HighTension- Danger

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I love having guests,like the three I am expecting this afternoon, and I go about the usual routine of getting things set up for them, fresh towels, tidy surfaces, food in the fridge. But then, of course- this being the Caribbean,the water pump stopped working. So after not being able to reach one plumber, we finally had a second plumber come by yesterday.The problem was simple, and he said he would come back in the morning with the right part. He called right on time this morning, to say he couldn’t come. I can hardly fault the guy: he was driving his pregnant wife to the hospital.

All the same, it’s hard to tell your boyfriend’s parents that the toilet doesn’t flush. Then the power went out, which means the internet went out. No water, power, or internet makes for a primitive welcome, no matter how many candles you have. Now the power is back. Hopefully the original plumber, if he can be found, will come back, while the power is on, to fix it before the visitors arrive! Isn’t there a song called “Trouble in Paradise”? It should be my theme song.

Edna St. Vincent Millay’s (and my) bleak shore

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I shall go back again to the bleak shore
And build a little shanty on the sand
In such a way that the extremest band
Of brittle seaweed shall escape my door
But by a yard or two; and nevermore
Shall I return to take you by the hand.


I shall be gone to what I understand,
And happier than I ever was before.
The love that stood a moment in your eyes,
The words that lay a moment on your tongue,
Are one with all that in a moment dies,
A little under-said and over-sung.


But I shall find the sullen rocks and skies
Unchanged from what they were when I was young.


Edna St. Vincent Millay’s sonnets remain favorites of mine for their dense, explosive quality that manage to retain such poise and attitude. On a bleak morning after rain, I woke up early and came to this deserted, rickity old platform to watch the clouds part. Millay’s words started running through my head. Remembering a line like “I will go back again to the bleak shore” is like finding a word on the tip of your tongue–it helps verbalize what I lack words for.

New York Agenda: First Week of March

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There is never a bad time to come to New York and look at art. As it happens, my return to New York comes at the same time as the art fairs–what a pleasant coincidence. So many things are happening! This is my personal top 5 drool list;

  • Scope and Pulse Art Fairs: Lots of art and people crowded in together in order to completely overwhelm, or something like that. Come highly caffeinated.
  • The Armory Show: The prestigious, sprawling, and expensive ($30) forerunner of them all. Tip: start writing an art blog and then ask for a press pass, claiming you are revolutionizing the industry. Maybe someday they will believe you.
  • Independant: The new art fair that isn’t. Called a “hybrid model and temporary exhibition forum,” its showing work from some top notch galleries withOUT the lame entry fee. Here here.
  • Whitney Biennial: Never been to this historic show and looking forward to seeing the wide mix of artists. Bonus points for being less hectic than the fairs.
  • William Kentridge at MoMA: My friend was talking to me about the production Kentridge designed for the Met Opera, the NY Times article on exhibition design touches on it, Art:21 videos remind me of it. The whole world is whispering “go see this show.”

Luckily I can! I missed the art scene during this island time. It will be tough to squeeze all this into a week along with more humdrum bits of business. Then I’m off again.