Dante's Wardrobe

19 December 2025

Greetings of the Season

Kindness in words creates confidence.

Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.

Kindness in giving creates love.

Lao Tzu

May the coming year offer opportunities for us to give and receive kindness.

17 December 2024

My older sister, Jan, was an eclectic artist who worked with great facility in multiple mediums: oils, acrylics, gauche & watercolors; textiles & yarns; wood, wire, & stone; paper mache & clay; ink, graphite, charcoal, pastels, & colored pencil. She did theater set, costume & makeup design; built stunningly detailed doll & fairy houses; sewed & knit most of her own garb (using her own patterns); & once even did a little choreography work for a classroom fashion show.

She had a lovely whimsical streak as well. One Yuletide many years ago she created some saurian tree ornaments as a gift. The surety & delicacy of her lines still delight me.

George C. Scott as Ebeneezer Scrooge in what looks like a publicity shot portrait. He has white, wispy hair and white mutton chop sideburns. He wears his heavy, black winter coat and black top hat. He looks into the distance with a grim expression.

Meanwhile, We are looking forward to watching our favorite version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. George C. Scott plays Ebeneezer as an intelligent man of wit who, after his ordeal where he indeed learns kindness and forgiveness, still retains his personality with its edgy, smart-a$$ sense of humor. (The Hollywood Classics Movies YouTube channel is showing the movie here.)

George C. Scott as Ebeneezer Scrooge in what looks like a screen shot. He has white, wispy hair and white mutton chop sideburns. He sits at his desk in his banking house, wearing a black frock coat over a white shirt with a black cravat. Wooden desk shelves filled with papers and books are in the background. He looks up at his partner Bob Cratchett (who we don't see) with a smile of humorous expectation.

Best wishes of the season to all!

(c) Copyright 2010-2025 by J.A. Jablonski

20 November 2023

A Box of Books for Readers Who Walk

The so-called "Little Free Library" movement began in Wisconsin (USA) fourteen years ago. This from the Little Free Library website:

"In 2009, Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one room schoolhouse. It was a tribute to his mother; she was a teacher who loved to read. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it, so he built several more and gave them away." [Link]

It's become something of a cottage industry. Unfortunately, from my perspective, the pricing model for the boxes themselves is often unreasonable, putting the notion out of reach for many. A typical street box sold on their site averages $350; this does not include the needed installation materials (post, post topper, and installation hardware) or shipping.* I've seen "artisan built" library boxes priced online at over $1000 (also not including shipping or installation supplies).

My brother, Architect I call him on this blog, and I combined our design-and-build forces to create what I call a wee free street library for my neighborhood block.**

I combed local thrift stores and rummage sales to find a decent box. (Unlike Architect, I don't have the core building skills or tools to make one and did not want to trouble him with that.) After a few months I found what looked to have been a homemade wedding gift, a porch mailbox it seemed. Turned on one end, it seemed like something that could work. It's small, but usable (I ended up adding a small shelf for trade and mass market paperbacks.)

Two images of a wooden box approximately 12" by 24". The names of two people have been carved into the side in cursive lettering. 1 pic shows the box closed, the other standing in edge with the door open.

I sketched some design ideas and sent them off to my brother.

Inkpen sketches of several shapes for a proposed library box

The more we thought about it, the more I wanted something simple that echoed the lines of our house.

3 pics: a small house with pale grey siding & several angled rooflines; a rough sketch of a library box with similar lines; & a closeup of the roofline of the library box in front of the main roof of the house

The inspiration for this was the Little Free Library that Architect built for his neighborhood. Its design echoes the design of his own home—which he also designed and built.

2 pics of the Little Free Library designed & built by Lou Host-Jablonski. Its lines, shape, & colors mirror that of his house, which can be seen in the background.

Architect expanded on my second drawing by adding a more expansive roof, enlarging the door from my sketch, and using beadboard paneling to mimic the siding on our house. He also built the support platform and post then gave it all a layer of primer. Except for the beadboard and door hinge, all the materials were repurposed from Architect's wood shop supplies stash.

4 pics of our street library under construction shows the side bracing being attached, the beadboard siding, clamps holding the front door edge, & the initial assembly of the final box.

I spray-painted the exterior in a gray shade that mirrored our house, added some white trim, and painted the interior with a nice, deep blue.

