i'm baaack...

Back in the city for some professional edification (that's scholar-speak for a summer seminar). I'm only here for a brief stint but couldn't stop smiling for three days when I returned to NY last week. Even landing in LGA was an experience. As most of us know, midwesterners tend to be a tad more portly than city-dwellers. In comparison, New Yorkers seem so skinny to me now, but a good skinny not a "give that girl a sandwich" skinny. All the walking probably helps. I should have brought my pedometer to clock how much more I've been stepping since I got back.

My first weekend back, I went to Central Park Summerstage (one of my favorite summer to-dos in NY) to see Olu Dara and Cassandra Wilson (one of my favorite people). It was awesome just being in the midst of multiculti, international, beautiful fucking people!

Charles Burnett also guest-appeared at the IFC to talk about his 1970s film Killer of Sheep. The film has been restored thanks to UCLA and it's great that it's getting a national run. Burnett really touched upon the difficulties of a working class black family in a way that doesn't fall into stereotypes or feed into masculinist ideas about black family. Go see this film if you haven't already!

Besides enjoying summer in the city, I've been working and taking advantage of the resources at Columbia (where my seminar is being held). I'm also psyched to catch up with my girls, revisit some of my haunts (like Cafeteria and Pipa) and discover some new places (like "A" -- a tucked away organic French Caribbean spot here on the UWS). More to discover. More fun to be had. So glad to be back!

joining the ancestors

World renowned Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene has left us for otherwordly adventures. May his journey be a peaceful one.

the end

(spoiler alert in case you were under a rock when the final episode of The Sopranos aired last night)

David Chase is effen brilliant. I don't care what anyone says. Those final minutes of suspense were classic. My heart was racing when Tony sat down in the diner and those suspicious looking guys kept eyeing him from the bar. Then Meadow couldn't park her car. And what was up with that cat?! Damn.

The family meets as this uber-American diner. Journey blasts from the speakers. And then, total blackout. Way to anticlimax Dave. As one who hates neat and tidy endings, I love that Chase honored our intelligence and fidelity to the show by leaving us with a conclusion we can think and talk about for years to come. Check out other discussions of The Sopranos finale in the Times and Salon.

joan armatrading

Joan Armatrading discusses the blues and her new CD on weekend edition.