a new life....

so to speak. Friday afternoon: I have just completed  nine and a half hours of tutoring for the week, and have four, possibly five sessions tomorrow. So my life has become dominated by tutoring--after the sessions I immediately return to the apartment, mostly tired, and just "hang" as I prepare for the next day. No evening activities, not even eating out. Don't get me wrong---the fact that my clinetele seems to be exploding is very gratifying, but this is not the pre pandemic days, when, if I just had tutoring, and no subbing, I could do something interesting in the evening. Not now.Tomorrow is the final evening of a group of projects at Jack, and I would love to go, but after possibly five sessions---well we will see. The work itself if very gratifying---I seem to be relating better to the students whom I tutor then before. Of course, many of my sessions pre pandemic came after long days at Friends, so perhaps I just wanted to finish things off at that time. The second floor of the library on 145 street is incredibly hot, yet i find the work and the relationships that I have with the students very meanngful. Next week will be heavily booked again--Sunday sbould be a day of rest, but I have reserved a ticket to the winter play at Friends---an adaptation of Kafka's The Trial. Since I have not been there in a couple of weeks, it should be nice to get back to the community there---at least in some measure. Looking forward to it

A few words about Sondheim---why not---everyone else is getting there visions and memories in---I think his career exists in two very distinct parts. The first, from 55 to 65---six projects three words and music and three just lyrics. In each of these, the vision of the musical was shaped by older men, men with more experience then he---and Sondheim's lyrics, or in three cases, music and lyrics---were very much in the service of their vision. A five year gap between the lyrics to Do I Hear a Waltz and Company, the latter marked his first collaboration with only his contemporaries.One senses that he had a much greater power  in these productions, most of them that are revivied now, are really about his musical vision; with a few exceptions, the text of these plays seems irrelevant.

Saw an interview that he did with Adam Guettell, son of his long time friend Mary Rogers. He comes off as wonderfully relaxed, free associates in a very natural way---nothing self congradulatory about his presence. I think he was genuinely curious about other people. Thats enough for now---maybe some discussions with other "Sondheim freaks" at a different and future time.