Front & back pics of library box in a sunny backyard after its exterior & interior have been painted.

The roofing is cedar shakes, professionally applied! A neighbor was having his roof redone this summer. I bartered with the roofer: wee shingles in exchange for a homemade fruit pie and a volume from the reference book set, Critical Survey of Mystery and Detective Fiction (Salem Press, 2008). The shakes were also repurposed from another of the roofer's projects.

3 pics: roofer John-Neil sits next to the just-roofed library box; a closeup of his work on the cedar shakes; & the cover of one of the volumes of Critical Survey of Mystery & Detective Fiction.

The final paint job matched the roof shingles to ours and added some signage to the door.

3 pics: Library box with cedar shakes roof; the box after the shingles have been painted dark grey; & a view of the box with its door signage that reads "Hello Readers," "Take a Book," & "Leave a Book."

Architect kindly did the installation. We'd had the municipal utilities department mark the gas line for us—it runs right along the front sidewalk so we needed to be careful in terms of digging the post hole. I added a concrete stepping stone (left over from some backyard garden work) so passersby can access the book box more easily.

3 pics: A man crouching down near a wheelbarrow filled with dirt. He hand-digs a hole in the ground. Middle pic shows the yellow spray-painted lines on the lawen indicating the location of buried gasline. Last pic shows same bearded man shoveling concrete mix from wheelbarrow into the post hole.

The final view with the first titles! (We've already had some children's books added by a friendly someone.)

3 pics: Left is a view of the new street library in front of the house whose design it mirrors. The middle pic is a closeup of the first set of books being offered: a mix of fiction, mysteries, non-fiction, sports, a children's book, & two magazines.

And two sweet notes:

When opening the front blinds yesterday morning I saw a white-haired gent take a book out. He looked at it, smiled, and held it close to his chest as he walked away. (It was a paperback copy of Dickens' The Pickwick Papers.)
When we were putting the post in, a neighbor lady from a few blocks over walked by. I told her what we were doing and she smiled a very happy smile. "Oh good," she said, "now we have one!" (The next nearest street library is 5 blocks away.)

Such a lovely sense of communal friendship and fun right from the start.

Note: Architect is indeed an architect. His firm has specialized in "sustainable and socially conscious architecture since 1972." See this slideshow lecture for the Wright Design Series in Madison, Wisconsin in which he (Lou Host-Jablonski) describes Design Coalition's mission and work over the past 4+ decades.

___________________________________________

* The LFL website does have an FAQ which suggests that they are aware of the $ issue: "I can’t build a library or afford one of yours, what do I do?" Included is this link to a more DIY approach--though their tone is a tad condescending—they refer to those folks as having "the odds ... stacked against you."

** The name Little Free Library is trademarked, though not the idea as far as I can tell. See the LFL FAQ for more info: "Does Little Free Library Ltd have a trademark on the phrase “Little Free Library”?

Photo Credits

Stacks of old books: Ed Robertson via Unsplash. Book cover from Amazon. All other images by J.A. Jablonski or Lou Host-Jablonski.

19 December 2022

Small holiday tree with lights and ornaments. Beneath is portrait of a smiling man and woman. The entire image is framed by a blue night sky backdrop with clipart images of snowflakes of varied sizes.

Best wishes of the season to all! ✨

A difficult year here but a creative one. Looking forward to 2023: writing, sewing, drawing, painting, & building.

Will report on my writing at my author blog: J.A. Jablonski.com and on all of the 3-dimensional work here on my art blog, Dante's Wardrobe. Please join me!

3 images of a wooden street library under construction. The entire images are framed by a blue night sky backdrop.

Sample widths of brightly colored cotton fabric. The entire image is framed by a blue night sky backdrop.

A collection of drawings and colored prints on an artists table. All are of tango dancers from various historical eras. The entire image is framed by a blue night sky backdrop.

An old treadle sewing machine cabinet updated to hold a modern-made non-electric sewing machine. The entire image is framed by a blue night sky backdrop.

🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

23 November 2021

Mirror, Mirror - A New Website While Still Making Here

Against a backdrop image of pine trees silhouetted against a starry night sky are 4 rectangular images: top box text reads "J.A. Jablonski Writer." Three same sized boxes below are identified as "Writings - Professional" "Writings - Mystery" and "Writings - SF & Magical Realism." The website URL is posted at the bottom: jajablonski.com

Today I launched my author website. It's been a very long time in the making. Not the website specifically, though that was it's own adventure. I speak of my latest incarnation as an author.

