On Corbin Cabin

A photo posted by Ben (@lonesomeace) on Aug 21, 2016 at 8:03pm PDT

A photo posted by Ben (@lonesomeace) on Aug 21, 2016 at 8:03pm PDT

Back from three days in the woods, tucked into Corbin cabin. My head's still there. Creek walking and swimming holes, sudden rainstorms that blew sideways. Copperheads and s'mores, water filters and campstoves. Butterflies and lazy afternoons sitting on the porch painting watercolors and writing in our respective notebooks.

Now back in DC. Grey. Rainy. Windows open. Lesson plans complete for this week's class - a new semester, a new cycle. Joe Dassin playing (it must be August). Sweet sweet summertime..

Human Interest

A last minute impulsive trip up to NYC this weekend in the sweltering heat. The bus ride up, uneventful. Diving deeper and deeper into Karl Ove's Scandavian adolescence. New York at night, the bustle of the West 30's as midnight approached.

Then off on Sunday morning, the M to Essex. The market closed. So a bagel, a walk to the water, the fringes of Chinatown and FDR drive. Then doubling back on the F to West 4 where I watched basketball and read on a park bench before wandering up Bleecker to the new Whitney.

A stunning building at the end of the High Line, shiplike. Reminding me vaguely of Frank Ghery's ship's prow in Toledo.

And oh the inside. The views. A great show of Portraits - again showing the depth of the collection. Such a wonderful mix - from Cindy Sherman to a slowly burning wax mold of Julian Schnabel. From Hopper to Arbus and back again. A swirl.

Hamburgers at Corner Bistro and a walk along the rest of the High Line (it goes all the way to 34th and 12th now!) and a smooth rolling night ride back to DC.. Stolen moments.

Frank Ocean is Building Something

The last two days I've had my phone propped up at my desk, watching Frank. Build. Something.

And listening.

Like John Luther Adams, it's subtle. And it builds. Accretes, really. Trial and error. Pieces coming together. The sheer physicality of the project. The work.

And last night, after paddling the Anacostia at sunset, it felt good to just sit in the chair.

And work.

With a sunset like that...

A photo posted by Ben (@lonesomeace) on Aug 2, 2016 at 7:36am PDT