I've just returned from five days in Brooklyn, celebrating the launch of the latest book by my friend Teju Cole, a collection of essays called Known and Strange Things. When you read it, which I certainly hope you will, along with essays from the New Yorker and New York Times you'll see some words that appeared first here at The Cassandra Pages -- a tribute both to Teju's generosity and our long friendship, which has at times allowed him to freely publish work here that didn't fit in more mainstream journals.
That generosity was also manifest on Monday night, when, during the course of a party in honor of his own book, Teju invited me and two other contributors to Documentum 2: Pictures and Words, Wah-Ming Chang and Emily Johnson, to hold a New York mini-launch of the issue, presenting our work along with his, as one of the guest-curators of the issue. Our photography was projected on a large screen in the garden as we each read from our pages, and the guests formed an attentive and appreciative audience. It was a special pleasure for me to read my own work, because as a publisher I'm usually the one organizing events, or encouraging and promoting other people's writing -- probably I should do it more often.
Jonathan and I had helped during the day to get the venue ready for the party, and one of our tasks - most happily accepted - was to do the flower arrangements. Fortunately the food was catered, and it was an extremely delicious Palestinian feast. As it turned out, there was a small group of Middle Easterners present, who sort of "found" each other during the course of the evening - people from Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, along with Africans and African-Americans, Indians, and a few boring white Americans like myself -- it was great, and so was the music, selected by D.J. Teju himself.
I'll have more to say about the trip and about Teju's book later, but for now, I wanted to share these photographs with you. It was wonderful to be in Brooklyn, and in New York City, and -- most of all -- to be with dear friends.
Sounds like a truly wonderful evening for all of you!
Curiously, just a few days ago, quite by accident I came across Teju's name in The Guardian : Teju Cole talks to Taiye Selasi: ‘Afropolitan, American, African. Whatever’
(https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/05/teju-cole-taiye-selasi-interview-known-strange-things)
Posted by: Marja-Leena | August 14, 2016 at 05:58 PM
Great! I follow Cole closely and will read the book. Want to hear more about all this!
Posted by: Hattie | August 14, 2016 at 09:42 PM
So much wish I'd been there, Beth. Congratulations!
Posted by: Natalie | August 15, 2016 at 08:46 PM
For "boring" perhaps "non-exotic"? Or were you and and the other whites chosen for your ability to bore? I tease, of course. But it's almost an invitation for me to say, "Oh no, you're never boring." which, of course, I'm delighted to do. Especially when you arrange to be lit so persuasively by that electric tree and with that knowing look.
Teju's collection has been well reviewed here in the UK and suddenly I'm dissatisfied with being the age I am; to attend a happening in Brooklyn, ah, would that I could. But, alas, age is a bore and tends to be an excuse for being boring. At least, twenty years ago I recognised this might happen and I chose to mew myself up in rural Herefordshire in preparation for what was inevitable. Never mind, via The Cassandra Pages and other remote sources, I live vicariously. Thanks for the despatches from the front-line of activity.
Posted by: Roderick Robinson | August 21, 2016 at 02:55 AM
Robbie, I don't feel on the front lines of the art or literature world and probably never was, even before leaving the U.S. for Montreal, but it's nice to occasionally enter that world and to be in close touch with people who live and breathe it every day. I'm not sure it would have made me happier; my kind of creativity requires quiet, solitude, and contact with nature rarely afforded by a metropolis as large or busy as New York, but on the other hand, I miss the inspiration, stimulation and - yes - competitiveness of that place. There's no doubt in my mind that both J. and I would have accomplished more as artists and writers if we had made different choices, but I doubt we would have been happier or had as good a marriage.
For music, though, the move to Montreal has allowed me to be right in the thick of it, in a way I doubt would be possible in a different city.
The internet has changed things for me too, erasing distance and isolation from colleagues and friends to a certain extent, and providing continual inspiration as well as distraction - I have to work to keep those two in balance! But there's no substitute for face-to-face friendships, concerts, visits to museums and exhibitions from time to time, so I'm glad I can do that and hope it will continue for a long while into the future. I agree that age and aging are a bore; so far I try to ignore them but it's not going to be possible forever!
Posted by: Beth | August 21, 2016 at 05:33 PM