Monthly Archives: February 2010

(Community Matters) Our dear friend Tim Johnson, proprietor of Marfa Book Co. – really a curator of literature – has put together a Small Press Show – he’s added two small prose presses (Archipelago Books and Dalkey Archive), while retaining the best of the poetry presses (Ugly Duckling Presse, Post-Apollo Press, Flood Editions, BookThug, and Effing Press).  He’s even chosen five great titles from each of these seven presses, including great translations from modern and contemporary authors from all over the world (Akutagawa, Mahmoud Darwish, Elena Fanailova), new translations of world classics (Sophocles, Rumi), plus many great contemporary works in English.

Of course we’re purchasing this collection.  If you’re interested, feel free to contact Tim directly or let me know and I’ll put you in touch.

(Community Matters) We’ll after a disappointing dinner Saturday before last, thought I’d give it another try.  Met Martha Smiley for an 8am breakfast and it was good.  Stephen Walls joined me for a second breakfast when Martha left.  Guess that was just too much.  A second waitress got involved and couldn’t remember a thing.  Seriously, she was so incompetent, she had us looking at each other . . .  first perplexed, then breaking out laughing (discretely, not at her).  The first waitress was great, but she got mad that a second waitress got involved.  We bore the brunt of the incompetent waitress, then the mad one.  Then neither were taking care of us.  Finally, first waitress to the rescue.  This is unacceptable for a restaurant with so much potential.  Sorry I gave it a second try.

Sullivans Steakhouse – had a late afternoon meeting there – outstanding service and appetizers.  Julio’s with Katie Pearl and Michael Mitchell for dinner – ah, sometimes wonder why go anywhere else – always outstanding and superb service.

oh yeah, Greg Rickels was there this morning.  What a treat to run into him unexpectedly – a man of so much love

(Community Matters) Steven’s performing at next Thursday’s Pecha Kucha evening – 416 W. Cesar Chavez, doors open at 7:30, presentations start at 8:20.  Tana & I will be driving back from a couple of nights at Kip Keller’s & Michael Barnes’ reading week; we’ll likely go straight there.  I may be violating some pecha kucha/steven tomlinson rule by posting one of the pics from his 20 slides – alas, I haven’t broken any rules this week so what can I say? (by the way, a topic for another blog – WASP’s fascination with rules.  I’m just realizing this is a very cultural thing.)

Others presenting that evening: Jett Butler (Designer), Sam Douglas (Filmmaker),  Jack Sanders (Designer), Sarah Gamble (Architect), Jace Graf (Book Designer), Jean Goehring (Designer), Austin Kleon (Writer/poet), Chris Krager (Architect), Magda Sayeg (Textile art), and Erin Trieb (Photographer)

(Community Matters) Just sent my 100th tweet – the Elie Wiesel quote:  the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference.

Please don’t be indifferent

(Community Matters) a 1967 Mike Wallace report , “The Homosexuals”

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) Welcome to my world . . . .

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) Intrigued by Scott Collier’s latest initiative http://www.slowmoneyaustin.org

Also, I can’t believe I haven’t been following Kala Philo’s blog – it’s quite enlightening

(Community Matters) We celebrated Robert Torian’s 49th birthday yesterday at the Cactus Cafe, listening to In Heritage.

In Heritage

Friends who gathered to celebrate Robert included Larry Don Shaw, Milinda Mitchell, Michael Mitchell, Janet Maykus & Mark Smith, Tana & Joe Christie and, of course, his lover of 25 years, Jim Fraser.

(Community Matters) “The most difficult part about living here is knowing that the rains are coming and we don’t have a roof over our heads.” – Magdala Teracine (in the picture, now living with her parents, three sisters, two brothers, two nephews and two daughters in a space that measures about three meters by two meters).  http://bit.ly/bAgBkt

HelpHaiti -we’ll match contributions dollar for dollar

photo Ed Kinney (Concern Worldwide)

(Community Matters) “The most important thing for the public to understand is we’re not handling any of these cases any different than the Bush administration handled them all through 9/11,” said the President.

Are you kidding me? Seriously?

Who the hell is advising the President to defend our national security actions by invoking the Bush administration?  And, why the hell aren’t we calling out those playing political football with our country’s national security?

That the current administration is following the rules of habeas corpus while extracting valuable information through reliable and legal interrogation does not have to be defended.

(Community Matters) a roaring fire and 8 hours of financial statements, investment reports, operating & strategic plans laid out in front of me.  It’s my quarterly assessment day, when I review all I’ve said we’d do and compare it to what’s gotten done.  I start out begrudgingly, and Steven reminds me I’m like a pig in mud once in the middle of it.

(Community Matters) First dinner party at Cameron Lockley’s new abode.  Cameron’s the manager of 34th Street Cafe and a godson.

Michael Mitchell, Joe Pierce, Drew Wilson & Cameron

We should probably be more mindful of not coming across as two old, gay professors at younger gay man’s dinner table.  Steven and I probably revisited the “old times” a few too much.  Nevertheless, Joe, Drew & Cameron were too sweet to even flinch.  I always thought Cameron would be a chef, he’s such a great cook.  Alas, he’s also a  numbers and operations engineer so well-suited for his field.