Friday, Sept. 29, 2023: In Studio
Boiler House, MASSMoCA Campus, Photo by Devon EllingtonFriday, September 29, 2023
Full Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Rainy and cool
Moving into the weekend!
Today’s serial episode is from Angel Hunt:
Episode 74: Teaching Boys About Demons
Demons in the wild are different than demons in a video game.
Tomorrow’s episode is from Deadly Dramatics:
Episode 20: Back in the Office
Important files are missing from Nina’s desk.
Catchup time.
We had a water issue at the house, Wednesday night going into Thursday. The cold water was coming out with a yellow-ish brown cast. So we’re using bottled water for things like brushing teeth, filling cat bowls, etc., and boiling the heck out of everything we use, especially for the dishes. It’s probably from the construction up the street – and they have to get their act together. They’ve caused enough disruption. The hot water is fine (because it goes through the tank to heat it?) But the cold water is disgusting.
Fortunately, I didn’t need water to bake the cookies (and boiled the water for the dishes). Made the chocolate chip cookies, cooled them, packed them.
Took a very hot shower, went to bed – and couldn’t sleep. I sort of dozed on and off, and woke up just after 4 AM. I’d set the alarm to go off at 4:15. Got the coffee started, fed the cats, got dressed. I was out the door before 6.
Tessa wished to speak to the manager, because this is not our routine. Although nobody minded being fed at 4:30 AM rather than 5:30 AM.
It was foggy, and they set the traffic lights to blinking lights, which I really hate.
The gates at campus were closed, so I went around to the one I knew was open, and checked with the security guard about where I could park. Hauled my stuff in. Set up some more in the studio, setting up the reading nook and the yoga/meditation corner. Tried and failed to get into the site’s internet. Checked the residency packet, and I’d mis-entered the password. Once that was fixed, all good. Figured out how to work the printer with my computer.
Drafted an episode of Legerdemain. Decided I would do my first share as the opening scene of THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, and printed that out (we’re working in hard copies).
One of the things I love here is the Clocktower, which chimes every fifteen minutes. There’s a wonderful story behind it, which you can read here, about Christina Kubisch, the artist and musician who restored it. At noon, there’s the most beautiful music.
I wrote eight more pages on THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE. I had to course correct, because, in one scene, I had them talking about WWII, and then realized it hadn’t happened yet, so I had to delete and restructure.
The two other artists in the studio building came in, a few hours after I did. None of us slept well last night. I’m glad it wasn’t just me, although I’m sad they didn’t get good rest.
A little after 10:30, I took a wander over to the museum. I spent some time in the Joseph Grigely IN WHAT WAY WHAM? White Noise and Other Works. It was fascinating, but kind of overwhelming. It also got me thinking about how much talking we do that isn’t about communicating, it’s about noise (which is part of what he’s exploring). How many of the banal verbal exchanges are about building relationships through the daily details, and how much is unnecessary noise? I suppose part of it depends on how much you enjoy the interaction, and the people involved.
Anyway, those musings are going into the mental percolator, and we’ll see what comes out. Down the road.
I really wanted to be outside, so I wandered out and over to the Boiler House, which is how the Boiler House Poets Collective got their name. What a fascinating building. I took a bunch of photos, and I will do use them as something. There’s something very compelling about the building.
I stopped in at Tunnel City Coffee – and there were two of my Word X Word colleagues! One of them lives in North Adams, and is looking forward to the reading on Saturday. The other colleague talked about how he wants us to perform in the Boiler House, and how they’ve done some events at MASSMoCA. Which is such a cool space, and there are so many opportunities.
Wandered back to my studio to settle in and get some more work done before lunch. But my brain was tired. I read a little bit. One of my fellow artists had a wasp in her studio, so we teamed up to defeat the wasp. May he rest in peace, because by the time we were done with him, he was in pieces.
Lunch was good. We ate together outside. My box lunch was a chicken Thai burrito, which is as strange as it sounds, but it was good. A little heavier than I wanted, so I will adjust moving forward.
Went back to the studio, helped a fellow artist with the printer, gathered my things, and we headed to the other building for workshop time.
Everyone’s work was so strong, and so interesting! It was great to listen and learn about the different poetic styles and the precision of word choice. I brought in the rewritten opening of THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE, and got excellent feedback on it. Two small cuts make it much stronger. Also, one of my colleagues pointed out where I misread a line, reading the piece out loud, and it changed the meaning of it to something I didn’t want.
