Urban Spelunking

These are too beautiful not to put up.

Lyme

I just discovered Amy Tan, an American novelist ( National Book Award finalist and also a member of the band Rock Bottom Remainders along with Stephen King). She was diagnosed with lyme disease about 10 years ago, and has written a short testimony about the experience that I find both honest and inspiring. Her call to promote awareness about Lyme is really remarkable. In a world where it is discouraged to even acknowledge the disease's widespread existence, lyme patients are often too shy to speak out or hushed up when they try. No matter what controversies are raging in the medical world, lyme patients deserve the chance to be treated and to recover before it takes over their life.

9.11.01

Earthsea

How could she? I sat on the cold cement floor of Powells and literally howled. The Earthsea Trilogy has been one of my favorite fiction series for years. There's something unique about it. It is like a journey, an experience, a beauty captured in three slim volumes that catch your breath.
Frankly, I was surprised that Ursula Le Guin had it in her to write three unspoiled books. I respected her for it, even though her latest stuff is trash, at least she had written something once that was worth publication.
But she couldn't resist it, could she? Three unspoiled books just begged for a fourth. And so she ruined her one good series.
I'm feeling hopelessly bitter. I just read the worst novel in the universe. And it's Earthsea #4.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appeares...

a man's face is his autobiography

- Oscar Wilde

The pictures are from The Ones We Love.

I spent today perusing the many "clutter stores" on Mississippi Ave...
"Flutter" (pics above) was a great find.

Worlds of Wanwood Leafmeal Lie

I saw the first tree turning today. Autumn is on it's way, and with it, the fall fashions

Here's a little something to relieve some of the intensity of this hot weather. Recently, I've been feeling like I'm melting in all this sun.

It is getting to that time of year, when the spiderwebs stretch across your doorway and everything slows down until each day is a leisurely lifetime. It is late summer, that month of transition suspended in time. And all too soon the leaves will be falling, and the rain will set in, and we will one again find our fireplaces and mugs of tea. I found these pictures today and they put me in mind of Gerard Manley Hopkins:

Margaret are you grieving
Over goldengrove unleaving?
Leaves like the things of man, you
With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?
Ah! as the heart grows older
It will come to such sights colder
By and by, nor spare a sigh
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;
And yet you will weep and know why.
Now no matter, child, the name:
Sorrows springs are the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What heart heard of, ghost guessed:
It is the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for.

Josh Schicker

I've been listing to allot of new Portland artists recently, but this guy by far is the best. I'm hoping to have a house concert of him after December when he's not on tour. Anyways, he needs all the support he can get, so check out his music here.