quite a weekend....

filled with unexpected but really interesting (and perhaps meaningful) events.
 Saturday night: off to Metrograph to see Georgia, Georgia, one of the last movies made by Diana Sands--it has a script written by Maya Angelou--a very well defined script that challenges the gap between the "black performer" (Miss Sands) who wants to appeal to all, especially to a white public, and her "protector" a black militant woman, played with great fierceness by Minnie Gentry (another very underrated black actress who did a lot of work in the 70's) who has witnessed the horrors of segregation and demands justice. An odd coupling, yet in the movie it made sense. The script is kind of "clunky", yet the power of the ideas made it meaningful. Miss Sands is brilliant, showing a tremendous range and energy. Afterwards there was a discussion headed by the woman who had programmed the film, and a gentleman who is attempting to write a biography of Miss Sands. None of the questions or comments dealt with her stage work; luckily they called on me and I mentioned how great she was in Blues for Mr. Charlie and Raisin in the Sun. I guess I was the only one in the audience (about three quarters filled) who had seen her. Afterwards, I spoke a bit with the two discussion leaders---kind of interesting. Then left, went to La Flaca and watched baseball before returning home.
   Sunday, began the day at Cobra---the usual, Olivia was nice enough to put the game on for me, also read some of the times--then left and stopped at Molasses, the laid back book store on Hart Street in the middle of Bushwick. Nice time---said hello to Tuli, the almost two month old baby of Matt, the owner and his wife---also a good discussion about movies and life in the neighborhood. Really glad I dropped in. But then where to next? Usually I hop on the DeKalb Avenue bus and take it through Bed-Stuy to the Gotham Market on Fulton near Flatbush, have some ice coffee and check out the baseball scores. A little too ordinary for today--instead jumped on the 47 bus---the Ralph Avenue bus and rode through the eastern edge of Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, and much of East Flatbush. Fantastic voyage---the brownstones of Bed-Stuy give way to a kind of barren part of the eastern edge of Crown Heights, and along the East-Flatbush-Brownsville border---many older apartment houses. Joined in the bus by many Afro-American church goers--a very nice group. Finally left the bus at Ralph and Church, and took the bus going west on Church to East 18th street. As Church goes west, the private houses in the east numbered streets gives way to the apartment houses as we approach Nostrand Avenue and beyond. Got off by the q entrance (east 18th street)  and returned to my Brooklyn epicenter--the Gotham Market---had a nice beer while I waited for the Yankee Red Sox game to begin, then wandered over to the Fiction Center, the new book store caddy corner to BAM. Had a great conversation there in the outdoor bar space with three bar workers who were chilling out after the rain. A great surprise, but really good talk. Will return there again. After that time to go home and rest.
  Today a BAN meeting where I can share my take on the Myrtle Avenue part of the planned march in September. Not too much before that---will see what happens.