THE SIGNAL from David Katznelson
“The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.”― Jean-Paul Sartre
My brother-in-law Craig Bersche passed away this weekend after being diagnosed with cancer just last month. Craig was a great guy; my wife, he and I shared many an adventure driving around Ohio during our trips there for the past 12ish years
Craig was a quiet, modest Renaissance man who could marvel with his talents which included being an inventor, often pulling Barb and her brothers into his antics when creating numerous sci-fi gadgets and Willy Wonka-style creations, including the “ever-growing bubblegum” that puffed up in the mouth as it was chewed.
In the mid-seventies a teenaged Craig decided to try and make it in the music industry. Craig recorded an LP’s worth of self-penned songs even getting members of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra to play on them. He created a video of one of the main tracks with him in a bubble (pre-Flaming Lips). With record in hand Craig went to New York to get signed, meeting with representatives with all the biggest labels including John Kalodner (who signed Aerosmith, Madness, XTC, White Zombie among others) and the head of A&R for Clive Davis, all while staying at Steve Ross’ house that a friend set up for him (Steve Ross was the parking lock magnate who bought the rights to Warner Bros. Records from the Warner Brothers). He got so close….but soon tired of the industry game. I digitized the tapes of the record he made and released it on bandcamp a month ago in time for him to get to enjoy it.
One night, while he was visiting in San Francisco, we were at the Musto Bar where Craig spied a lonely piano in the corner. He had not touched one in over 20 years, yet he sat down, stretched out his fingers, and played the most beautiful melody, in a laid-back yet complex style that stunned everyone in earshot. Who was that piano player?When he finished and got up to rejoin our party, I asked the name of the song. “I don’t know,” Craig said, “I just made it up on the spot.”
Craig was a reminder that there are amazing artists that walk hidden among us and we always need to pay closer attention. Rest in peace my brother.
Bob Dylan announces online show, streaming from July 18
“Bob Dylan has announced details of a paid-for online performance entitled Shadow Kingdom. It launches on July 18 on the Veeps platform and will be available to watch for 48 hours after the initial airing.”
Every family has a story. What are the objects that tell yours?
Reboot launched this amazing initiative, WHAT WOULD YOU BRING?, over the weekend in honor of National Refugee Day. Juliet Simmons had this incredible idea of connecting items that refugees brought with them to America to their stories. The result, with added beauty from incredible illustrators and animators, is a deep incredible production.
‘A Whole World’ is a new book of poet James Merrill’s letters
While on our problematic houseboating trip I did have some time to catch up on my New York Review of books reading and while its paywall prevents me from connecting you to the amazing article around the recent release of poet James Merrill’s letters (for those who have a subscription, the article is here), I found this one that, while not as good, touches on some of the interesting points. I had no idea that Merrill spent long periods of time around a Ouija board and spoke to deceased poets…and wrote poetry about his experiences. I will be doing a deep dive into that work asap.
Wild Geese
by Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