The bulk of my writing has been professional, much of it in-house or published under institutional or organizational bylines.

While my doctoral dissertation and this artist blog, Dante’s Wardrobe have my name on it, many other publications do not. I was the co-lead and major content provider for Writing@APUS, the author of user manuals and technical presentation guides for a major professional and scientific organization and several universities, the promotional writer and designer for an alternative health care provider and a singer-songwriter, a guest blogger for an academic marketing site, and the creator of scholarly book and journal indexes. And I have taught in both the humanities and social sciences, having written the syllabi, lectures, video tutorials and text-based instructionals for undergrad, master's, and doctoral courses in professional and academic writing, science fiction and fantasy literature, information organization, and database indexing.

But I've been a storyteller/maker for as long as I can remember. Telling and making go hand-in-hand; in part, because my family are all natural storytellers who are also creatively talented, e.g., fine artists, wood crafters, writers, urban planners, calligraphers, automotive repair and paint artists, photographers, and clothing, costume, theater set designers. I myself have been a graphic designer, award-winning display window and exhibits designer, fictional letter writer, live-action role playing actor, theater designer and seamstress/sewist.

I am currently writing in three different genres (mystery, speculative SF, and magical realism) while trying to still keep one foot in the academic scene by researching material culture in utopian fiction. My pronouns are she/her/them/they; my honorifics are Dr/Ms/Mx.

Going forward, I will use this blog to report on my artistic work and interests. The Cool Books series will transfer to my author blog under the new title of Book Thoughts.

I am so excited to be launching into this new work and thinking space. I hope you will visit me in both.

J.A. JABLONSKI - WRITER

01 July 2021

Cool Book: Subtle Blood by K.J. Charles

Cover art for the Will Darling Adventures trilogy by K.J. Charles

The Will Darling Adventures by K.J. Charles
Cover Art by Tiferet Design

My review of KJ Charles' Will Darling Adventures has been updated and moved to my author website: J.A. Jablonski. You can link to it here:

KJ Charles | The Will Darling Adventures | Pt. 1
KJ Charles | The Will Darling Adventures | Pt. 2

18 February 2021

Sequestering Arts - The Wind Chill Edition

Orange snow shovel standing against concrete stairs to house with shoveled sidewalk and deep snow

My sidewalk after only the first snowstorm!

Sequestering Arts | About this intermittent series

With the world in lockdown due to Covid-19 (<-- link to the CDC info site), many people are struggling, practically, emotionally, and creatively. As a long-time creative & librarian I thought I might be able to help by doing what I do best: finding/sharing information. My goal is to provide links to interesting, comforting, & creative online resources that you can explore & enjoy while home- or place-bound. For other posts in this series, click here.

* * * * * * * * *

After 3 snowstorms in a week followed by subzero wind chill temps here in the Upper Midwest & the other winter storms around the U.S. causing much difficulty & stress, well I wondered if we might all need some cheering and comfort. Here are some links to various things.

Be good, be kind, and stay warm!

