Pomegranates and Bombers
#138: Here & Now, Vartan Koumrouyan, Asher House Rescue Dogs, Free Art, Substack Newsletters Focusing on the Arts, Contestant #4, A. R. Rahman, and the Alma Sufi Ensamble.
HERE & NOW
Thanks to Melissa Smedley for pointing me to Vartan Koumrouyan’s essay, “The Pomegranate Tree” on Audacity (more on that site in the Rabbit Hole). I’m reminded that my mother lived in Manila during the intense urban fighting and bombing of the city as the Japanese, Americans, and Filipinos fought for control of it. In the process, much of the city was destroyed and over 100,000 of its citizens were killed. It was called the “Liberation” of Manila. She never said much about that, except that her family would watch the aerial dogfights, her brothers became guerrilla fighters, and some of her relatives became thin and impoverished during that period.
One day, during the 1970s, Mom and I were walking on the gravel driveway towards the backyard. Back then, I had a big yard surrounded by fruit trees, and she was helping me cultivate a vegetable patch. It was a calming and fun activity for both of us. The soil in that yard was fertile, and produced corn, squash, potatoes, and spinach. We heard a deep rumble vibrating the air and looked up to see an old WWII-era bomber flying low—likely towards the annual Salinas Airshow about 20 miles away. Mom stopped in her tracks, and stared upwards, transfixed in panic, or perhaps disorientation.
“What was that,” I said, “some old war plane?”
With a quick, dismissive wave of her hand, she shook her head and walked into the backyard, where she picked up a hoe. That was all she had to say about that.
I’m reminding myself that, while I still have the ability to have fun, I should take advantage of it and cultivate it like a garden. Having fun is important to my well-being. For me, making art has always been about fun even when it was serious fun. Dr. Stuart Brown, who runs the National Institute for Play (right here in Monterey), says “we are built to play, and built by play.”
Dogs know how to play (most of the time). Here are some rescue dogs playing on the beach with their human companion, Lee Asher, from Asher House Rescue Sanctuary:
ART
Here is some tiny art in ink and watercolor that I made and will give away. If you’d like to have one or two, contact me at Jvengua@protonmail.com with your mailing info, and I’ll mail it to you. The ink drawings on white bristol are 2.5 x 3.5 in. Ink pieces on handmade Green Field Paper are 3.25 x 3.25 in. Note that the drawing on the bottom-left is a card with a blank page inside. Whatever is left after April 5th I will distribute in unexpected locations.
Some of my work will also be available for sale at Old Capital Books during their Monterey Poetry Festival in April (more info then).
RABBIT HOLE
Substack Newsletters Focusing on the Arts:
On the “About” page of Roxane Gay’s newsletter (or blog?) Audacity, she writes that “newsletters are so over.” Actually, I’ve never been quite clear on what EO is. I call it “newsletter,” but it feels more like a blog or diary to me. In any case, Audacity features the work of writers that interest her and tell “one hell of a story.” That’s worth checking out.
This Week in Outsider Art, by Adam Oestreich: “Showcasing the world’s best self-taught, folk, and outsider art // news, exhibits, documentaries, and shop original artwork by self-taught artists from across the globe.”
Deepa Paul writes about names, identity, and hating in Letters by Deepa. She is “a Filipina-Indian writer originally from Manila, residing in Amsterdam.”
Beverly Aarons is a writer, artist, and game developer. Her newsletter, Artists Up Close, “features in-depth and intimate profiles of emerging and established artists.”
Samuel He tells visual stories through his photographs and films in The Drawing Board. He also teaches photojournalism and documentary filmmaking, and participates in community art initiatives, while doing his best to stay out of social media.
Writer and artist Josh Kramer writes about life, fictional comics, and stories in the Josh Kramer Newsletter. His most recent issue is all about imps.
Film:
“Contestant #4,” A short, sweet film produced by Rappler and directed by Jared Joven when he was 17 years old with classmate Kaj Palanca. It stars Joel Saracho and Elijah Canlas:
SOUNDINGS
A.R. Rahman meets Berklee College of Music at Symphony Hall, Boston (2014), Thee Thee & Malargale, featuring Prasanna & Mohini Dey:
The Argentinian Alma Sufi Ensamble featuring León Gieco y Gastón Saied performs “Solo le pido a Dios” (en español, hebreo y árabe):
I’m getting this issue out before midnight—yay!
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