Zoe Strauss

Harry Charles Wolf (Charlie) was a former Rocky Flats project manager and nuclear facility manager and a really nice guy.

Isn't this the trip of a lifetime? Jesus, I can't believe what my life is like. No one can know how their life will move and I certainly had no idea as what my life would be like, but what fortune and luxury to be able to go places I'd never envisioned seeing and then being able to come home. Honestly, even being in constant amazement every waking moment up here, it's been very, very difficult without Lynn Bloom. I pray for telepathy.

While Alaska is otherworldly in many ways, something makes sense to me here. I have the conviction and some of the fortitude of the Alaskan “pioneer” in the way I like to move about in the world, going where I want... but up here I know that people lived here for thousands and thousands of years before “pioneers” cut teeth and there's nothing that someone else hasn't seen and claimed before. And there's a sort of yearlong schizophrenic cycle where cabin fever and white line fever flow right into each other and the balance seems compelling. Although I know as a visitor, not a resident, it's a dangerous thing to balance and I can't really speak to it.

For this trip I made a conscious decision to not work as I usually do, which is full throttle working all day, every day. Well, actually, I'm working all day, every day but in a different manner, using the camera in a different way, with almost all of my shots experimenting with shooting in a different style, and looking to really take in what I'm seeing.

Everything is interesting here and it's impossible to not think about geology and geography, evolution and migration, and ideas about land ownership. Everything leads to something else and it can be distracting... the spice route, manufacturing and consumption, mortality, morality, and love.

I flew over the Alaskan Interior yesterday knowing a massive mountain range is right underneath me, but because it was obscured by clouds it was a leap of faith believing it was there. For all I know, underneath the tip of Denali that jut through the clouds could be the strip malls of Wasilla. But I believe that it was the Alaska Range underneath me because I'm a believer.

Me in Fairbanks
Photo by some lady across in the foyer of the closed restaurant.

Greetings From Fairbanks
-22 as of this minute

#1 most frightening song ever-

"Girl Land"
written by Mary Rodgers and Bruce Hart
sung by Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones


runner-up: "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney

This last month LB told me something so amazing, I don't even know where to go with it. For my entire life I have always thought the refrain in Young Americans was "She/He was the Young American." But it's not. It's, "She/He wants the Young American." Are you kidding me? What beauty that a great pop song can surprise me after having thought I've known it my whole life. It's true Americans! We can be what we desire!

-----


Young Americans
David Bowie

They pulled in just behind the fridge
He lays her down, he frowns
Gee my life's a funny thing, am I still too young?
He kissed her then and there
She took his ring, took his babies
It took him minutes, took her nowhere
Heaven knows, she'd have taken anything, but

(Refrain)
All night
She wants the young american
Young american, young american, she wants the young american
All right
She wants the young american

Scanning life through the picture windows
She finds the slinky vagabond
He coughs as he passes her ford mustang, but
Heaven forbid, shell take anything
But the freak, and his type, all for nothing
He misses a step and cuts his hand, but
Showing nothing, he swoops like a song
She cries where have all papa's heroes gone?

(Refrain)

All the way from washington
Her bread-winner begs off the bathroom floor
We live for just these twenty years
Do we have to die for the fifty more?

All night
He wants the young american
Young american, young american, he wants the young american
All right
He wants the young american

Do you remember, your president nixon?
Do you remember, the bills you have to pay
Or even yesterday

Have you been an un-american?
Just you and your idol singing falsetto bout
Leather, leather everywhere, and
Not a myth left from the ghetto
Well, well, well, would you carry a razor
In case, just in case of depression
Sit on your hands on a bus of survivors
Blushing at all the afro-sheilas
Aint that close to love?
Well, aint that poster love?
Well, it aint that barbie doll
Her hearts been broken just like you have

And
All night
You want the young american
Young american, young american, you want the young american
All right
You want the young american

You aint a pimp and you aint a hustler
A pimps got a cadi and a lady got a chrysler
Blacks got respect, and whites got his soul train
Mamas got cramps, and look at your hands ache
I heard the news today, oh boy
I got a suite and you got defeat
Ain't there a man you can say no more?
And, ain't there a woman I can sock on the jaw?
And, ain't there a child I can hold without judging?
Ain't there a pen that will write before they die?
Ain't you proud that you've still got faces?
Ain't there one damn song that can make me
Break down and cry?