THEATER | THEATRE | OPERA

The Metropolitan Opera (NY)
[From the TimeOut website] "The Metropolitan Opera has closed its doors though at least September 2021, but the great New York opera house continues to lift the spirits of opera lovers around the world with free nightly streams of complete productions from its archives. Most of the offerings were originally recorded with multiple cameras in high definition to be shown in movie theaters as part of the company's popular Live in HD series.Each opera goes live on the Met's website at 7:30pm EST (12:30am GMT) and remains there until 6:30pm EST the next evening. The operas can also be viewed with the Met Opera on Demand app on various devices."
Stars in the House
[From the TimeOut website] "Daily 8pm EST / 1am GMT | Showtune savant and SiriusXM host Seth Rudetsky (Disaster!) and his husband, producer James Wesley, are the animating forces behind this ambitious and very entertaining series, in which they play host to theater stars in live, chatty interviews interspersed with clips and songs. Dr. Jon LaPook, the chief medical correspondent for CBS News, provides periodic updates on public health, and surprise virtual visitors are common. Donations benefit the Actors Fund. You can find a schedule of guests here."
Disney Cruise Line's Frozen, a Musical Spectacular | The cruise hour-long version. | YouTube | RunTime 1:03.18
https://youtu.be/BgL3vp8bEK0
[From video description] " This time we’re bringing the world of Arendelle into your homes with a virtual watch party of our Broadway-style stage production, “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular.”"
Sadler's Wells Digital Stage (London)
https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2020/sadlers-wells-digital-stage/
[From their website] "Sadler’s Wells presents a programme of full-length dance performances, films and workshops online, to keep you entertained and connected through dance, wherever you are in the world."
Good Dog (play) | Based on Arinzé Kene's hit play | A new, shortened, screen version | YouTube | Runtime: 19:11
https://youtu.be/T9K_QH3p3zI
[From YouTube description] " ‘good dog’ explores the everyday injustices, people and places that make us who we are. Set during the early noughties, ‘good dog’ chronicles growing up in a multicultural community and the everyday injustices that drive people to take back control... because even the most patient among us can’t wait forever. Adapted from a full length play, this film follows a grown-up Boy revisiting and observing events in his life, narrating the past from the present. Boy – performed by Anton Cross - speaks to camera as our guide and narrator, looking on his younger self and the community he lives in. ‘good dog’ is adapted from the play written by Arinzé Kene. The film was directed by Andrew Gillman and Natalie Ibu. It was commissioned by The Space and supported by BBC and Arts Council England"
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (London)

Richard II | via YouTube | Runtime 2:31:27
https://youtu.be/BHrXAJ93hRU
[From video description] " Richard II - the Bard’s great Play of England. For your lockdown viewing pleasure - our film version of the critically acclaimed first all women of colour Shakespeare on a UK stage - from the 2019 Globe Season."
Romeo & Juliet | via YouTube | Runtime: 1:37:54 | Available until 31 March 2021
https://youtu.be/wFBWXRqa7Gs

Dickens vs Tolstoy featuring Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton | via Intelligence Squared | YouTube | Runtime: 1:34:41
https://youtu.be/gLXpYJDdEUI
[From video description] "The Battle Of The Great 19th-century Novelists with Professor John Mullan arguing for Dickens and historian Simon Schama arguing for Tolstoy. Bringing their arguments to life with readings we had Tom Hiddleston, star of Marvel's Thor and The Avengers, and Zawe Ashton, acclaimed for her roles in Fresh Meat and Wanderlust. The debate was chaired by Bonnie Greer. Dickens. Tolstoy. Their names and reputations shake the ground – and so do their books, if you drop one. They are the two greatest novelists from the century when novels were really great. Both captured their countries’ very souls and, as vastly influential social reformers, savagely criticised them as well. But whose legacy is more enduring? Whose vision truer and more relevant today? Should you embark on War and Peace or Our Mutual Friend?"
Manchester International Festival | Festival in My House and Yours | Shows, musical performances, talks, Q&As, and more | via YouTube
General Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8B4bP8Vi7PxF_icfmcUitH2EtqcCx9Xp
Some specific shows:

A Woman's Place is in the Home | Runtime: 56:32
https://youtu.be/Kc2qMZsCDu8
[From video description] "Content warning: this video contains strong language, viewer discretion advised. Join Girl Gang Manchester on Thursday 17 December from 19:00 GMT to celebrate and subvert the political and emotional landscapes of domestic spaces for modern women. Curated by Girl Gang Manchester, a collective of artists, activists, academics and party instigators, A Woman’s Place Is in the Home is a celebration and critique of the weight that everyday items, acts and spaces can carry. At a time when so many of us have been stuck at home, we’ll find creativity in domestic drudgery and spirituality in the shower, create an ode to Black British hairdressing and bemoan gendered divisions in domestic labour. We’ll mourn what we miss, cherish what we have and dance it all out – because what’s it all worth without dancing?"
PAYING ATTENTION! An Online Queer Literature Festival with Roma Havers & Friends | Runtime: 1:30:19
https://youtu.be/Sh4lNdF7z4c
[From video description] "Watch Paying Attention! Bringing together six of the best queer writers in Manchester, working across all forms from poetry to performance and from fiction to theatre. Teaming up in pairs poets Frankie Blaus and Roma Havers, writer-performers Mandla Rae and Ella Otomewo, and novelists Okechukwu Nzelu and Rosie Garland read from their work, discussing their practice, reflecting, reminiscing and attempting to answer a vital question: ‘Now that you have our attention, how would you like to be read?’ This broadcast may contain some adult themes - viewer discretion advised. Closed captions are available in the 'settings' icon on the video player."

