Black Night

Photographs by Gjon Mili, 1945/LIFE Archives

Week's End - Sicilian Veil

I was in a thrift store, huge place called Value Village, probably looking for vintage coats several years ago. I was taken aback, many yards away, at a stack of National Geographic back issues. It was because of this cover photograph. by the extraordinary William Albert Allard. I've written about it & scanned it ages ago. While I'm trying to help with matters Haitian, feast on this link to a photo gallery.

She's an actress, waiting for her cue. A Greek tragedy. Perfect for Sicily. Check out Andrea Camillieri's detective books (that's so inadequate, he's a genius) about Inspector Montalbano, gourmet/gourmand. Considering the racially-motivated (partially anyway) riots in southern Italy last week, Camillieri has much to say about this subject. (As does author Roberto Saviano, who has been in hiding & under 24-hour police protection since 2006.) Many Italians take offense. This last week they are in shock & dismay at the barbaric behavior. People like to think of Italy as the land of sun & pasta. Not always. To me that's like reducing Frenchwomen to their accessories & scarf-tying techniques. You can't love or know a place or a person without acknowledging the darker side. Period.

I'm really upset & bothered by the lack of mention of Haiti by so many bloggers. There's a phrase I use all the time: worlds collide. It won't kill you to put in a button or a link. I've seen several design blogs do it & it didn't mess up their precious template.

BTW, the long weekend in America is not just for sleeping in & loafing. It's Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday remembrance. "Oh Susan, don't you have any fun or sense of humor?" Yes I do, yes I have. In fact some people think I'm (one of) the funniest personnes they know in real life. No kidding, really. And if you think I'm just a self-righteous pain in the neck, I'm not, but you are welcome to think whatever you like. Now, I must go lie down. I have a case of the vapors or worse. Seriously.

[photograph via personal scan/William Albert Allard/National Geographic]

Black Ruffles

Unwell...so not a swan song but a little break. ciao.

[monochrome photograph of black swan via animalphotos]

Spanish Manners

In a Spanish mood, flamenco chic on GG...& I love this photograph. It reminds me of a friend who grew up mostly in Madrid & Barcelona (though she is American-by-passport). Her father was, uh, a diplomat. (It took a few years to convince her that there were very few opera emergencies in 1960s Saigon, no matter her memories.) I loved her father, too, despite it all. We had shared Graham Greene Syndrome. (Dangerous place? We're there. I'm over it.) Sorry to say, he's been gone for...I don't know. Before September 11, anyway. Otherwise, I'd remember calling him in Barcelona.

I needed major protection for an event once (actually more than once). Sunglasses, a person on either side, & hauteur weren't enough & so out of my friend's Spanish closet came The Very Beautiful Thing. An enormous, black, embroidered antique flamenca's mantilla. I couldn't believe she would allow it out of the apartment. The fringe was on the floor unless I held myself just so. Which was the whole point, just so. I feel a subject coming on...or perhaps re-obsession. Now, though, time to make dinner.

[On another note: is anyone else about ready to storm the radio station where that oaf-toad Limbaugh lurks? I cannot escape him; everywhere, BBC, CBC, all the BCs. Eek. And no, a Latina judge nominee didn't bring on the Spanish stuff. Poking around GG archives did that...reruns due to same old non-health.]

[by Martha Holmes, LIFE archives, what else? ]

Week's End - Humphrey in Black & White

Dear sweet peaceable Humphrey of Grand Canaria (his soul brother is Alvar, here). His human mom, Marianne Perdomo, is very talented (& funny). See her flickrstream, here. Bon weekend!