Art and Words and a Little Bit of Hope
Perhaps.
I’m drinking water and Aldi “iced coffee,” which is definitely cold brew even if they don’t call it that. Oatmeal is on the menu, as are banana-egg-almond flour pancakes. This is the wild and seductive life I lead.
I am aware I am risking being a pain in the ass by attempting to squeeze most of a month’s worth of posts into the final two days of February, and I thank you for your patience. This SHAN’T be the norm moving forward.
Please note that the perfect farfalle hair clip seen above was a gift from
of . We must honor our heritage in our hair accessories. As one of Medusa’s many great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-ad-infinitum granddaughters, I suppose I’m doing the same thing with the snake.Here are some things I have liked reading…
A fine homage to the late, great Gene Hackman via the New York Times
“Why Did It Take a Fire for the World to Learn of Altadena’s Black Arts Legacy?” via the New York Times. This one is well worth a read for anybody who loves art and who loves learning about art history. It reminds me of something I alluded to in “Changes” - that we thrive in community, even if we are loner artsy types. It is also a beautiful article about memory.
Charles White Park, a grassy expanse at Lincoln and Fair Oaks, is the rare public park in the United States named for a Black artist. The park survived, but it’s now surrounded by a sea of ruined houses. Ian White has been commissioned by the county to create new art pieces for the park, with details still being finalized, he said. Other local landmarks include Barthé Drive, a tiny street in northwest Pasadena that memorializes Richmond Barthé; and the gravesite of the abolitionist Owen Brown, son of John Brown, which Ian White rediscovered in 2012 up a winding trail in the Angeles National Forest, not far from his own house.
I always recommend a trip into the world of Atlas Obscura if you need a break from the mundane.
Block Club Chicago is a wonderful reminder that we can support hyper-local journalism from truly outstanding reporters who give a shit. Even if you don’t live here or visit this city, you’ll see examples of on-the-ground, shoe-leather reporting that illuminate how wider national and cultural changes impact folks at the local level.
Finally, if you find yourself in despair and/or deeply motivated to combat the fascist, monstrous initiatives of the current administration, I suggest getting to know RAICES Texas. They have fought the good fight through several successive presidential administrations hostile to the allegedly American concept of welcoming refugees.
These are not easy days. I hope you take a deep breath now and then and remind yourself that your compassion and your anger can co-exist, along with all the other emotions that may be coming up for you. I am telling you this because I must tell it to myself.
With gratitude,
Sara Benincasa
CLASS! with Sara Benincasa and Chad the Bird - March 21 in Chicago