Weekly Filler

I'd like to get back to logging all of my artistic habits, simply to journal what I'm consuming in my spare time. I finished Extremely Loud and this novel left an indelible impression on me. Next up, Doctorow's Billy Bathgate and Angel In My Pocket by Beth Blachman Decker, a colleague of mine. A good friend and fellow teacher, Beth has written a piece of "historical fiction" in that she's taken stories of her family and conjured up semi-fictional bodies to carry out these stories. The first five pages are thought provoking and hysterical. Beth's even talked about making a movie of the book, which would be great. I told her that as long as Scarlet Johansson's in it, I'm cool with it.

The stereo's been in full tilt boogie this weekend. I'm not buying any new music but revisiting many of my old faves. Here's what's been spinning:

Joe Henderson - In 'N Out
Southside Johnny's first three records
Aretha - This Girl's In Love With You
Otis Redding - Dock of the Bay
Clarence Carter - Best of
The Commitments soundtrack
Sgt. Pepper
Hitsville - disc three
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

I think I'm going to begin including my movie habit as well. If anyone has any recommendations on good films, please send them my way.

Dewey Martin, the drummer of Buffalo Springfield, died this week. He follows Bruce Palmer, the bassist, who died in 2004. That leaves the songwriting trio of Stills, Young and Furay, the more famous of the band. I'm not sure I've really written about the BS. They're one of my favorite late 60s American bands. The band's box set which includes everything the band recorded is a pretty nice time capsule of where American rock and roll was mid-decade. While the band's members were young, musicially impressionable and nowhere near their songwriting prowess, to listen to the BS is to listen to a country embracing so much cultural change. The band's music reflected rock, blues, country, psychedelic, British and rockabilly roots. I've really come to love the band and its music. To hear of Martin's passing is sad. Another from another historically important group.