florida holiday

I'm in Florida now. It's amazing how narrowly I escaped the grand and flurrious snow storm that hit the northeast yesterday: my plane departed at 8:50AM from a bluegrey, grim-skied New York, and afterward, most of the flights were either delayed or canceled. And now, here I am, happily (if perhaps unwisely) donning thong sandals and gaucho pants and being NOT COLD.

Today we made Karelian pastries (pictured here, though this picture is not mine). Epic baking. Later, I will be making Finnish puff pastry stars with prune-plum filling. I love Nordic holiday food so, so much, and can't wait for the rutabaga casserole for it is my favorite of all.

Just so this isn't an all-food post, I'll tell you this: I wrote a review of D. Nurkse's Border Kingdom, and it's in the latest print issue of Rain Taxi, so if you see the publication, leaf through it. Ok, back to our regularly scheduled face-stuffing. Yeah!

sandwiches are wicked etc

This song. It's been stuck in my head for the better part of three weeks. Ready? Ok.

Midnite Blog!

Erstwhile goth Niina has this to say: life is a'right. I'm home now from an eveningful. First, I went to BAM to see "Bamboo Blues" by Pina Bausch; it's her newest, allegedly choreographed after her India trip. In my brief opinion: it's bananas! This show seriously thrilled me to the most discomforting parts of my bones. I wanted to get up most of the time during the performance, and I wasn't sure if it was because I wanted to flee or to dance. Then afterward, I took the 45-minute two-stop ride (why the hell it took 45 minutes I don't know; thanks Bloomie) to have some tasty homemade blush wine (read "dark wine and white wine" mixed together in one unholy cup) at Rohin's (happy 25th, birthday boo) (this sentence had an abundance of parentheticals) (and it's getting better all the time). And now I'm about to hit the hay meself, but wanted to say a few things.

• Bettie Page has died. Let there be darkness, darkness, and more darkness.
  
• Tomorrow afternoon is the reading I'm curating, at Bushwick Library, at 3PM. Please come; I will be making baked-goods.
• If anyone wants a knuckle sandwich, I have free ones. Just kidding! They cost. But you have to come to Bushwick Library tomorrow to find out how much.
  

liberal use of italics to indicate minor irritation

On certain days I go back to 19-ahem-ahem. Yes, it's as if time travel takes place; these days start out innocently, but then, before the night is through, I find myself rooting through box after bundle after pile, getting first frustrated then almost upset due to the fact that even though I've looked in every bleeding drawer in my apartment, still I can't find the first disc of my Gothic Rock 2 compilation CD. I discover the second disc; however, the second disc is far inferior. I find lots of other goth goodies -- Blue Bell Knoll by Cocteau Twins, Switchblade Symphony's Serpentine Gallery, and loads and loads of Peter Murphy-related odds, ends, and solo albums, but they are relics for another day and simply will not do this particular moment.
Sure, I could listen to the Die Laughing song on Youtube, but I'd rather listen to it with the Virgin Prunes song and the Red Lorry Yellow Lorry song, and what if I don't feel like typing them all into Youtube? But I can't bloody find the disc anywhere. Honestly, who would have even moved it? Did I take it out to listen to it one day and forgot to put it back? I can't believe someone would have taken it. Why would someone do that? Please bring it back to me. I'll be the one with the wrist-length lace gloves and the Rozz Williams t-shirt, grumpily grinding the heel into my Dr Marten into the ground. (I knew there was a reason I wore those today.)

BUSHWICK LIBRARY READING!

Dear readers,

On Saturday, December 13th, we will be hosting a monster-awesome reading in the Bushwick branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, on Bushwick Avenue at Seigel St (check the map here, or just take the L to Montrose Avenue and walk three blocks on Bushwick Avenue to Seigel). The time will be 3-5PM in the afternoon, and readers will include the following brilliant folks:

• Patrick Rosal (poet)
  
• Emily Reardon (poet)
  
• Russell Jaffe (poet & webmaster of O Sweet Flowery Roses)
  
• Paul Rome (fiction writer)

In addition, there will be cookies (if I can smuggle them into the library building) & vast, inexplicable shenanigans. Please come; 3-5PM is early enough to not mess up your Saturday night plans. There is no reason not to come. Infallibly, I will see you there.