This is why it was great to bring a script into a poets’ conclave – poetry is about the precision of language to an even greater degree than any other form. So they catch the details. And it was interesting to see how they got some of the details the other theatre artists had missed, when I shared with another group. Each group picked up on different elements. Which gives me information on precision to engage different types of audience.
Two of the poets brought their contributions for the collaborative project, based on the work of one of our fellow artists. I need to get to work on that (I wrote the opening before I got here and some notes, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten). I also need to work on my piece for Word X Word on October 15. I have my notes at home; I need to find them and bring them to the studio.
I timed my readings for Saturday multiple read-throughs. I’m coming in pretty consistently at 4:30, which means I’m fine for the 5-minute slot.
By the end of the afternoon, I was very tired. That lack of sleep will do it.
But one of my fellow poets and I had tickets to a conversation with the Finnish artist Marika Maijala, over in the R&D section of the museum. She had a terrific turnout, and it was a fun event. She’s a lovely, interesting, somewhat self-effacing person, and charmed the audience. She signed copies of her book, ROSIE RUNS (about a greyhound), so of course, my friend and I bought copies and had her sign them.
I then joined two of my fellow poets and we went to Public for dinner. It’s a place I’ve wanted to try, and never have. It was busy. I’m still a little skittish about indoor dining, but I’d promised myself that this week, I would take the risk. The food was good. The wine was even better.
And we had excellent conversation, which is always a highlight of spending time with fellow artists.
At the end of the evening, I went home. There was no way I was baking. I took care of a few things. The water situation seems to be fixed. I’m still using bottled water for a few days, especially for the cats. Put together some tea choices to take in. There’s plenty of coffee in our studio space, and an electric kettle, but no tea. Since I have A LOT of tea, I figured I could share it.
I went down hard to sleep. I had trouble getting to sleep, but once I was out, I was out until about 3:30. I tried to rest for another hour until the alarm went off, only it didn’t go off, and I thought, surely it’s 4:30 by now? I checked the clock and it was 4:35, so I got up.
I had trouble getting going. The cats are digging the whole 4:30 AM breakfast thing. I made myself scrambled eggs and toast and got out the door. Easy ride down. The main gate was open, so I didn’t have to drive around. I parked; I chatted with the security guard as we walked to the studio. He’s very nice to pretend he “just happens” to be around when I get there, and sees me to the building.
I got myself settled in to start the day.
It was so interesting, yesterday, talking to some of the other poets, about how they enjoy having a slow morning, coffee in bed, thinking time, before coming to the studio. Meanwhile, I’m out the door and in-studio by 6 AM, because my strongest creative time is 6-10 in the morning, and I want to make sure I’m in studio for it!
I need to allow myself some more quiet and rest while I’m in-studio. I definitely will spend some quality time today on my yoga mat and the acupressure mat (both of which I brought, and set up in one area of the studio, along with my zafu, so I can sit in meditation if and when I choose.
Percolation time is not time wasted; percolating in-studio is the same, and I have to allow myself the space to do so.
I also have to print the programs for tomorrow’s reading!
I hope to play with a few ideas and maybe type up and write my way into a few things on which I made notes. See if they’re viable. I want to do some work on the paint/textile piece, using what I learned in yesterday’s workshop session about space and word placement, and see how that translates to the fabric. I want to wander around the Boiler House a bit more, and the museum. I’m working in sections on the museum.
The concrete is doing a number on my ankles and hips. That’s another reason I need to spend some time in yoga asanas today. The slippers help a lot.
Most of the poets are headed to the Clark today to see the Munch exhibit. I will stay here and work. We have our communal lunch, more work time, and then workshop time. I have to figure out what I’m going to bring in. If I can get enough drafts done of the group project, maybe I’ll do this.
Tomorrow is our reading at Bear & Bee Bookshop. I’ll do another round of social media on that today. It’s in the morning; I’m sure we will spend the afternoon recovering. Tonight, I have to finish the baking. So, no group dinner or community hangout for me!
Sunday, we can luxuriate in studio time, and then have a workshop session, and a planning meeting in the evening. Monday is a full studio/workshop day. Tuesday is our last morning together, and we have to clear out.
My studio feels like home in the right way. It doesn’t have the distractions, but I’ve definitely uber-nested.
I’m off to draft an episode of Legerdemain and then get back to work!
Have a great weekend, and I’ll catch you on the other side.