All night
I want the young american
Young american, young american, I want the young american
All right
I want the young american
Young american
Young american, young american, I want the young american
(I want with you, I want with you want)
All right
(you want it, I want you you, you want i, I want you want)
Young american, young american, I want the young american (I want to want, to want, to want , to want i, I want you)
All right
(lord I wanted the young american)
(young american)
Young american, young american
I want the young american
Mmmmmm mmm

Redoubt Code Level: Orange.

IRS level: Doughnut Hole. Ha, ha. I hope for the residents sake that Redoubt doesn't blow like having 2 audits in two years blows. Because that really blows.

With many, many thanks to my awesome Hawaiian shirt wearing accountant, Bob Downey, of Miller Downey Spevak Kaffenberger. And thanks to Paul Dickman for hooking me up with him!


Who the hell gets audited TWICE in their life? Within 2 years? Wall Street bankers gave themselves nearly $20 billion in bonuses as the economy was beginning to tank. 20 billion dollars. I think the IRS might want to look at people other than me.

Thanks! But no.

.... check it out! This car's been in the same spot since before October!



Photo by Eamon MacMahon

Anchorage is now preparing for the possibility of a volcanic eruption busting out from Mount Redoubt. Geologists and volcanic seismologists say Mt. Redoubt could erupt "within days" so I'm getting the dust mask respirator and the goggles tomorrow in case of a strong Northeasterly wind happening concurrently to a gigantic eruption. Worse comes to worst, I can drive back up to the cabin with the wolves.

Geologists say this volcano could blow ash 8, EIGHT!, miles straight up. I was planning on heading down to Kenai for a day trip, but I think I'm going to hold off on it until the volcano settles down. This doesn't mean I don't want to go to Kenai right now. On the contrary, it's taking a lot of restraint to not go down there and wait for it but what kind of selfish ass is like, "Hey, I don't live here but could I use some of your space and your supplies during a natural disaster?"



East Flank of Redoubt Volcano. Photo by Game McGimsey
Alaska Volcano Observatory / Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys.

- what a name, "Game McGimsey"

Alaska's state motto is "North To The Future," which isn't bad but doesn't fully encompass the vast experience that Alaska is. And most certainly doesn't address the fascinating impossibility of accurately describing Alaska's landscape, climate and residents.


I propose that Alaska change the state motto to "Alaska: This Is Not a Pipe."













Also, Alaska is not a vessel for sucking things out of the land until it's dead and gone... oil, seafood, zinc, lumber. "Drill, baby, drill", my ass.

Norma
Palmer, AK

Tammi
Palmer, AK

Something amazing happened today... as I was leaving the cabin a bird flew right up to me and then onto a tree by my side. I impulsively held out my finger like a perch to the bird and THE BIRD FLEW ONTO MY FINGER. It held on for a few seconds, looking at me, and then flew away. Truly awesome.

This drawing of Snow White accurately describes the scene, for real, except replace Snow White with a fat dyke in a green t-shirt.




Here's the bird that landed on my finger. Or it could be that bird's doppelganger.

I have come to love the Anchorage Daily News, the print version. It's a publication that really tells you what Alaska is like. Today in the A section there were articles about the mayoral race and federal energy policy alongside an article about installing wind farms in rural Alaska... some rural village residents have promised to sign over future tax refunds to cover their current electric bills.

And an article about how Alaska reversed itself and is allowing Exxon Mobil Corp. to drill wells this winter at the Point Thomson oil fields.

And an article about an activist group looking to build a non-profit laundry and shower house because many people in Salcha and Fairbanks haul their own water and have no running water, meaning no laundry or showers.

And a warning about a possible volcanic eruption at Mt. Redoubt near Kenai..."The continued eruption warning prompted city officials to send out information about dealing with volcanic ash. They urged residents to prepare ahead by outfitting homes with a supply of respirators, extra food, water and other supplies. They also encouraged stocking up on large plastic bags to cover appliances, extra air filters for cars, and windshield washer fluid.

During an ash fall, people and pets should remain indoors, they said."

And, of course, an article about some breach of ethics by Sarah Palin.

Whoa, right?