Free Plays for Children (includes all age ranges | includes learning worksheets & distance learning resources
https://www.dramanotebook.com/watch-free-plays-online/

DANCE | MOVEMENT

BAC Digital | Spring 2021 Season | Individual performances Feb-June 2021 | Free but registration required
Upcoming Presentations page (incl links to past performances): https://bacnyc.org/performances/upcoming-performances
What is BAC? [From website] " BAC is the realization of a long-held vision by Founder and Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov to build an arts center in New York City that serves as a gathering place for artists from all disciplines."
Dance Theatre of Harlem | Virtual Ballet Series | via YouTube & Facebook
https://www.dancetheatreofharlem.org/virtualballetseries/
The Chocolate Factory | via Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/chocolatefactory
[From description] " The Chocolate Factory Theater exists to encourage and support artists in their process of inquiry. We engage specifically with a community of artists who challenge themselves and, in doing so, challenge us. We believe that by supporting the labor of these artists, we contribute to elevating New York City as a thriving marketplace of ideas. The Chocolate Factory embraces artistic practice as an integral part of the artist’s whole life, an essential component of the life of our community and a key element of a larger national and international artistic dialog. As such, we host artists as our equal partners with shared autonomy, trust and appreciation. While we seek to make big ideas and extended relationships possible, we commit to working at a small, intimate and personal scale, with few artistic compromises or boundaries."
Hamburg Ballet | Videos via YouTube | Includes works in progress & young choreographers
https://www.hamburgballett.de/en/news/online_programm.php
(Scroll down page to the section heading "The Program" for video titles, descriptions, & links)
Numeridanse
https://www.numeridanse.tv/en/home
[From website] " Numeridanse is a multimedia dance platform. It offers free access to a unique video base: filmed performances, documentaries, interviews, fictions, dance videos. Every single genre, style and form is showcased here: butoh, classical ballet, neo-classical ballet, baroque, Indian, African, flamenco, contemporary, traditional dances, hip-hop, tango, jazz, circus arts, performance, etc. Numeridanse is headed and coordinated by the Maison de la Danse, Lyon, and was imagined by the director Charles Picq. Since the outset, Numeridanse was created and has been developed hand-in-hand with the French National Centre for Dance (CND) and has been supported by the BNP Paribas Foundation and the French Ministry for Culture."
Pilobus | Gnomen | Via Vimeo | Runtime 18:21
https://vimeo.com/366520651
[From website] "For Pilobolus, the pain of a different pandemic resulted in the creation of what’s now considered a company classic, Gnomen (1997). This work was dedicated to the memory of our dear friend and company dancer Jim Blanc whose life was claimed by the AIDS pandemic.Gnomen reminds us that during hard times, we must lean on and uplift each other – that together, we can help each other rise to the moment."
"Gnomen was created in 1997, choreographed by Robby Barnett and Jonathan Woken in collaboration with Matt Kent, Gaspard Louis, Trebien Pollard, and Mark Santillano. This performance of Gnomen from 2019 is performed by Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Zachary Eisenstat, Quincy Ellis, and Jacob Michael Warren.Original music by Paul Sullivan, throat singing by Matt Kent. Costumes by Eileen Thomas. Lighting by David M. Chapman"

MUSIC

Live Stream Concerts

Rolling Stone Online (Info posted on 2 Feb 2021)
https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/best-concert-films-stream-online-1122430/
[From website] "Miss Live Music? Stream These Concert Films Online to Get Your Fix | Here are some of the best live concert films streaming free online, from artists like Fleetwood Mac, Prince, The Rolling Stones and more."
Billboard Online (Info posted on 26 Jan 2021)
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9335531/coronavirus-quarantine-music-events-online-streams
[From website] "Here Are All the Livestreams & Virtual Concerts to Watch During Coronavirus Crisis (Updating)"

