Misanthropic Isolation

petite géographie poétique de la France, les bassins

le Loing est une rivière de France, affluent de la Seine, dont le cours s’allonge sur 143 kilomètres, traversant l’Yonne, le Loiret et la Seine-et-Marne ; il prend sa source dans le village au nom enchanteur de Treigny-Perreuse-Sainte-Colombe et arrose au-delà, et la Puisaye et le Gatinais, dont il constitue l’épine dorsale ; il irrigue entre autres Saint Fargeau, Châtillon-Coligny, Montargis, Nemours et Moret-Loing-et-Orvanne (peu avant son grand départ pour la Seine)

de Loing en Loing se rapproche et s’unifie toute une terre irriguée par ses détours et ses lenteurs, ses ralentis et ses miroirs, ses ombres secrètes et ses rives d’arbres denses  

les rivières associent des régions qui sans elles n'auraient jamais connu une telle proximité, un tel embrassement, union magnifique et imaginaire qui prend naissance dans la seule et juste évocation de leur nom

ce Loing qui ici me le chantait avec douceur et bienveillance  

–

a brief poetic geography of the France, rivers

the Loing is a river in France, a tributary of the Seine, which flows for 143 kilometers, crossing the Yonne, Loiret, and Seine-et-Marne departments; it rises in the enchantingly named village of Treigny-Perreuse-Sainte-Colombe and flows beyond, through Puisaye and Gatinais, forming the backbone of these regions; among other places, it irrigates Saint Fargeau, Châtillon-Coligny, Montargis, Nemours, and Moret-Loing-et-Orvanne. (shortly before its grand departure for the Seine)

from Loing to Loing, it brings together and unifies a whole land irrigated by its twists and turns, its slowness and its mirrors, its secret shadows and its dense tree-lined banks.  

rivers connect regions that without them would never have known such closeness, such an embrace, a magnificent and imaginary union that arises from the mere mention of their names

this Loing that sang to me here with gentleness and kindness  

.

© Pierre Cressant

Black Women In Punk: Part 2

First Row: Toni Young (photo by Jim Saah), Santi White (photo by Jonathan Wood), Fefe Dobson (photo by Bill King) 2nd Row: Libby Hodges, Yvonne Ducksworth (photo by Denis Barthel)

Toni Young: Toni Young was the bassist for 80s hardcore punk band Red C. The band was part of the 80s Washington DC punk scene, and was featured on the pivotal hardcore compilation Flex Your Head. Tragedy befell the bend in 1985, when Toni died of complications from pneumonia. Suggested Song: Assassin

Santi White: Before Santi White burst onto the indie scene as Santigold, she was in a punk band based out of Pennsylvania called Stiffed. Formed in the early 2000s, the band released two albums – Sex Sells (2003), and Burned Again (2005). Santi also had ties to another black woman rocker Res, helping to co-write and co-produce Res’ debut album How I Do. Santi started her solo career as Santigold in 2007, with the release of her solo debut Santogold. She still releases music as Santigold, with her latest album 99¢ having been released in 2015. More Information: Wikipedia. Suggested Song: What You Gone Do

Fefe Dobson: Fefe Dobson entered the music scene as an 18 year old in 2003, riding the pop punk wave that was in fashion at the time. Her early sound was comparable to other acts out during this period, such as Avril Lavigne and Kelly Osbourne. She’s had a stable career since, having released her last album Joy in 2010. Originally destined by Jive recording executives to be a pop artist, Fefe wanted to take her music in a different direction and left the label as a result. This led to Fefe releasing her debut self-titled album on Island Records instead. More Information: Wikipedia. Suggested Song: Take Me Away

Libby Hodges: Libby Hodges formed the punk band Girl Trash in 1983. The band was all women, and featured Libby as lead singer along with her sister Doni on Guitar, and Julie and Robin Kerry on keyboards and guitar respectively. Libby was influenced by punk bands such as Dead Kennedys, Plasmatics, and black punk band Pure Hell. The band tragically and abruptly ended after the Kerry sisters were attacked and murdered. More Information: Livejournal post, slashmeup post Instagram: vampirelibby

Women have another option. They can aspire to be wise, not merely nice; to be competent, not merely helpful; to be strong, not merely graceful; to be ambitious for themselves, not merely for themselves in relation to men and children. They can let themselves age naturally and without embarrassment, actively protesting and disobeying the conventions that stem from this society’s double standard about aging. Instead of being girls, girls as long as possible, who then age humiliatingly into middle-aged women, they can become women much earlier — and remain active adults, enjoying the long, erotic career of which women are capable, far longer. Women should allow their faces to show the lives they have lived. Women should tell the truth.

—Susan Sontag, "The Double Standard of Aging," The Saturday Review, Sept 23, 1972