The article pictured below is incredible to me for two reasons... first the use of "Lower 48" as a proper noun. But then... hold onto your hats... "Outside" is capitalized to mean "Outside of Alaska." Marc told me they capitalized "Outside" but I didn't realize quite how crazy it was until I saw it in print. Man, I can't imagine an idiom more telling about Alaska than the use of "Outside."

Here's where I am right now. I was hoping to catch the aurora but it clouded up a little after midnight and it's 1:45 right now so I'm headed to bed in a little bit. I am in rural Alaska, outside Talkeetna. I drove up from Anchorage and have never even remotely seen anything like I saw today. The day was clear and the "mountain was out" people say, meaning that you could see Mount McKinley/Denali and the Alaska Range. This range is one of the many things I've found fascinating in relation to the complete inability to articulate what a thing is truly like through images, still or moving.

Tonight when it got dark and the stars came out, I couldn't believe it. It's was indescribable. As I was outside testing out the camera settings in case the aurora appeared there was an insane "what the hell is that" noise. Oh, it was just wolves. You know PACKS OF HOWLING WOLVES. WHAT THE FUCK. Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.

I simmered down, but are you kidding me? I'm in rural Alaska in a cabin with wolves outside? But here's the thing that's REALLY crazy... I'm typing this on my computer out here and posting it right now and I talked to Lynn Bloom through her night to tell her about the aurora watch. A million miles away and not disconnected. Now that's more nuts than being in a cabin with howling wolves.

Errol Morris asked the head photo editors of these news services — Vincent Amalvy (AFP), Santiago Lyon (AP) and Jim Bourg (Reuters) — to pick the photographs of the George Bush that they believe captured the character of the man and of his administration.

Without a doubt, the Orwellian "Mission Accomplished" photos are the ones that define the Bush administration for me... duplicitous and manipulative, vapid but dangerous.

"Charlie is not doing well, we know he can still hear us but he barely responds.
He won't eat or drink, he probably only has a few days left."

Sending out love to you Charlie!

Noon Day Sun
Anchorage, AK

"Completed in 1974, Alaska's Dalton Highway (known locally as the haul road) is the northernmost road in America. At 414 miles, the predominantly dirt road follows the upper half of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and is maintained exclusively as a transportation route to the coastal oil fields at Prudhoe Bay. Since it's opening to pleasure traffic in 1994, it's become an isolated corridor for travel into the Arctic."

-From Ben Huff's Website

The Last Road North is a work in progress... I'm really excited to see the completed project. Ben Huff: one of Alaska's Finest!

These are great things.

Obama Reverses Bush Abortion-Funds Policy

President Obama Orders Transparency

Obama Issues Directive to Shut Down Guantánamo

It's like we've been living under a pall these last 8 years.

I'm thinking a lot, and recording a lot, but not producing a ton of work. I am fascinated with the lack of sunlight and it's effects on my daily schedule. Everything here is very considered in winter. And personal energy seems to be conserved in a lot of folks, myself included. One thing is certain; the way the world works here is not compatible with my kind of shooting, which involves a certain amount of spontaneity. It's impossible to not think about what it means to have the environment dictate the structure of the day in a way I've never really had before. There's no way to have my kind of usual meandering around with such a limited amount of daylight. I've been shooting with a tripod and a shutter release, which has been great even if no photos come of it. Often frustrating, but very valuable.

Mike Dunham writes for the Anchorage Daily News and interviewed me for an upcoming article, which is pretty ridiculous because I am not even remotely as interesting as Mike Dunham and I'd rather read an article about Mike than about me. Proof of Mike's "interestingness" becomes obvious when checking out the photo below... which is not of Mike. It's a photo of Henry Matthews of Quinhagak, who was the mail carrier that brought Mike Dunham his mail. Mike grew up in a place where mail was received once a week via dog sled.




Henry Matthews: The last of the mushing mailmen.
Quinhagak, Alaska
circa 1955

photographer unknown

I've met many enjoyable people here and Marc Lester is one of them. I was privileged to get a little tour from him today, including his sighting of some Bald Eagles, which I didn't even know really existed in real life. To me, was as if our great national bird was the equivalent of a unicorn until today. OK, and they were just hanging out right off of Muldoon Rd, kind of across from an Arby's. Whoa. Thanks for pointing them out, Marc!

