now the swinging bridge...

...is quieted
with creepers...
Like our tendrilled life.

(Basho)



Remembered.
Remembered.

nothing was irrevocable; everything was within reach

In celebration of getting engaged, Matt and Heidi made a Goldworthy-style sculpture in the Washington woods (but better than ol' Golds, in my opinion, for the fact that it was not made in isolation). So I'm saying "Congrats!" by stealing this rather personal photo from Matt's Flickr. Thanks for sharing, friends. Here’s to more spiraling collaborations between you and others, rocks, leaves, stillness, movement, “blessed and blessing trees...”

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The ever-productive Plagiarists adapted a bunch of Jonathan Lethem's stories for the stage—stories from Lethem’s Promiscuous Materials Project, in which he makes available (for $1 apiece) original short works for adaptation/mutation. It’s a really cool concept and was Lethem’s follow-up, walk-his-talk venture after writing this amazing Harper’s essay about influence.

"As I researched that essay I came more and more to believe that artists should ideally find ways to make material free and available for reuse,” he explains. “This project is a (first) attempt to make my own art practice reflect that belief.” The Plagiarists’ version opened last Sunday at the Athenaeum and runs through November 23. Influential!

lay your shadow on the sundials

Whoa. Just listened to the Radiolab podcast called "The (Multi) Universe(s)"—an interview with theoretical physicist Brian Greene—and it was a real mind-bender! Thanks, Radiolab. Even though the physical comedy noises and certain attempts at "humor" can get a tad tiring/mildly distracting, overall, this WNYC program does a fine job of making science palatable and interesting for people who don't have much (if any) background in science. A respectable feat. I also like the show where E.O. Wilson talks really casually about how he discovered pheromones.

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BD retrospective: To Wilmette to Logan Square to Michigan and back.



The lakeshore in Wilmette is really quiet and empty on a Friday afternoon. A middle-aged woman was sunbathing on the grass in a teeny bathing suit—a bit of a bold statement for an October day, but then again it was 75ish degrees.





Finally visited the Baha'i Temple, and it was pretty great, architecturally speaking. A really calm and calming space, despite the hype of being advertised as one of the "Seven Wonders of Illinois."









Back home for party preparations.



Li'l pun'kin patch w/ green coconut grass.



In the background is the carver of this pumpkin, and the lovely lady who made the party happen.



Not only does she educate the leaders of tomorrow, but Jessica also makes an amazing carrot cake.









How they built the pyramids:







Rebuilt, reconfigured:















Thanks, friends. A bday to remember.



In Kalamazoo... Patty + Brian=The Panthers Bowling Team!



My bro cutting loose in his room to the tune of the Bstreet Bs.





Trees catching fire.


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And from the HP tour, here's my favorite new photo.

jenou and jeufre

The birthday was a blast...thanks to sun, friends, and fall foliage. But mostly friends! I have some 10/10 pictures I'd like to post (coming soon), including some pretty ones of a temple and some funny ones of a pyramid.



I went to Michigan for a post-BD retreat/autumn color tour (AKA a low-key visit with the fam). Carved a pumpkin with Brian, went to a football game, finished The Girl on the Fridge and started Leaving New York (a so-far-so-good essay collection ed. by Kathleen Norris, recommended by former coworker Erick (Thanks, Erick!)), ate way too much food, and read things about this little election of sorts we seem to be having. 22 days! Oh my!

Mom dug out some notebooks of mine, circa first grade, that she recently found in a forgotten corner of the basement game closet.



She also unearthed this amazing story by Mary:




WOW!!