Rumblings

Harry was both bad and good to mention my name to an important collector and philanthropist he has been interviewing. His collection includes everyone I know: Sally, Bill, Heide, Kendall and many more. Now if we can only cast a spell on him or bribe him by catching him doing something awful... maybe we could require him to ask the powers that be about my work? Oh, when hard work isn't enough I guess there is always the Dirt! I am kidding, of course. My strategies for success have always been wrapped around the work ethic... if only I could take my own advice that I offer students freely - it can be more efficient to work SMART than to work HARD. Sigh. Ahem.

They are playing a jazz version of Santa Clause Is Coming To Town on the french jazz radio station I am listening to. Jazz all day, all the night, all the time. 99 percent American musicians and composers. I guess that's one thing we can always be proud of... we gave the world JAZZ. Obviously whoever is DJing doesn't speak english since January is coming to a close soon so I doubt Santa will be round anytime before then. It IS a nice jazz version if you don't know its the end of January.

I don't have energy or the heart to compose a letter to my dear friend who lost her sister. It has been such a difficult month. I know it is hard for her since her family is so far away no one in our community really knows them. Its like when my sister was missing for a week after Katrina. No one even knew to ask how my family was... it makes it even harder.

So many beautiful people are gone. It has been a month of memorial services: The Harvey's, Dick Carlyon, Wendy Wasserstein, my friends's sister Emily, Coretta Scott King and of course Rosa Parks... A generation is passing - oh and there are so many, many more. I am ready for February to begin for once in my life.

I am depressed that I haven't heard responses to a few proposals regarding my work but it just means that I need to work even harder (and smarter) here. Its been a long day and an even longer month. I miss Harry and our cats more than they will ever know.