Click above to check out Marc's work.

I headed to Wasilla on inauguration day, looking for signs of congratulations or outrage or any recognition of Sarah Palin's vice presidential nomination. I'm sure I must have missed something because I was only there about 2 hours, but I saw nothing. No indication at all of Palin's election bid, which I had guessed might be a point of pride. Wrong!

Wasilla is quite a mystery. First, it's way smaller than I had anticipated. Way, way smaller. The "town" is built right off of the highway and is comprised of strip malls and big box stores. It's a slightly elevated highway with the strip malls on either side of the main highway. I'm not decrying these stores, I don't know enough about the structure of the economy in Wasilla, but it was a little depressing. Maybe this is the new "America" and the local has eroded to the point where these massive, somewhat generic, businesses are our "local hardware" stores. I find Wasilla to be really fascinating in that sense because almost all of the Alaskans I've met are fiercely invested in Alaska as a world apart from the "lower 48" and Wasilla seems to be the antithesis of the desire for autonomy that so many Alaskans espouse as something of great importance to them.

However I did meet this awesome woman who is a mechanic and built her own massive, MASSIVE, truck herself. She told me she had "nothing stock" under the hood.

And I met these great taxidermists.

And the ride out to Wasilla is beautiful, but I can't help but wonder about who does city planning there.

Let me tell you, Anchorage is more foreign than France. And I am taking into account that I can't speak French.

Here's Dall Sheep (thanks, Addie) on the side of a mountain where the side falls sheer. Right! Holy shit! There were like 10 of them!

1PM
January 21, 2008
Anchorage, AK

The sun never fully rises here. It moves in a low arc on the south horizon. The image below is of the winter solstice in Alaska... although it's longer days in January, the path of the sun is the same, just a little higher.

January 20, 2009
Wasilla, AK

America I've given you all and now I'm nothing.
America two dollars and twenty-seven cents January 17, 1956.
I can't stand my own mind.
America when will we end the human war?
Go fuck yourself with your atom bomb
I don't feel good don't bother me.
I won't write my poem till I'm in my right mind.
America when will you be angelic?
When will you take off your clothes?
When will you look at yourself through the grave?
When will you be worthy of your million Trotskyites?
America why are your libraries full of tears?
America when will you send your eggs to India?
I'm sick of your insane demands.
When can I go into the supermarket and buy what I need with my good looks?
America after all it is you and I who are perfect not the next world.
Your machinery is too much for me.
You made me want to be a saint.
There must be some other way to settle this argument.
Burroughs is in Tangiers I don't think he'll come back it's sinister.
Are you being sinister or is this some form of practical joke?
I'm trying to come to the point.
I refuse to give up my obsession.
America stop pushing I know what I'm doing.
America the plum blossoms are falling.
I haven't read the newspapers for months, everyday somebody goes on trial for
murder.
America I feel sentimental about the Wobblies.
America I used to be a communist when I was a kid and I'm not sorry.
I smoke marijuana every chance I get.
I sit in my house for days on end and stare at the roses in the closet.
When I go to Chinatown I get drunk and never get laid.
My mind is made up there's going to be trouble.
You should have seen me reading Marx.
My psychoanalyst thinks I'm perfectly right.
I won't say the Lord's Prayer.
I have mystical visions and cosmic vibrations.
America I still haven't told you what you did to Uncle Max after he came over
from Russia.

I'm addressing you.
Are you going to let our emotional life be run by Time Magazine?
I'm obsessed by Time Magazine.
I read it every week.
Its cover stares at me every time I slink past the corner candystore.
I read it in the basement of the Berkeley Public Library.
It's always telling me about responsibility. Businessmen are serious. Movie
producers are serious. Everybody's serious but me.
It occurs to me that I am America.
I am talking to myself again.

Asia is rising against me.
I haven't got a chinaman's chance.
I'd better consider my national resources.
My national resources consist of two joints of marijuana millions of genitals
an unpublishable private literature that goes 1400 miles and hour and
twentyfivethousand mental institutions.
I say nothing about my prisons nor the millions of underpriviliged who live in
my flowerpots under the light of five hundred suns.
I have abolished the whorehouses of France, Tangiers is the next to go.
My ambition is to be President despite the fact that I'm a Catholic.

