I was pleased today to hear that a great-nephew has, and I guess admires, an old painting I made in 1952 (or maybe earlier?). It looks like it might have shed some paint (no one... of all the art teachers I had, and I had many... taught me to glaze or any way in which to guarantee the painting would last)... but I am on one side of the continent in San Francisco, while he lives on the other, so I hope it lasts a bit.
Amazing that I, the family 'artist,' have become just one of the family writers. I do not own any of my artworks anymore... they are spread out among the relatives... the majority are with my daughter, and I only own one tiny embroidery I made and framed when living in Eastern PA, entitled "Poppy on a Red Rug." It is a drawing of a dog we had who dearly loved to annoy us if we went out and left him, by peeing on one of our rugs. I don't even have the large book of drawings I made of family and friends. I think my sister took it with many of the things my mother had that were really mine.
Now I plan to do both... write and paint. I am reading my poetry in Yerba Buena Gardens tomorrow, and will break open the box of paints and canvas I ordered later in the week. Too bad we have no great musicians in the family, as I would dearly love to have some music playing as I read my poetry... so many of the poems are like songs and need music. I must start painting before all the flowers in our gardens disappear... Hell, this is California, we never run out of flowers... besides, I want to get back to painting people once more -- or maybe a few birds... who knows!
Ah, Phroggy... if you were only here, I should paint you. I miss you!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
More on Loudon Wainwright III
Why? Because I love him... he writes just what I would write if I could write music. So here is something about HIS family (though I am not fond of Rufus, but he is loved by many, so who cares what I think). (Rufus is great with his dad!)
this from "J-Walk Blog" http://j-walkblog.com/old/2004/12/23/index.html
The Wainwright Family
I first became aware of singer Loudon Wainwright III back in the early '70s. His first two albums (Loudon Wainwright III and Album 2) are among my all-time favorites. Long out of print, you can listen to some samples at Rhino Handmade, which made a limited edition CD (which is sold out). If anyone has a copy of this Rhino CD, please get in touch with me.
Over the years, I've heard of several other Wainwrights who are related to him. I was never quite sure of the relationships, so I did a little research. What follows is, I think, accurate -- but correct me if I'm wrong.
Loudon Wainwright III was born in 1947. He still performs and records, and has also had a minor acting career (M.A.S.H., Ally McBeal, and a few movies). His father was Loudon S Wainwright Jr., a famous journalist and editor for Life magazine, who died in 1992. The father of Loudon S. Wainwright Jr. was Loudon Wainwright, a wealthy insurance magnate and a direct descendant of colonial governor Peter Stuyvesant.
Loudon Wainwright III has younger sister, Sloan Wainwright. She's a popular indie singer/songwriter.
Loudon Wainwright III has three offspring:
* Rufus Wainwright was born in 1973, and his mother is Canadian singer Kate McGarrigle. He's definitely the most famous of the Wainwright kids.
* Martha Wainwright was born in 1976, and her mother is also Kate McGarrigle -- who was divorced from Loudon in 1977.
* Lucy Roche, whose mother is singer Suzzy Roche). Lucy was a student at Oberlin College, and she also sings.
Here's a link to a recent interview with Loudon Wainwright III: All in the family.
Musician and actor Loudon Wainwright III has had a very successful career, but he still can't get his damn kids to listen.
this from "J-Walk Blog" http://j-walkblog.com/old/2004/12/23/index.html
The Wainwright Family
I first became aware of singer Loudon Wainwright III back in the early '70s. His first two albums (Loudon Wainwright III and Album 2) are among my all-time favorites. Long out of print, you can listen to some samples at Rhino Handmade, which made a limited edition CD (which is sold out). If anyone has a copy of this Rhino CD, please get in touch with me.
Over the years, I've heard of several other Wainwrights who are related to him. I was never quite sure of the relationships, so I did a little research. What follows is, I think, accurate -- but correct me if I'm wrong.
