TUESDAY
i believe this is a week later tuesday, ive been underwater closing down the semester
but this i couldnt let pass: so, in order to prove his dickensonian theories about child labor,
gingrich asks his buddy trump to mentor poor students from the ghetto -
"I thought it was a great idea," says trump, "We're going to be picking 10 young wonderful children and make them 'apprenti.' We're going to have a little fun with it."
thats all we need, donald trump having a little fun w/our children - i call that child abuse
MONDAY
times is hard, times is very very hard, im fortunate to have my academic gig
got about as much job security as you can have these days
its everybody esle im worried about
SATURDAY
so. recent article on chris albani going around, say he has embellished his resume
folk taking sides in african/afroam literary circles, i suspect the article has some truth to it
but i have to say i like albani and consider him a literary comrade
as you know dear regulators, we hung out some in bali
he came to me w/respect, which always counts with me
and he handled himself on the panels w/grace & dignity
i was in fact somewhat put out he outmacked me, im used to being the man
of the hour at these things, so ima cover his back on this one
its not like its a felony, embellishing your resume, ive done it myself, as did zora et al
though perhaps not so vigorously - it if was a felony transgression, say for instance, saffire
i might join the bandwagon, talking about where the line, but albanis trangression
if such it is, i consider minor, and i consider him a friend so ima back his play on this one
call it a personal
what i hope is that he will evolve, come clean, finessee it w/some grace & dignity
& land on his literary feet, reputation ehnaced, power intact - thats what i hope
do your thing my brother, grace under pressure, thats the call
all my love
rdoc
FRIDAY
im feeling it, feeling a woodshed coming down on me
i suspect there those that will say o no arthur, not another draft - what can i say, the industry has humbled me
told me no - i do not accept no on my work, i do not understand no, had arranged sabbatical for new work but
apparently there is no rest for the weary, its me & that novel, 1 more time, gon do a coltrane on them, going off
the grid, going into the woodshed, & when i come back ima be packing power, fullcourt hardcore, there it is
got about another month of schoolhouse obligations, but im already operating traveling spirit
im functioning, im taking care of my business, but my heart is back at home at the sacred desk
thats just my traveling spirit folk dealing with now
got those woodshed anxities trying to knot me up, that fear that you will fail, not have it in you
just got to ignore that, got to stay schoolhouse focused for about 3 more weeks, put about 3 projects
to bed and i will be a free man
tarabooks asked for a brer rabbit story, i can do that, been intending to rewrite those for awhile now
been asked to do a piece on black manhood, ima reflect on the heroship to which i aspire
and i think ima reprise my annual prophecies, rickydocs call, maybe sustain it this time
got to got to got to -
also got to apologize to a student i jacked her up for conducting herself in an unprofessional manner
got potential and was turning in raw material, i called her unprofessional and i suspect she was confused
thinking im just an undergrad, but by profesional i mean there is certain behavior conducive to winning this
gamble she has chosen to devote her life to, one in which the odds are totally against her winning
and if you want to win you have to conduct yourself seriously, professionally, i had to explain to her never turn in
raw material to a workshop, take it as far as she can take it, then workshop it. treat your work w/some respect
and i guess this goes for every kind of artist there is out there, i got intense on her, will apologize
i do that sometime, sometimes i get intense on the whole class and start snarling at them
and have to apologize, because im such a jolly good fellow professor sometimes they try me
but after ive snarled at them a couple of times they dont try me no more
all my love
rdoc
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