Joe Powers | Harmonica Player
Powers' website: https://www.joepowers.com/
Album playlist for Apasionado (via YouTube): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lf99mkR8-XVhHpQLXftT30b7hObRswh3s
[From Wikipedia] "Joe Powers is an internationally acclaimed harmonica player, composer, and recording artist. He performs many music genres, such as classical, blues, jazz-fusion, and world traditions, and specializes in playing Argentine Tango music."
Brandon Acker | Classical guitarist and specialist on early plucked instruments such as the lute, baroque guitar and theorbo
Acker's website: http://brandonackerguitar.com/
Acker's YouTube Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/user/brandonacker/playlists
Andrew Oliver - Pianist
Oliver's website: https://andrewoliver.net/
Oliver's YouTube Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/user/andrewoliver1/playlists
[From website] "Andrew Oliver is a pianist from Portland, Oregon, specializing in stride piano, 1920s jazz and blues, ragtime, and tango. His playing is energetic and authentic, drawing on the styles of pianists such as Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, and Earl Hines to deliver a stomping style which emphasizes the exciting groove that brought jazz to the forefront of popular music in the 20th century.
A specialist in the music of the great New Orleans pioneering pianist and composer Jelly Roll Morton, Andrew has recorded all of Jelly’s known compositions on the “Complete Morton Project” YouTube Channel with clarinetist David Horniblow. Their duo album of Morton’s tunes on Lejazzetal was selected as one of the 10 best jazz albums of 2019 by the Times (London). Andrew lived in London from 2013-2020, performing in the UK and Europe with a number of acclaimed groups including the Dime Notes and Vitality Five.

Andrew is the founder of the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, a 2012 Chamber Music America New Jazz Works recipient, and an Oregon Arts Commission fellow. He also performs and composes a wide variety of music ranging from Argentine tango to modern jazz but with a strong focus on 1920s jazz and classic tango styles."
Mary Pappert School of Music | Duquesne University

Virtual Best of the Bluff
Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyejVSw0ivQBeIiC7wa2lN1nsBljMSIiB
[From description] " Each month during the 2020–2021 academic year, we will release a new Bluff Series video on the Mary Pappert School of Music YouTube channel that will feature the talents of Artistic Director and pianist, David Allen Wehr, along with our all-star faculty, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and internationally-renowned guest artists."
A Little Friday Night Music
Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyejVSw0ivQCWnTYoTkkAVY2wKMZMH7fW

PODCASTS

Jonathan Pinnock | It's Lit But Is It Funny?
https://www.jonathanpinnock.com/podcast/
Song Exploder
https://songexploder.net/episodes
[From their About] "Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. Each episode is produced and edited by host and creator Hrishikesh Hirway in Los Angeles. Using the isolated, individual tracks from a recording, Hrishikesh asks artists to delve into the specific decisions that went into creating their work. Hrishikesh edits the interviews, removing his side of the conversation and condensing the story to be tightly focused on how the artists brought their songs to life"
Every Little Thing | Via Gimlet Media
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1225760210
[From description] "Why do we cry? Did cavemen really carry clubs? Can swearing make you stronger? On ELT, you call with a question, we find you an answer."
This American Life
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/ | How to Listen: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/listen
[From website] "This American Life is a weekly public radio program and podcast. Each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme. Mostly we do journalism, but an entertaining kind of journalism that’s built around plot. In other words, stories! Our favorite sorts of stories have compelling people at the center of them, funny moments, big feelings, surprising plot twists, and interesting ideas. Like little movies for radio."

FOOD STUFF - The Comfort Food Edition

10 Tips to Making Perfect Waffles | Via Mr. Breakfast.com
https://www.mrbreakfast.com/article.asp?articleid=29
Magic Custard Cake | Via The Cooks Room
http://www.thecooksroom.com.au/magic-custard-cake/
(FYI site on converting metric measurements: https://whatscookingamerica.net/equiv.htm)
Potato Gratin with Onions and Sage | Via The Daily Meal
https://www.thedailymeal.com/recipes/potato-gratin-onions-and-sage-recipe
How to make the perfect no-bake cheesecake | Via The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/21/how-to-make-the-perfect-no-bake-cheesecake
(FYI site on converting metric measurements: https://whatscookingamerica.net/equiv.htm)

