Sunday Papers: Robert MacFarlan

"Before you become a writer you must first become a reader.  Every hour spent reading is an hour spent learning to write."

On the turntable: Bruce Springsteen, "Darkness on the Edge of Town"

Mukaijima, Innoshima, Ikuchijima

Number Five in the Inland Sea series at Japan Visitor.

http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/mukaijima


On the turntable: M-Base Collective, "M-Base Collective featuring Cassandra Wilson Live"

Sunday Papers: Robert Shelton

"Woody (Guthrie) hit the road at seventeen, and the road kept hitting him back."


On the turntable:  Ben Harper, "Diamonds on the Inside"

 

(untitled)

Yellow leaves
Shown no regard
By men in grey suits.

On the turntable:  Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, "Summer in the Southeast"
On the nighttable:  Knut Hamsun, "Wayfarers"

 

Narrow Road Signs XV

A lesson in the habits of air:

Nocturnal Autumn wind
Dances with the steam
Upon hot spring waters.

On the turntable:  Beck, "Mellow Gold"
On the nighttable:  George Orwell, "Coming up for Air"

Sunday Paper: Honore de Balzac

"This is why the Orient boasts so few writers. One lives too much in oneself to have anything left of the self to hand out to others. What is the point of thought, there, where all is feeling?"

On the turntable:  Bob Dylan, "Going Going Guam"

Honjima

Fourth in the Inland Sea series:

www.japanvisitor.com/japan-guides/honjima


On the turntable: Cream, "Wheels on Fire"

(untitled)

Above the mossy garden,
Moisture hangs in the air like
Lingering tears.

On the turntable:  Camper Van Beethoven, "The Third Album"

Narrow Road Signs XIV

The white of wings
Brilliant against a dark grey sky
Foreshadows the coming snow.

On the turntable:  Charles Lloyd, "All my Relations" 

(untitled)

On this night,
Of all nights,
Even the moon is divided.

On the turntable:  Chet Baker Trio, "Strollin'"

Euthanizing Democracy

Even the highest walls
Can not keep our hatred
From crossing borders.

I've tried to mostly stay out of the political fracas this year, but today I feel the need to chime in and say America,
Trump is the president you deserve (for your sins).
Saunders is the president you want (but aren't ready for).
Clinton is the president you need (as a stopgap at least).
The eyes of the world are upon you. Do the right thing.
Though it goes without saying that, besides the obvious victory for gender, we all lose in this election.

On the turntable:  Charles Mingus, "Live in Chateauvallon"

Narrow Road Signs XIII

Itabi stones
Send heavenward their prayers,
In the company of ginkgos.

On the turntable:  Beck, "Odelay"
On the nighttable:  Janice P. Nimura, "Daughters of the Samurai"
 

Sunday Papers: Mark Gayn

"Democracy is no better than the men who shape it."

On the turntable: Bob Dylan, "Live 1975"

Narrow Road Signs XII

Cold winds from the west
Bring harrow to
Lingering summer grasses

On the turntable:   Bob Dylan, "Planet Waves"

Narrow Road Signs XI

Seen through the island's

Splayed branches of pine,

A sliver of moon.

On the turntable:  Can. "Unlimited Release"

The Brilliant Folds of Akihisa Hirata

This week on ZenVita, I explore the manipulations of 
Akikhisa Hirata's origami inspired architecture.

http://www.zenvita.com/blog/the-brilliant-folds-of-akihisa-hirata.html


On the turntable:   Can, "Box Music"

Sunday Papers: Charles Simic

"For knowledge, add; for wisdom, take away."

On the turntable: Ben Folds Five, "Ben Folds Five"

Band Wit

Back in the days when I was playing live music in Yonago with Tim W, we would appear under a different band name at each gig. The following is a list of the names we used, or intended to use.  (Some may offend, so be forewarned.) Table of the Leg Damn Flies Spooky Temple Dudes Stony Curtis Obstinate Camel Nazi Pope Perceived Diss Sayu Gyaku （左右逆） Anal Mix Tape Psychological Sabotage The Knot in the Y Wood Moratorium Goethe's Werther Vanity Organ The Noble Source Mullah Fucka Grok the Koan Bovine Intervention Bovine Comedy Zulu Porn Reverse Vasectomy Veda's Dairy Androgynous Zone Acid Milk Truck Spank the Monarchy Puppy with Verbs High Brow Connotation Singed Fringe Glass Water Starfish Avalanche of Creme Tambourine Damage Transportation Misadventure Wiley on the Bridge Institutional Conformity Two-Dimensional Asshole 3D Lunch The Usual Inattention Roppongi Hillbillies Ovarian Sisters Casanova Hijinx Conquistador of the Useless The Gilligan Four Al Pachinko Phallus Cowboys Fudo Hanbaiki (不動販売機） Kill Gilligan Traveling Dingleberries Impenetrable Orpheus Ramadan Nachos Back-up Bellringer Genghis Karma Shakuson 5　（釈尊 5）　 Snooty Vegan Keisei and the Sunshine Band Infidel Castro Scott Baio Wolfe Guns 'n' Moses Felonious Punk Ozzy Gillespie   On the turntable:  Chet Baker, "Lullaby of the Leaves" On the nighttable:  Natsume Soseki, "The Gate"

Megijima ,Ogijima

The third in the Inland Sea series:

http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-city-guides/megijima-ogijima


On the turntable:  Charles Mingus, "Mingus at Carnegie Hall"
On the nighttable:  David Sedaris, "When You are Engulfed in Flames"

(untitled)

Days of darkness part, 

To reveal the blue skies of 

Possibility.

On the turntable: Bob Dylan, "Live 1975"
On the nighttable:  Stephen Armstrong, "The Road to Wigan Pier Revisited"