To thine own self be true

defy reason on cold frosty days of winter. I recall my first encounter with them working as a paper boy in 1959-60. Many of the homes in my St. James neighborhood of Wallasey St. and Thompson Dr. had old-fashioned steps and porches which were an adventure to stay upright on. Probably my first fall led to a quick education about how ice coats wood in frigid temperatures. I imagine a lot of seniors and kids fell on those steps and porches in winter.

whereby school children go to cemeteries to leave poppies on deceased soldiers’ graves is an excellent way to honour the dead who fought in wars to safeguard our country, other countries, and the world.

For me, this is a significant, meaningful practice of Remembrance that brings the generations together, and an appreciation of context and history. Today, overall, there simply isn’t much perception, understanding, and appreciation of the past and of history in general. People’s sites, including many young people, are focused mainly on the personal here-and-now, hand-held technology, or the future, not the past.

But it is common sense to remember we enjoy our freedoms and comforts largely because of the way some made a choice to serve and give up their lives for Canada and families. To them, we owe thanks for the privileges, comforts, and prosperity many people just take for granted.

Death and life go side-by-side all through life. In Canada, our holidays and occasions often coincide with death; at Easter, on Canada Day, but especially on Remembrance Day. Wearing a poppy in the first half of November, donating to veterans’ funds, attending or viewing the November ceremonies are marks of respect, understanding, and appreciation of the dead and the military. ‘No stone left alone’ is an effective, noble, respectful, memorable way for the young to pay their own homage to the dead and those who served.

(my father on the left, about 18-19, when he served in the Canadian Navy in WW II)

We were all young once, even those who served in wars.

Earlier I had discussed T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” and Allen Ginsberg’s “Kaddish” as two of the top 20th century poems. Ginsberg’s legendary “Howl”, published in 1956 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s press, would be a third, and it memorably became the subject of a legendary censorship trial which changed American publishing freedom forever.

A 2010 Rob Epstein/Jeffrey Friedman film pays homage to Ginsberg, this book, and its trial. The trial portion and interviews are based on what various people connected with this case actually said. James Franco is a reasonable facsimile of the young Ginsberg.

But the real treasure of this video is Ginsberg himself reading the classic poem in 1995 at the Knitting Factory in New York. He makes very clear what was so unique and special about this piece de resistance about the the Beat Generation–how they lived, how they suffered, as well as how the post World War II Eisenhower era limited youth of the day and drove them into madness, rebellion, and sometimes both.

As a document, it still effectively expresses the deep anguish of coming of age and efforts to survive in the cold, materialistic “Moloch” period that was soul- and spirit-destroying for many creative individuals of the day. Ginsberg’s passion, honesty, and sincerity are on full display in probably the most memorable poem reading you are ever likely to see and hear anywhere. And, ironically, his reading eclipses and more effectively expresses the poem than the film and is more on a par with the wild animated film embedded within the average main/’documentary’ film.

This DVD is highly recommended for poetry and Beat fans alike. Along with Jack Kerouac’s novel On the Road, it still stands as the clearest, most expansive window into the Beat Generation, their spiritedness, and the counter-culture of 1950s America. As an important cultural artifact, Ginsberg’s reading alone is well-worth the video price.

we are greater than we know.”
-William Wordsworth, “Sonnet to the River Duddon”

A cruel, nasty bureaucrat sans mercy or pity for senior and vulnerable Albertans. (Klein was decent compared to this heartless, soulless dictator.) Albertans shall rue the day they ever gave power to this liar and fraud.

The older grandson will be dressed up as a geode for Halloween and he’ll carry a real one in case people don’t know what that is.
The younger grandson will be dressed up as a dog and the family dog will be dressed as a unicorn. They should have a blast.
Halloween is definitely for kids!

Down to my last few copies of my spring chapbook Greatest Hits Vol. 1. E-mail richard.davies@shaw.ca for more info on how to obtain a signed one of these.

That was how kids announced themselves at people’s doorways in the ’50s and early ’60s. Of course, apples were traditional to give out until the reports of razor blades in them emerged, and then candy and chocolate became more the prevailing norm.
If you’re a parent, it’s best to still walk your kids around. and stay with them There are still creeps out there and have been as long as I can remember. Halloween is still a red-letter day on pervert calendars, so stay safe out there.

Some people seem to go all-out with decorating and the horror angle. Back in the ’50s and ’60s, there was never anything that: the weird over-the-top music and voices, as well as the special visual effects.

I still remember the kids in school going from classroom to classroom in their costumes, spooking the younger kids. There was no political correctness then and you could dress up as anyone you wanted to. Girls tended toward princess costumes more than those of contemporary superhero and tarty celebrities of today.

And, of course, kids used pillow cases to collect their hauls. The big fun came at the end when kids got home and dumped their hall on the floor or carpet to see “what they got”. The candy lasted for days, sometimes weeks or till Xmas, if doled out by parents.

These days we usually get about 75 kids or less at the door. My adult daughter comes here with her companion to give out candy. I usually go out later with them to do a walk around the block and see how houses are decorated and get some of the old flavour and atmosphere of still one of the most memorable days in kids’ calendars.

There’s been talk of banning Halloween, but I doubt it will happen despite all the grinches in the minority houses who still leave their lights off, don’t like kids, are too cheap to buy candy, or refuse to participate fully in Canadian occasions and fall rituals.

(This year’s pumpkins done by talented, creative daughter)

Loussier, the brilliant French pianist who passed last March. It was back in the 1950s that his love affair with delightfully melding Bach and jazz first began. He applied his successful original hybrid approach to other classical composers (Debussy, Satie) and pieces (“The Four Seasons”) over the following decades, selling millions of records and CDs world-wide.

I was watching his 1989 Munich 83-minute concert last evening on DVD and duly impressed by his last famous trio which included Vincent Charbonnier on 5-string stand-up bass and Andre Arpino on drums. They performed 7 of Bach’s pieces including”Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major” and “Chorale: Jesu, joy of man’s desiring”.

Each of the musicians had his moment in the limelight with Loussier soloing beautifully, his bassist knocking out the audience with his sliding note technique, and his drummer surprising everyone with a wide-ranging drum solo. In the “Brandenburg”, they appropriately launched into walking bass jazz for the finale.

Loussier had his fair share of critics, especially classical purists, who failed to recognize the obvious ties and possibilities between the two genres. The truth is that the structure of classical is a wonderful set-up for the improvisations of jazz. And Loussier’s work is natural, credible, and never too strained or far-out. Of all the hybrids in art I can think of, this is one that worked, no-brainerly, even better than The Swingle Singers’ ambitious vocalizing of the same musical hybrid.

Loussier’s dual sensibility and fascinating adaptation-compositions never cease to amaze and delight me. He remains one of the most interesting and tasteful jazzers of all time.

in a vintage Volkswagen van tent by oneself. No grown-ups. Does it get any better at age 4?