MAKING | CREATIVE | ARTS EDUCATION

Seattle Theatre Group's Education & Community Engagement Department
https://www.stgpresents.org/ece/artsessions#about (scroll down for resources)
[From website] ". . .ongoing pre-recorded arts education video sessions and content that are free and open to educators, students, families, community groups, artists, and beyond! Many of the videos are led and created by STG Teaching Artists and offer a variety of genres including dance, music, musical theatre, and visual arts. We are also excited to feature arts video sessions from some other arts organizations and companies in our community! These videos are offered as part of our School Programs."
Evelyn Wood - Vintage Dressmaking Skills for Modern Sewing | Via YouTube
Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/c/EvelynWoodTV/playlists
Construction - Products Cement | Via YouTube
Creative Ideas Cement Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi1FmgMo0dBLJao8wkTmhcKTYxK_4xg2L
I like To Make Stuff | Via YouTube
Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/c/Iliketomakestuff/playlists

QUIETING | MEDITATION

Body Mind Zone | Via YouTube
Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/c/BodyMindZone/playlists
[From description] "Body Mind Zone is home to the most effective Relaxing Music. We have music playlists for Meditation Music, Sleep Music, Study Music, Healing & Wellness Music, and Reiki & Zen Music. Body Mind Zone’s sleep music is specially created to help you fall asleep. Whether you want peaceful music for a power nap or calming sleep meditation music, Body Mind Zone’s sleep relaxation music will help you go to sleep. To fall asleep fast, our music for insomnia with its embedded delta waves is essential deep sleep music. Feeling sleepy? Use this sleeping music in the background for soothing relaxation or as meditation music after a busy day at work. Our beautiful music for sleeping is ideal relaxation music for stress relief."
Web Article: "22 of the Best Meditation Apps & Sites to Master Meditation Practice" (21 June 2019) | Includes info section on 10 different types of meditation
https://techboomers.com/sites-and-apps-to-learn-how-to-meditate

For other posts in this series, click here.

14 December 2020

In Memoriam: Meg Jones | Reporter | Raconteur | Friend to Many

Reporter Meg Jones with Skyriter typewriter

Meg Jones with Skyriter Typewriter
Photo by J.A. Jablonski (c) 2018

Two years ago Meg Jones, reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and I met up at a coffee shop on Milwaukee's East Side. I had something to give her: a typewriter. Not just any typewriter, a Skyriter. The Skyriter was popular with journalists and war correspondents due its small size, portability (only 9 lbs including its metal case), and reliable action. In the 1970s, the case was updated to a soft-sided thing so that reporters, writers, and travel writers could tuck it under their airplane seats.

Meg Jones was both journalist and war correspondent. I admired the heck out of her and regular read her stories in JSOnline. I wanted her to have her own "reporter's typewriter." Five years before she'd already typed on the very machine I gave her, though she might not have remembered it that day in January 2018.

Meg Jones typing on a Skyriter Typewriter in 2013
Photo by J.A. Jablonski (c) 2018

I used to collect typewriters. In 2013, Meg contacted me. Somehow she'd heard about me and these machines. I posted about that interview here. This is how I described how it came about:

"She googled typewriters AND Milwaukee, and my post about last year's Summer Solstice Type-In came up. Like any reporter worth her salt, she tracked me down and asked if she could call. And like a good librarian, I said, "Sure, I have lots of info you could use for a story."

Meg called, we talked for about 30 minutes. Then, offhandedly, she asked, "So how many typewriters do you have?" "Well," I says, "about 25." Then came that amusing nano-second pause and Meg asked, "Would you mind if I came over to your house to see them? Oh, and could I bring a photographer?"

It was a lovely afternoon's conversation. Meg was delightful and completely interested in everything. Talking to her was like talking to an old friend. She said she liked to make her own short report videos on her phone and might I please type something for background noise. (That's her typing at the end with me holding her phone over her shoulder.)

Her JS Online Video

From 2013 on we'd run into each other now and then, usually on the way in to a Brewers game at Miller Park. She was a serious fan. She'd stop for a friendly chat but then promptly motored off with great intent. She wanted to see everything game-related: batting practice, pregame, everything! One got the feeling that life itself was that to her: to be seen in total.

She was so excited to receive the Skyriter--wanting to know where it came from, if anyone had used it for writing before her. I had to admit that I'd gotten it via eBay and didn't know. We followed each other on Twitter then, and exchanged snail mail addresses to correspond, and for the couple years since she sent me her holiday letters. They were a blast to read! She SO enjoyed her work, her travel, and the people she met. They were travelogues in and of themselves.

