happened since last I wrote, in the spring. So many people displaced in the gulf states, in acute need…the extremes in our planet’s weather are disconcerting, and the irony of the fuel industry being crippled by environmental conditions likely created by their misuse of resources is darkly fascinating to me. Just goes to show who really has dominion over whom.
The cooler air somehow brings my world back into focus, makes my thoughts return to hunkering down, to work, survival, order, structure. No more excuses brought on by blue skies, siesta time, the seduction of a lazy beach!
I hope this missive finds you well. Here is some autumn news:
I. HARVEST TIME
II. ON THE RECORD
III. SOUL FOOD
I. HARVEST TIME
The fruits of my summer are some simple but potent songs…recordings to be posted soon on the site. I hope they go over well; I was surprised at how they tumbled out of me, wanting to be heard, pretty much wrote themselves. I’ll take them for test runs live in New York this fall and winter. My next originals show in NYC is with the enigmatic Dred Scott (see the links page) on the baby grand at my fave Lower East Side venue, the Rockwood Music Hall. See the gigs page…
II. ON THE RECORD
Reggae legend Burning Spear’s new CD, Our Music, was released on September 20th. This was my first experience going to the record store, cracking the shrink wrap, pulling out the liner notes, and seeing my name in the credits. I’m such a dork. But it was really, really cool. If you go to his web site you can see the video for one of the tracks I sang on, "Walk": www.burningspear.net
III. SOUL FOOD
- The book “She” by Robert A. Johnson, which he wrote to try and explain feminine psychology using the myth of Eros and Psyche.
- Pablo Neruda poetry.
- The turning of the leaves. I say it every year, fall is my favorite season. The changing colors to me suggest dynamic, vibrant life rather than death or dormancy. Plus, the dropping temperatures mean that I can now wear...
- …my pink suede trench coat that I found in a consignment store, ridiculously cheap!
In closing, a bit of a song lyric inspired by Central Park, just a few days ago…here’s wishing you a season full of harmony with the world’s ever-changing beauty.
Green is only one of many hues
Gold and crimson still can thrill and soothe
If you stay I promise you will lose
Your fear of falling leaves
Stay with me to see the green again
To feel the grass beneath bare feet again
We will laugh when we remember when
We were afraid of falling leaves
Blessings,
Celia
