a Cat named Sloopy

and only a heartless person can not be moved by A Cat Named Sloopy (you can hear Rod McKuen read this from 1969 on youtube)....

Rod McKuen

It took me a long time to really appreciate this tender hearted man. He was in the category of corny. As I grow older and appreciate little things more and fleeting time and relationships, I turn to his poems into music album The Lonely Things (1966) sung by Glenn Yarbrough. My brother introduced me to many of these songs when he like Glenn Yarbrough back in the 1970's- Channing way being my favorite, but it is really quite a moving album in it's totality. The Lonely Things is a litany of things that hurt and won't go away and the final number, A Kind of Loving is a beautiful song about giving love at the safe distance- a kind of healing to the pain the album has captured.

Jeannie Berlin

On November 1st, Jeannie Berlin turned 60 years old. She is one of my favorite actresses, such a moving portrayal in Shelia Levine is Dead and Living in NY (which can be seen in its entirety on Youtube). Laura and I saw her in a play in new york, about 5 years ago and went to the stage door to meet her...she was the last to come out and seemed so surprised anyone wanted her autograph. i have a picture of her hiding behind me as Laura tried to take a photo. I felt a sadness for her-I feel her mother (Elaine May) has overshadowed her as a person and an actress, but I appreciate and admire Jeannie Berlin's unique talent very much.

Misty and Mystic turn 7 months

on November 4th , the girls turned 7 months old....what they have learned from life is mostly how to play with their furry mice on top of me in the morning to get an early breakfast ...and how to look exceptionally cute...

fear not

do not be alarmed humans...my name is Mystic and I am taking over Linda's blog temporarily....

a poetic manuscript of Katherine Philips

the brilliant English poet (1631-1664) of the holiness of'female friendship'....

Rosanne Cash's list

Her new album, as some of you know, is from a list of country songs Johnny Cash thought she should learn when she was 17.....it is quite good in the sense that she really sings well. I have always been moved by her writing which can be rawly honest and I did not give her voice as much attention, but she really can sing classic songs well, especially the heartbreaking ones. I was sitting in the Cactus Cafe in 1985, in Austin Texas when Nanci Griffith was a nobody, and a poser with her glass of white wine, and hearing her put down Rosanne Cash and you know, I remember thinking at the time that that was rude and disrespectful, but also that Rosanne Cash is someone who always did things the heartfelt way-a deep love and respect come from her about her life and those in it. I felt that way about her then and do now as well. My favorite track from The List is Dylan's tune, Girl from the North Country....that heartwrenching feeling of lost love, of which Rosanne is the poet laureate.