(JUNE 7, 2012) WASHINGTON, DC — My day ended the way a good day should, listening to captivating music in the company of kind people.
It started at 5 a.m., which is when I got up so I could catch the one train from where I was in West Virginia to DC. Jeff Cosgrove was nice enough to get up at the crack of dawn and drive me to the train. The train itself was an experience. It was a commuter train, and there was an ever-increasing gang of friends and colleagues in my train car who obviously knew each other well and who spent most of the ride cracking jokes and planning a pool party. To which even the train conductor was invited.
I got off the train at Union Station in downtown Washington, DC. It was a little after 8 a.m. My first event of the day was about a 10-minute walk away … and I had four hours to make that walk. So I did what any self-respecting Brooklynite would do in that situation: I found a bagel place and had a nice 2-hour bagel. Then I futzed around the capitol district for a bit.
I’m a crazy radical lefty, but sights like the one above still give me a thrill. And I was lucky to grab this shot right at the time of an apparent delivery to Congress, as you can see from the vehicle to the right of the photo.
Two things about DC buildings — they have many entrances, all but one of which are usually closed. And they’re BIG. So to find the one open entrance you get to walk the 87 miles around each building. I did a nice circuit of the James Madison Building of the Library of Congress until I found the one secret door behind a potted plant where the public was allowed in.
Once inside, of course, I had to pass through the x-ray checkpoint. With a 50-pound bag of computer and recording equipment. All of which I had to remove. Along with my belt, of course. Then I had to wait some extra time while the x-ray technician asked me questions about individual images in the scan. He asked if I had a bike tool with me, which it turned out I had left in my bag … despite leaving the actual bike in Brooklyn.
But I made it inside, where I had the chance to cross an item off my bucket list — namely, “get naked in the Library of Congress.” It was cold when I left West Virginia, but it was hot — nearly 80 — by the time I reached the library. I wanted to change out of the warmer stuff I was wearing into some summer clothes. Proof of my accomplishment is in the photo to the left. Well, partial proof.
I went to the LoC to see a birthday tribute to the poet Gwendolyn Brooks. I learned about it from an acquaintance of mine, the talented poet and memoirist Sandra Beasley.
The reading was a lot of fun. There were two poets — DC’s own Kyle Dargan, and Janice Harrington from Champaign, Illinois. Both read Brooks’ poems as well as their own. Their presentation was followed by a librarian from the LoC who displayed several first editions of Brooks’ books. (The title of this diary entry is the title of a poem by Brooks.)
Following the reading, Sandra (at right) and I found a cafe and chatted about poetry and a life in the arts. After a few minutes I decided I should probably be recording our conversation, so we moved to an outdoor table and taped a 20-minute interview, which you’ll hear in a few days. Sandra is a fascinating person. I highly recommend her most recent book of poetry, I Was The Jukebox, which I loved. And her new memoir, Don’t Kill The Birthday Girl: Tales From An Allergic Life, has received a lot of acclaim. (That sounds like a weird way to phrase things — I just haven’t read the book yet so can’t comment in the first person. If it’s anything like her other writing, I imagine it’s amazing.)
I had big plans for the rest of the afternoon, but by the time I’d walked back to the Folger Shakespeare Library, I decided instead to find a shade tree and repack my backpack following the impromptu interview. Then it was off to find some food and a cafe to hang out in till the evening.
I took the Metro to the northwest side to hear music at the Dunes. (On a side note: Color-coded transit systems? No thank you.) There were three acts billed on the show, but it started so long after the advertised time and there was such a long break between the first and second solo set that I had time to hear just one performer, saxophonist Brian Settles (pictured at the top of this post and below). Brian has a raw, powerful sound and a very inventive mind. When I told people in the jazz world I was coming to DC, everyone said to talk to Brian.
I also hung out with Brad Linde, a saxophonist and educator who, among other things, books the Atlas performance space. Brad is one of those people around whom you instantly feel comfortable. We had a great talk about presenting music and connecting with an audience. If you listen to my show, you know I’m always going on about those topics. I’ll be interviewing Brad while I’m here, too. By the way, his last name is pronounced to go with “hop,” not “Paul.”
Brad was also kind enough to give me a ride to Silver Spring, where I’m staying while I’m in DC. Tomorrow I’m interviewing Janel & Anthony. Then Brian and Brad on Saturday.
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