Loudon Wainwright III was born in 1947. He still performs and records, and has also had a minor acting career (M.A.S.H., Ally McBeal, and a few movies). His father was Loudon S Wainwright Jr., a famous journalist and editor for Life magazine, who died in 1992. The father of Loudon S. Wainwright Jr. was Loudon Wainwright, a wealthy insurance magnate and a direct descendant of colonial governor Peter Stuyvesant.
Loudon Wainwright III has younger sister, Sloan Wainwright. She's a popular indie singer/songwriter.
Loudon Wainwright III has three offspring:
* Rufus Wainwright was born in 1973, and his mother is Canadian singer Kate McGarrigle. He's definitely the most famous of the Wainwright kids.
* Martha Wainwright was born in 1976, and her mother is also Kate McGarrigle -- who was divorced from Loudon in 1977.
* Lucy Roche, whose mother is singer Suzzy Roche). Lucy was a student at Oberlin College, and she also sings.
Here's a link to a recent interview with Loudon Wainwright III: All in the family.
Musician and actor Loudon Wainwright III has had a very successful career, but he still can't get his damn kids to listen.
On My Birthday... Loudie Wainwright III was in Houston
Well, whatta ya know... my favorite folkie/guitarist/songwriter was performing in Houston on my birthday -- and I wasn't there. I seem to have missed him everywhere lately, but if he ever gets back this way (maybe to see his brother) I WILL!! In the meantime, here's an article from Houston about Louden... I seem to have messed up all of the little songs I have tried to save on this blog. I do want his new album, "Songs From the New Depression." Once I get the old checkbook built up again, I'll get it, as I do love what he has to sing! What a great guy.
HITTING THE LISTENING ROOM
Forget the Dylan rap: Loudon Wainwright III channels George Carlin in his serious, silly songs
By Michael D. Clark
September 11th, 2010 at 2:27 PM
It's hard to classify an artist like Loudon Wainwright III. That's one of the reasons he is so enticing.
Blossoming as a singer-songwriter in the '60s, his songs have always been a soundtrack of the times in which we live. In fact, he was so good at it that many dubbed him as the successor to Bob Dylan as folk-rock's historian in the early '70s. Where he and Bob parted ways, however, was Wainwright's penchant for imbuing his work with a bit of tongue-in-cheek satire.
In that way he was also a bit like George Carlin.
Still, if you had to be the metaphorical lovechild of two hippy-era icons, one could do worse than Dylan and Carlin.
Wainwrights's 40 year recording career has been a series of luring fans in with his sincere ideas set to music, followed by metaphorically asking his audiences to pull his finger.
Before receiving Grammy nominations in the mid-1980s for the albums, I'm Alright and More Love Songs, Wainwright's best known song was a little ditty titled "Dead Skunk (In the Middle of the Road)." And when people started comparing him to Dylan he responded by mimicking Dylan's simple couplets and song style for the 1992 song, "Talking New Bob Dylan."
It's not surprising then that, following last year's release of High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, — a very straight-forward tribute to the early 20th century singer and banjo player that earned Wainwright a best traditional folk album Grammy — his latest album is sarcastically titled, 10 Songs For the New Depression.
HITTING THE LISTENING ROOM
Forget the Dylan rap: Loudon Wainwright III channels George Carlin in his serious, silly songs
By Michael D. Clark
September 11th, 2010 at 2:27 PM
It's hard to classify an artist like Loudon Wainwright III. That's one of the reasons he is so enticing.
Blossoming as a singer-songwriter in the '60s, his songs have always been a soundtrack of the times in which we live. In fact, he was so good at it that many dubbed him as the successor to Bob Dylan as folk-rock's historian in the early '70s. Where he and Bob parted ways, however, was Wainwright's penchant for imbuing his work with a bit of tongue-in-cheek satire.
In that way he was also a bit like George Carlin.
Still, if you had to be the metaphorical lovechild of two hippy-era icons, one could do worse than Dylan and Carlin.