America how can I write a holy litany in your silly mood?
I will continue like Henry Ford my strophes are as individual as his
automobiles more so they're all different sexes
America I will sell you strophes $2500 apiece $500 down on your old strophe
America free Tom Mooney
America save the Spanish Loyalists
America Sacco & Vanzetti must not die
America I am the Scottsboro boys.
America when I was seven momma took me to Communist Cell meetings they
sold us garbanzos a handful per ticket a ticket costs a nickel and the
speeches were free everybody was angelic and sentimental about the
workers it was all so sincere you have no idea what a good thing the party
was in 1935 Scott Nearing was a grand old man a real mensch Mother
Bloor made me cry I once saw Israel Amter plain. Everybody must have
been a spy.
America you don't really want to go to war.
America it's them bad Russians.
Them Russians them Russians and them Chinamen. And them Russians.
The Russia wants to eat us alive. The Russia's power mad. She wants to take
our cars from out our garages.
Her wants to grab Chicago. Her needs a Red Reader's Digest. her wants our
auto plants in Siberia. Him big bureaucracy running our fillingstations.
That no good. Ugh. Him makes Indians learn read. Him need big black niggers.
Hah. Her make us all work sixteen hours a day. Help.
America this is quite serious.
America this is the impression I get from looking in the television set.
America is this correct?
I'd better get right down to the job.
It's true I don't want to join the Army or turn lathes in precision parts
factories, I'm nearsighted and psychopathic anyway.
America I'm putting my queer shoulder to the wheel.

George Bush leaving the White House... don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

Today is all bells ringing!
Death knelling in celebration!

From my hotel window at night, I can see an illuminated star. It's impossible to see where the star is or how it's supported and because of how very dark it is, I can't get a sense of distance to the star.



Star



closer



closer

----


I got in the car and drove toward the star, but after 20 minutes of driving I felt I just couldn't get close enough without the star flattening out. It's lights laid out in the mountains.





I stopped and made a photo on Muldoon in a strip mall parking lot, where the star hovers over a gas station and homes. There's an incredible distinction between night and day here. There's an absence of "lights as far as you can see," so night becomes completely black in the distance. That seems like a crazy statement, but there's a qualitative difference in the dark here.

I'm going to try to make a few "night and day" shots from the same spot. There's a good idea somewhere in there and an interesting theory about perceptions of the natural world, but I don't have great faith that good ideas can always translate into strong photos.





----

on the way back to the hotel after making the first night image, Bunny calls me and I don't answer, I'm driving. She thinks my number is Joey's number and leaves a message asking where they buried Anthony... "I'm that redheaded girl you and Junior use to pick up. Gee, I miss the whole gang..."

Tomorrow is the inauguration. It seems like we've survived the 8 years of Bush and now we can attempt to rebuild. We've survived, but we're not unscathed by any stretch.

Tomorrow we strike it up. Tomorrow it's over.

My Alaskan friends! How do you guys do it with all this darkness? My GOD! Do you just get used to it?

As I've had time to think about the book, I'm thrilled with all aspects except for the censoring and the final color on some of the images.

It's a pretty good book.

I was not happy to see this. While these guys were perfectly nice and everything, I would have preferred to see this Cardinals fan sitting quietly in his seat.



Because I am up here in Alaska, I had to go to a bar to watch the Eagles game, which was a sad, sad game but delicious wings.

At this bar I met a bush pilot who offered to fly me to spots and hook me up with buddy passes to hop on standby if he wasn't flying. Many thanks to Pat and Mary for that generous offer, I'm taking you up on it!



In the 3rd quarter, I couldn't take it any more and had to leave but then Kellie called to let me know that the Eagles had scored and I ran into another bar, Steve's Sports Bar, to see the end of the game.

During the last couple of minutes a guy in full Steelers regalia came over and held open a Crown Royal bag for me to take something out of... no discussion, just opened the bag. I saw that 2 or 3 people on the other side of the room had taken a marble or something out of the bag so I put my hand in and pulled out a small wooden ball with "3" written on it. Thank God this didn't turn out to be Shirley Jackson Lottery-like, it was the numbering for a football pool something, but it was still a little nuts. Also a little nuts... that Crown Royal bags always indicate that there's something important in them. Why is that?

so close, so close to Bush being out of office...

