Sappho Recalled to Life by the Charm of Music

Sappho Recalled to Life by the Charm of Music, Louis Ducis, 1811

things to say about this:

discovered this past summer, when i, for the first time after having visited the Norton Simon 1242831029381 times in my life, decided to view wings other than 19th Century and Modern & Contemporary.

sadly, i'm usually not interested in the neoclassical style, but this title, this concept is so incredible to me.

to be recalled to life: ok so is it that Sappho had died and the Charm of Music brought her back to life? or is it that Sappho had lost the essence and sense of life, the will to live, and the Charm of Music has recalled her back to that essence, that sense, that will?

the charm of music: exactly... the charm of music...

1. phonecall - jon brion

2. your hands are cold - jean-yves thibaudet

3. amsterdam - coldplay

4. reckoner - radiohead

5. four-fingered fisherman - sun kil moon

6. lull - andrew bird

7. le moulin - yann tiersen

8. backyards - broken social scene

9. elevator love letter - stars

10. andvari - sigur rós

11. concerning the ufo sighting... - sufjan stevens

12. prelude in D flat - chopin

13. this must be the place - talking heads

14. both sides now - joni mitchell

14. the lakes of canada - the innocence mission

15. skinny love - bon iver

i wake up.

currently (and will be for a long time) reading: This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin

also...

astronomer

astronaut

professional star gazer

the Moon's watchwoman

lamp shop owner

official farmer's market taste tester

professional traveler

member of the Save The World brigade

bicycle repair woman

journalist

author

Dave Egger's assistant

poet

coldplay's manager

radiohead's guitar tuner

baker

art history teacher

its been a while...

dream jobs.

florist

explorer

also Robert Ballard's assistant.

pizza tester

Demitri Martin's joke tester

plumber... (you wouldn't understand...)

radio DJ

stamp designer

chef

museum curator

art collector

oceanographer

fashion designer

white board doodler

librarian

map maker

independent bookstore owner

professional scarf wearer

architect

movie soundtrack song-picker-chooser

book cover designer

book synopsis writer

broken social scene's x-teenth member

antique book collector

a professional Huntington Gardens awestruckinresidence

mother

paint color mixer

landscape architect

nurse

storyteller

dream interpreter

sculptor

forester not to be confused with lumberjack...pshaw

piano tuner

music store owner

musical instrument teacher in elementary schools

children's book writer

owner of the Musée Rodin à Paris... Auguste Rodin, be still my heart.

its all there.

i've got lots on my mind.

like -

• faces - so many i don't know. and yet deeply, inside of me, i feel like i do.
  
• a story of 'Abdu'l-Baha. A man in Akka hated 'Abdu'l-Baha so deeply that he couldn't even look him in the face. One day the man was forced to encounter the Master (a title given to 'Abdu'l-Baha) because they were in a very narrow passageway. The man tried hard not to look at him, but the Master put his hand on the man's shoulder and said that despite how much hate the man has for him, it will never be as strong as the love 'Abdu'l-Baha has for him.
• talking to strangers is by far one of the greatest things that has happened and will ever happen to me. it is in those moments that i feel most human.
• i feel very eager right now.
• i hummed along with the tuning of a guitar the other night, it was funny.
• i haven't dreamt in a long time. i miss it. i think its this bed. its not suited for dreaming.
• remembering, "never comfortable, always satisfied."
• this year has been fleeting. i don't think i've ever felt this way about a year. it really feels like just yesterday. i vividly remember what i was doing last year.... and january. and one year is almost here....
• i'm really feeling the brevity of life.
• and this is not to be misunderstood as woeful. because i find this oddly beautiful. i've said it before, the brevity of life is a gift in my eyes. for a few reasons. one. because this is a hard hard world. its harsh and it can get ugly and painful. and two. (also more importantly) this is a beautiful and rich world. and the fleetness and brevity force us to pay closer attention to the beauty. we have a short amount of time to appreciate the world's many gems. so let's begin shall we?
• life is a collection of chapters. there's no need to dwell on past chapters. they got you to where you are, and where you are is where you're supposed to be. because whether its "good" or "bad" every tomorrow has the potential to be greater than it's yesterday...

i'm in a happy place :)

love.

p.s. check out my mix!

track 1 - a new fave.

track 2 - this song is so beautiful. just wait until you get to the trumpets! one of the best endings ever too. (aprox. 2:55 minutes in.)

track 3 - this song is how i love to feel. "there are no bad words for the coast today."

track 4 - g.r.o.o.v.y.

track 5 - this song is great. it has this quality of makesmewannadance yet also ohsopensiveandmelancholy... sigh.

track 6 - probably my favorite song ever. i love the lyrics. "out of all those kinds of people, you got a face with a view..."

track 7 - this song makes me SO happy its ridiculous! i went dancing last night with some friends and they actually played this song. i basically took over the dance floor. it felt necessary.

enjoy!

thoughts at a time when i shouldn't be thinking

thoughts at a time when i shouldn't be thinking...

| when does property and territory even become a matter of importance when human life is involved?!  world, get your priorities straight...

| put a wall around a man and he'll instantly want out, while before he was unaware, indifferent...

| "if you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to want a glass of milk..."

| a blessing: to have people in your life that you can tell anything to, that you can hear anything from. comfort in silence. joy in expression. stomach aches from laughing so hard. muscular cheeks from smiling so much...

| what i find myself identifying with...

| how i got here

....

things that compose my reality en ce moment.

we have autumn here... davis, november 2008

...

| i don't understand html and would like someone to carefully explain it to me. because no matter how many times i've tried to <> everything it never seems to work.

| i've made a survival mix to help me survive this week. finals = très difficile.

Survival:

a kick in the teeth - fischerspooner

is this love? - clap your hands say yeah

a forest (the cure) - nouvelle vague

sweet and tender hooligan (the smiths) - nouvelle vague

is it really so strange? - the smiths

shiver - coldplay

a warning sign - coldplay

gold soundz - pavement

for the price of a cup of tea - belle & sebastian

montanita - ratatat

gettysburg - ratatat

stay where you are - ambulance ltd

her hairagami set - the brunettes

exit does not exist (modest mouse) - sun kil moon

four fingered fisherman (modest mouse) - sun kil moon

your protector - fleet foxes

between the bars - elliott smith

passing beauty - kelsey bulkin

keep breathing - ingrid michaelson

backyards - broken social scene

| it feels like i'm trying to digest my heart therefore my stomach feels like its sinking. i haven't experienced said feeling in a long time. it would have been nice if it stayed that way. owwy.

| tomorrow is my philosophy exam. ughhhh. this class is a pain and a half. i'm just thankful the professor is so wonderful. its too bad the subject matter is so frustrating.

| its cold. and i like the cold. but its just cold.

| i wish i was handing sandwiches out...

| i miss going to museums.

| yesterday i slid across the room on my knees like an 80's hair metal rock star and it felt good. realllllly good.

| sighhhhhh...

sigh.

its always when i have the most to do that i try to do everything else.

does that make sense even? i have a french oral exam tomorrow. translate: i will be saying a plethora of prayers en français ce soir.

anyways.

when i was in China in 2005 i was sitting outside of shopping center waiting for the rest of the group and there were these adorable children playing near me. i decided to capture a few photos and when they noticed they ran over to me and demanded a photo shoot.

here's one that i love....