deborah a good

July is listening to . . .

Music lists. That's a good idea for a blog, right? I'm going to try to make this at least a monthly habit. So here's some of what I'm listening to these days -- old favorites and a few new discoveries:

Blind Pilot

Mason Jennings

M.I.A.

Yael Naim

Elliot Smith

Alexi Murdoch

MGMT

M. Ward

Federico Aubele

a compilation called Dark Was the Night

. . . and some old mix tapes that I uncovered in my packing--everything from Bone Thugs to Chumbawamba.

 

What are you listening to?

hello

I'd love to make this blog thing happen again in a more regular way now that life is (very gradually) slowing down from the pace of the last two years.  So stay tuned.

on war

"Kropp on the other hand is a thinker. He proposes that a declaration or war should be a kind of popular festival with entrance-tickets and bands, like a bull fight. Then in the arena the ministers and generals of the two countries, dressed in bathing-drawers and armed with clubs, can have it out among themselves. Whoever survives, his country wins. That would be much simpler and more just than this arrangement, where the wrong people do the fighting."

--German soldier in All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
 
 

ALL ARE INVITED . . .

 

Kiva Auditorium is on the first floor of Ritter Annex, located at the intersection of 13th Street and Cecil B. Moore Ave.

 

 

the boring details

I find that I often summarize the contents of my day-to-day life by saying that "I am a graduate student.  [pause]  Social work.  [pause]  At Temple."

And most people are pretty satisfied with that, which makes the job of explaining my life fairly simple.  In truth, though, my graduate-student life has many different pieces.  And just in case anyone out there is interested in what keeps me SO BUSY ALL THE TIME, here's the run down  (with links for those who want the supplementary details).  In a typical week, I . . .

. . . spend about 20 hours at a nonprofit called Research for Action.  We're all about improving urban public education.

. . . spend 10 hours as a tutor in Temple's Writing Center (a.k.a. do lots of other stuff between tutoring sessions, which is what I'm doing right now).

. . . spend 10 hours working with Dr. Bernie Newman, doing an evaluation of Alcanza, a teen parenting program at Congreso de Latinos Unidos.

. . . go to class. Specifically, Mondays it's "Social Work in Community & Policy Arenas"; Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'm in the Sociology dept for "Multivariate and Inferential Stats"; and Wednesdays I am late almost every time for "Qualitative Research."

. . . play a Monday-late-night soccer game through the Philly Sport & Social Club.

. . . stay up way to late on a regular basis.

. . . spend about 10 hours on Septa (or waiting for it).

. . . stare at my laundry.

. . . occasionally worry about what happens next.

. . . scramble to get the papers written, the reading half-done, and the stats homework complete.

. . . and have as much fun as I can possibly squeeze in between.  Like this Saturday when I go to watch the Philly Roller Girls (oh my god, who's excited??).

And that, my friends, is all I will say about that.  Some day my life will be slightly less insane, and I cannot wait.

 

arrests and a rally

Twelve were arrested this week at Colosimo's Gun Shop at 9th and Spring Garden, and then on Saturday, a larger group braved the cold to rally outside the store. The idea: Too many are dying in Philadelphia at the hands of gun violence, and in addition to pushing for stricter gun laws--which is proving a very hard fight in PA--let's push local gun retailers to be more responsible in their sales. Let's ask them to sign a 10-point code of conduct that will help prevent straw sales--guns that end up in the hands of criminals and traffickers.  Colosimo's is particularly notorious among gun shops, though the event's organizers continually emphasized that the fight not stop here.

The effort has received some press. This article was particularly colorful:   In gun-shop showdown, neither side blinks.

A few mediocre photos from Saturday:

It was cold.

March to the gun shop.

Banner.

Brian Miller of Ceasefire NJ.

NJ has good gun laws, but that doesn't keep PA guns
from crossing the river into Camden.

Some of the organizers and arrestees.

new things

There are a number of new things happening.  A new year of course.  A new semester about to pummel me, beginning on Tuesday. A new president, to begin about the same time.  A new photo album posted.  A long overdue change to the blog's profile photo (even if the new photo is itself six months old by now).  A new poem--short and cute.

But most importantly, there is a new book. The box mentioned in my last post did indeed arrive at my door, while I was home in DC for the holidays. Mom drove me up to Philly on Friday, January 2, so that she could be there for the grand box opening, along with Tami, Wanda, and their champagne.

 

 

Here it is up close:

Go here for ordering options: http://www.cascadiapublishinghouse.com/lai/lai.htm

Having the book come out has had me all worked up for a variety of reasons. I feel excited, anxious, vulnerable, and self-conscious. And, of course, I'm missing my dad all over again. There is much more to say, about the book and otherwise, but this is all for now.

book update

In the very near future, a box of books will arrive at my door. There will be email announcements, facebook messages, blog postings, a party or two . . . but for now, I will share this surreal bit of good news:

Long After I'm Gone: A Father-Daughter Memoir is now available for orders on-line! Visit www.CascadiaPublishingHouse.com/lai/lai.htm for links to Amazon, B&N, etc.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday(s)!