Back in September Milwaukee's own Boswell Books hosted Iranian novelist Salar Abdoh for a conversation about his latest book Out of Mesopotamia, in which Abdoh discussed the "endless war" from a Middle Eastern perspective. Meg Jones was the host for the conversation, and oh my, was it fascinating. I've watched a lot of book launch interviews and this was anything but. Abdoh and Jones were of a kind and clearly respected each others' war reporting experiences.

Salar Abdoh Virtual Event for Boswell Book Company
Host: Meg Jones | Runtime: 59 min

Not too long ago I got another of her letters. She told me what she'd been doing and where she'd been of late. Then she thanked me again for the Skyriter. She had it on display in her guest bedroom, she said.

Meg Jones' obituary is her e. You can hear her vibrancy, her joy, her professionalism throughout. And you can hear how much she will be missed by her colleagues and friends.

Rest in Peace, Meg. Rest in Power. Thank you for what you gave us all. How you will be missed.

09 December 2020

Sequestering Arts: The Yuletide Edition

"Winter Scene" | Jean Beaufort
(CC0 Public Domain | Source)

Very best wishes of the solstice season
and good health to you & yours!

GOOD FOODSTUFFS

Herbal Hot Chocolate
https://homespunseasonalliving.com/herbal-hot-chocolate/
Our kitchen herb garden went bonkers this summer. We look forward to trying the mint (of course) but are most curious to know how rosemary or thyme will taste in this.

FYI: Here are some recipes for hot chocolate mixes too:
- https://veenaazmanov.com/homemade-hot-chocolate-mix/
- https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9335/hot-cocoa-mix/ (Makes a lot!)
  https://altonbrown.com/recipes/hot-cocoa-mix/
25 Winter Soups Recipes | Cold Weather Soup and Stew Super Comp | Well Done | Video | Runtime: 21:53
https://youtu.be/wkC2UUde1BU
[From description] "...links to the full recipe ingredients as well clickable timestamps that will allow you to move ahead to each recipe [are provided]."

THEATER | THEATRE

Sonnets in Solitude | Royal Shakespeare Company | Videos
Playlist (62 videos to date):
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSIxo_5qCKQjrXHGJvVQ7ppaBkH5D8P2b
[From description] "RSC actors perform Shakespeare's sonnets. When Covid-19 closed our theatres and stopped all live performances, so we turned to Shakespeare's poetry."
Until the Flood | Milwaukee Repertory Theater | Written & Performed by Dael Orlandersmith | Directed by Neel Keller | Video | Runtime: 1:02:01
https://www.milwaukeerep.com/shows-and-events/at-home/until-the-flood/
[From About] " About the Flood: Pulitzer Prize finalist and celebrated performer Dael Orlandersmith (Forever) explores the social uprising in Ferguson, Missouri following the shooting of teenager Michael Brown. Pulling from her extensive interviews with Missouri residents, Orlandersmith crafts a stunning theatrical experience that must be seen. The Chicago Tribune called it “palpably compassionate” and raved that it “achieves a great beauty by bringing us together rather than driving us apart.”
A Christmas Carol | Milwaukee Repertory Theater | Free from Dec 1-24, 2020
Mark Clements’ Classic Production of A Christmas Carol
https://www.milwaukeerep.com/shows-and-events/two-carols/
[From webpage] "Each year, nearly 40,000 people experience Milwaukee Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements’ epic adaptation at the beautiful historic Pabst Theater. We are opening our video vault to bring a never-before-seen recording of the 2016 production filmed and produced by HMS Media. This production will be available for FREE to view Dec 1 – 24 as our gift to theater lovers worldwide."
The Gauntlet | Sydney Opera House | Video | Runtime: 25:17
https://youtu.be/JYAjl5Ru7-w
[From description] "Performed as part of Antidote in 2018, The Gauntlet is a genre-bending performance work, which combines choirs and vocal ensembles, contemporary choreography and site-specific storytelling. In this newly commissioned film, composer Sxip Shirey and choreographer Coco Karol discuss what it takes to create an immersive piece of this nature."

This is really an unusual piece and, for those of us missing human contact & interaction, emotionally satisfying.