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Dame Jessye Mae Norman (September 15, 1945 - September 30, 2019)

The majestic American soprano who brought a sumptuous, shimmering voice to a broad range of roles at the Metropolitan Opera and houses around the world, died on Monday in New York.

Ms. Norman, who found acclaim as well as a recitalist and on the concert stage, was one of the most decorated of American singers. She won five Grammy Awards, four for her recordings and one for lifetime achievement. 

She received the prestigious Kennedy Center Award in 1997, was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1999, received the National Medal of Arts in 2009, and became a Spingarn Medalist in 2013.

Dido’s Lament, “When I am laid in earth” From the Opera Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell. 

I’m not feeling strong yet, but I am taking good care of myself. The weather is perfect. I read and walk all day and then walk to the sea. I expect to swim soon. For now I am content. I am not sure what I hope for. I feel I am doing my best. It reminds me of when I was sixteen dreaming of Lorca, the gentle trees outside and the creek. Perhaps poetry replaces something in me that others receive more naturally. Perhaps my happiness proves a weakness in my life. Even my failures in poetry please me. Time is very different here. It is very good to be away from public ambition. I sweep and wash, cook and shop. Sometimes I go into town in the evening and have pastry with custard. Sometimes I sit at a table by the harbor and drink half a beer.

One From the Vaults - Episode 3: STAR House, STAR People

In the latest episode of One From the Vaults, we explore the early lives of Sylvia & Marsha! The first in a three part series on the lives of these saints of the trans movement.

Fabric/hanging: Untitled [The most exclusive love for a person…] Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Text, fabric paint, quilted panels. 0 x 0. Date unknown,

GRAN FURY ALL PEOPLE WITH AIDS ARE INNOCENT , 1989