Hey Elana Will You Marry Me
Anchorage, AK

Annie
Anchorage, AK

Congratulations to all of the Anchorage High School kids who submitted works for "I Draw the Line." An extra special congratulations to George, who was last year's winner and made a piece for this year's show just because he was inspired to do so. I am a big fan of George. I gave him a ride home... a ride that was life and death driving. Because of the rain, the street are flooded and icy and massive potholes are filled with water, giving the illusion that they are just wet ground. About 8-10 cars were pulled over with flat tires and I was like "what the hell?" until I drove into a pothole that was approximately the size of Peru. Thank GOD I didn't get a flat tire. Then we had to drive on an icy and wet off ramp that went over a river and prompted George to say, "I'm a little nervous right now." Not to worry, we made it safe and sound to Spenard and I made it home to "The Grand."


George with his kick ass piece


Erin (on the right) was a winner too. Her piece is in the middle.

In the Anchorage Daily Times, Student show celebrates King's legacy by Mike Dunham

Jesus H. Christ! I'm in Alaska!

“Christina’s World,” 1948, by Andrew Wyeth.

School has been closed for 3 days straight here in Anchorage due to rain, not snow. The rain has turned the roads to sheets of ice in some places. In many ways it's very confined here despite the wide, wide open land.

Anchorage, AK

I can NOT see Russia from Anchorage! What's the point of this trip then? Does anyone know about the view from Wasilla? I was hoping to see the Kremlin.

Israel, stop bombing Gaza.

I have made a crazy purchase for my trip... a cable release and a little gripper tripod. I am not a puritan of any kind when it comes to photography, but I have opted for handheld at all times and have always felt that a tripod, and most certainly a cable release, were a little too fussy for me. I vote for balancing the camera on the car roof, or whatever is around, to keep it still. And I up the ISO to prevent shake, so noise can often can be a factor. That's the way I like to shoot and if I miss a shot, so be it.

The no flash Power/Ower photos were all made with a high iso and prayers of minimal shake and they are a ringing endorsement of the ability to show what I want using no more equipment than the camera.




But up here it's dark. It's dark A LOT. So I decided that I would have to prepare for a place where much work would be done in a twilight like daytime and the out and out night.

So far, I love Anchorage.

Here's my in town schedule...

Jan. 16
5:30pm to 7pm
Talking briefly at the opening reception of the high school exhibition and giving out monetary awards and gift certificates at the Anchorage Museum


Feb. 2
noon
Talking to Anchorage Museum docents about my work

Feb 4
7pm
Zoe Strauss book signing and presentation
at The Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center


I have a space at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art, which I'll get set up tomorrow.

I'm staying at the Anchorage Grand, which is grand.


G-d bless you, the Upper 49th.

Alaska is not helping 2 of my biggest ocd like tendencies. In fact, Alaska is exacerbating it.

The first is my inability to stop thinking of hidden mechanics. For example, if I am in an elevator, I am hyper-conscious of the pulley system and the space underneath the car. And I am sometimes transfixed by the function of the radio, radio waves and the device used to pull the waves to sound. And on and on.


The second ocd thing is that I am occasionally unable to stop myself from "tracing back" to an origin. E.g., With my takeout coffee, I find that I often try to figure out where each item that comprises the cup of coffee has come from. Milk, sugar, paper cup, coffee, plastic lid, flavored syrup. And then, to top it off!, I can't stop thinking about, "how did people think to roast and drink coffee?" I can keep this shit going all the way back to "How was there a gaseous cloud hovering about in the first place to cause a sun to form?"


Which brings me to, "How the fuck do bananas from Ecuador come to Alaska?" and "How did the United Fruit Company make bananas a fruit 'staple' so ingrained in the American diet that they are readily available in Alaska?" (Albeit, more money than down in the ''lower 48'' as they derisively say here)



Bananas in Anchorage, AK grocery store

Here's what it looks like at 9 AM from my hotel window. As in 9 "in the morning" AM.

