well, a lot, as cityboy seems to be drawn deeper and deeper into the maelstrom of activism. That is a good thing. Last night, went to Starr Bar as I waited for my friend Flako's extravaganza in Maria Hernandez Park---and left a few flyers for the September 9 march, which they took very willingly, and the manager of the bar said he wanted to host the after party of the march (and people will be definitely tired--it is a long march as conceived now) so I am waiting to check this out with the BAN community.
The weekend: tired on Saturday, my body did not feel like going across the river to Brooklyn. Wanted very much to "lose myself" in a movie. Since both the large Lincoln Square and the smaller and more art house focused Lincoln Plaza turn me off, I settled on the independent movie at the Bunin---I am blocking its name now, maybe because I found it so worthless. A "New York" movie, which means it takes place in a New York with no problems, no evictions, no poor neighborhoods, no people---white, black, hispanic or other---struggling to hold on to their apartments, or no history of why certain people live in their apartments--you can guess the rest. Not terrible--I was able to sit through it, but basically inane. There were probably more fulfilling movies at the Lincoln Plaza, but that's what I get for not wanting to go there. Still, I don't think I was ready for the heaviness of either Dunkirk or Detroit 67--the latter really frightens me. I would like to see it, but not live through it. Well, there is a movie about Ferguson and the Michael Brown shooting that is opening in about two weeks---I prefer a documentary; that will be easier to deal with. Afterwards, I was able to go to the Dive Bar---the one on 96th and Amsterdam, and had a very good time there--one of the best times that I have had at this bar. The bartender was nice enough to put on the Royal- Red Sox game for me---then I participated in a spirited discussion of New York with Kelly, a young woman who is teacher in San Diego--who is here for just a few weeks of seminar work in teaching. She is studying this summer at Columbia, and we talked about where she could go in her spare time. I found her a little flaky and maybe a bit over enthusiastic, but we had a good talk (distracting me from the game, of course) and I felt good, leaving the bar.
Yesterday, spent most of the afternoon at Cobra, the bar-coffee shop on Jefferson and Wycoff that I enjoy so much, watching the game, and also talking to Shaun and Sharon, a couple whom I had previously known at South fourth. A really enjoyable conversation, they have just moved into an apartment several blocks away from Cobra---another set of Williamsburg transplants moving further out into what might be called East Williamsburg or Bushwick. Also it was nice to hang with Olivia, the bartender there, whom I have known for several years. From there it was off to Maria Hernandez park to see Flako's Bushwick gypsies review. Lots of time spent in the park, that was filled with an interesting mixture of new residents of the area and many of the hispanic community that has lived in Bushwick for a long time. The performers were all black and hispanic, and the content dealt with climate change and also issues facing the community. All in all, it was quite dynamic--very well put together and the performers-poets-monologists were all very interesting. I also was able to touch base with James, a former intern at the Bushwick Starr, whom I had not seen in a while. We had a long and meaningful talk about New York theater in the past couple of years; I really enjoyed it---and he invited me to see him in a production of Cymbeline at a "Shakespeare Festival" at the Brick, later this August. I will try to make it.
That's all, today is pretty open---still waiting to receive some e-mails or texts and also have an invite to visit another Dive Bar on 101 street and Broadway where my friend Brittany will be bartending.
Will I? We will see---I will report tomorrow.
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