Wainwrights's 40 year recording career has been a series of luring fans in with his sincere ideas set to music, followed by metaphorically asking his audiences to pull his finger.
Before receiving Grammy nominations in the mid-1980s for the albums, I'm Alright and More Love Songs, Wainwright's best known song was a little ditty titled "Dead Skunk (In the Middle of the Road)." And when people started comparing him to Dylan he responded by mimicking Dylan's simple couplets and song style for the 1992 song, "Talking New Bob Dylan."
It's not surprising then that, following last year's release of High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, — a very straight-forward tribute to the early 20th century singer and banjo player that earned Wainwright a best traditional folk album Grammy — his latest album is sarcastically titled, 10 Songs For the New Depression.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Another Birthday on a bad day...
So one more year has gone by and we are in 5772 if one is Jewish, 2010 if christian, but what if one is neither, nor really much of anything and was born on the dreadful day for 3,000 in New York City? My 9/11 birthday has come and almost gone. I probably should say 'my birthday weekend' for I have had a great one. On Friday my dear little Elvira arrived with an enormous box of lovely huge strawberries as a birthday present (she knows how much I love strawberries... just like my Daddy), then Colin arrived with birthday cake (carrot cake, another favorite), so we had coffee and cake after the strawberries. Then on Saturday, my dear little Ana arrived with a bouquet of pink ruffled roses (one still shows the teeth marks of Sylvia Katt, who had it in her mouth about to bite it off when I arrived to shout "STOP THAT" at her). I will have to find a spot she cannot jump to if I want to see them all in good shape tomorrow. My gals are very good to me and I love them dearly. I even had a note from Jack from Brookings, Oregon... and a lovely one from Al, also in Oregon... one of the better corespondents I have ever known... always an answer to whatever foolish note he has received from me.
Then today I had about a two hour phone conversation with son Mark and the kidlets. I am so proud of all of them. Mark is a wonderful son, husband and father, married to a beautiful wife, who is also a great mother to the kidlets. And what can I say about the kidlets... not only a beautiful bunch of children, those three, but also very bright and adorable. Callie has taken the tests for the school she wants to attend for high school and has come out as one of the top two percentile in the country... but then, we all knew she was. She is far ahead of most of the children in her grade in school and now will get extra classes to keep her interested. Bella also is getting all A's in school and devoted to her dance troop, where she is doing extremely well. Charlie is now 4, although he looks more like a 5 or 6 year old... and as busy and funny as ever. They all sang Happy Birthday to me as an opening today... so darling! What a great family I have... how lucky I am... and busy, as I go Tuesday to read with my poetry group in the Yerba Buena Gardens down at Fourth and Mission. A lovely setting to perform with my San Francisco poetry family.
Now I shall close, make sure Sylvia is settled down away from my bouquet, and I shall settle down myself. I had a great birthday weekend... life is good. Love to all..............
Then today I had about a two hour phone conversation with son Mark and the kidlets. I am so proud of all of them. Mark is a wonderful son, husband and father, married to a beautiful wife, who is also a great mother to the kidlets. And what can I say about the kidlets... not only a beautiful bunch of children, those three, but also very bright and adorable. Callie has taken the tests for the school she wants to attend for high school and has come out as one of the top two percentile in the country... but then, we all knew she was. She is far ahead of most of the children in her grade in school and now will get extra classes to keep her interested. Bella also is getting all A's in school and devoted to her dance troop, where she is doing extremely well. Charlie is now 4, although he looks more like a 5 or 6 year old... and as busy and funny as ever. They all sang Happy Birthday to me as an opening today... so darling! What a great family I have... how lucky I am... and busy, as I go Tuesday to read with my poetry group in the Yerba Buena Gardens down at Fourth and Mission. A lovely setting to perform with my San Francisco poetry family.
Now I shall close, make sure Sylvia is settled down away from my bouquet, and I shall settle down myself. I had a great birthday weekend... life is good. Love to all..............
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