From Photo-Eye:

"For almost 30 years, photo-eye has published our annual selections for Best Books of the year. This year we are pleased to be hosting not only the picks of the photo-eye staff, but also the top picks of John Gossage, Alec Soth, Andrew Phelps, Lesley A. Martin, Todd Hido, Richard Gordon, Markus Schaden, Michelle Dunn Marsh, Dewi Lewis, Martin Parr, Gerry Badger, Jeffery Ladd, Chris Pichler, Darius Himes, and Mark Klett in a cross referenced, interactive feature."


Not only that, but America is the #1 bestseller this week...

I am in Alaska now and certain that this trip will be spectacular. It's a odd spot to end up while grieving and thinking about family connection and mortality. And I am very anxious being away from Lynn Bloom right now, which is a time when I really want to care for her. Instead of being with her, I am in a remote and cold place, in all the literal senses. I'm determined to make the most out of this difficult juncture.

It's fucking amazing and awesome that I'm in Alaska. IN ALASKA!

And today was a great day, although I am so exhausted that I probably won't remember anything at all from today. Thanks especially to Jody and Chelsea for all their help and their graciousness.

Sisters and brothers, brothers and sisters
Ain't we, everyone
Brothers and sisters, sisters and brothers
Every father's daughter, every mother's son

Brothers and sisters, sisters and brothers
Each and every one
Sisters and brothers, brothers and sisters
Every mother's daughter, every father's son

Ain't we lucky, everybody
Bein' everybody's brother
Ain't we lucky, everybody
Lookin' out for one another

Ain't we happy, everybody
Bein' everybody's sister
Ain't we happy, everybody
Lookin' out for Mister Mister

Ain't we lucky, ain't we
Ain't we happy, ain't we
Ain't we lucky, ain't we
Ain't we happy, ain't we

Do do, ooh ooh, do, ooh do, ooh (4x)

Sisters and brothers, brothers and sisters
Ain't we, everyone
Brothers and sisters, sisters and brothers
Every father's daughter, every mother's

Brothers and sisters, sisters and brothers
Each and every one
Sisters and brothers, brothers and sisters
Every mother's daughter, every father's son

by Stephen Lawrence and Bruce Hart

In Loving Memory of Jonathan Phelps
1967-2009

A Teamster's Farewell

Good-by now to the streets and the clash of wheels and
locking hubs,
The sun coming on the brass buckles and harness knobs.
The muscles of the horses sliding under their heavy
haunches,
Good-by now to the traffic policeman and his whistle,
The smash of the iron hoof on the stones,
All the crazy wonderful slamming roar of the street--
O God, there's noises I'm going to be hungry for.

-Carl Sandburg


--------

in loving memory of Mary Ann Black
1941-2009

December 31, 2008


December 2, 2006

From Sluggo Agonistes by Mike Macfeat

These won't work at all in terms of reducing speed, but they are truly neighborhood beautification. I love them. Good job, traffic engineers.





Above, 8th and Cantrell.


Optical Illusion Speed Bumps Tested in Philadelphia

Optical illusions used as virtual speed humps

Christmas and New Years decorations are put away or thrown out and a few put together households already have up Valentines Day decorations. I'm headed out, apprehensive and distracted, with an inability to stop thinking about everything all the time.

It's been a busy holiday and I have effectively taken off from Christmas to New Years, except for working New Years Day. My aunt, Lynn's Aunt Mary Ann, is in hospice and and I am leaving for Alaska next week so I'm preoccupied every moment with this. With the anxiety of waiting for the phone call, of what to do for Lynn, of going away for a month right now. It feels like our lives are a lot, a lot of everything all the time. Through our 30s, and into Lynn's 40's, that there hasn't been a stretch of time for more than a few months without grieving or celebrating or both, without the big life events.

This sure doesn't seem safe. But where the hell else can we have our New Year's Eve fireworks display if not in the middle of Juniper Street? Answer that!

I was pleased to see this right after midnight on New Year's Eve. Even though the book is out and all is finished, I'm finally finishing up with the project. I've been preoccupied with the project on the whole long past the completion of the book. And by project, I mean the book and the show up at Bruce Silverstein right now. I really didn't know when I'd be done, but I think I'm close.

Looks like no keepers, but New Year's Day is the greatest day of the year, photos or no.

or



or

Today is a day that I look forward to all year. I'd like to give a shout out to Riverfront Mummers, Froggy Carr and Quaker City String Band.