August, 2007

 

Dear Friends and Readers,

 

GOLLY!  AUGUST ALREADY!

 

            Which reminds me of my favorite poem in my whole life.  You probably didn’t know I had a favorite poem.  Actually, it’s also the ONLY poem I can remember from my whole life.  And I’ve remembered it since my childhood.  That’s right.  You see, some time in the fifties, MAD Magazine (also my favorite magazine of my whole life) ran a special MAD Calendar for the year.  I don’t remember which year.  It featured a little drawing and a short poem for each month.  August is the only one I remember:  I know you’ll like it.

 

        Every month has its dog days,

      This month has the doggiest.

Why waste clever rhymes

          On stupid months like Augiest.

 

            (Go ahead and say it!)

 

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            Say, friends and readers, this little site is really growing, isn’t it?  And it’s about to grow a LOT more.  That’s right; the BIG NEWS this month is that my dear sister, Janet, called me up recently and said Bill, guess what I found!  It seems she has come across SIX boxes of my old files and archives from the sixties and seventies which she had stored long ago on her farm in Madera, California.  Well, with the help of my wonderful brother John and his wife Paula, they’ve sent the whole works down here to Oaxaca and I’ve just received them.

 

            Looks like I've got my work cut out for me!

 

 

 

 

            And, of course, you all know I've been quite concerned about testicle transplants lately, so it's a great relief to finally get a copy of this important news clipping.  Thanks again, Sis!

 

 

 

            Then too, my dear sister Janet, bless her heart, even sent along a couple snaps I wasn't expecting.  What could she have been thinking?

 

 

 

 

            Yes, it goes on and on from there.  Six BOXES full!  My poor little scanner is groaning at the very thought.  So, friends, do watch my site in the days and weeks to come and help me relive a little of those wonderful times, OK?

 

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            Meanwhile, our site is getting to be quite popular, friends, with a full 910 hits last month!  And Desiree Cousteau continues to lead the search engine results, now followed closely by Bertha Elena Muñoz, I’m happy to say, as well as “Jook Savages” (see Stan Gotlieb’s remembrance in the CHRONOLOGY), “organic robotoids” (in Russell’s found writing, NUT PREACHER), Pristine Condition of the Cockettes, and several people are still looking for Captain Pissgums and his Pervert Pirates.  I’m glad someone found Ronaldinho, Les Nickelettes, Ed Weingold, Ralfka Gonzales, Woofy Bubbles, and Susie Hirshfield.  Congratulations, everyone!

 

            There’s also lots of new stuff to see, so do look around a bit, friends.  There’s several beautiful new animals, a new found drawing and even a new found object!  Check it out.  Russell’s great black and white photos of performance artist “Reto Merger” (TABLEAUX), Robert O’Connor’s wonderful “Stories from the Garden,” sk dunn remembers being backstage at the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C., with Duke Ellington (both in CHRONOLOGY), and a new BOOK (you’ll find it).

 

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            This month, too, a new book about AIDS in Latin America is coming out by my friend, Shawn Smallman, a great guy from Portland, Oregon, and we’re proud that he’s featured on the cover the photo of our Day of the Dead tribute to AIDS deaths in Oaxaca, below.  Watch for it!

 

 

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            Oaxaca remains tense.  I’ve written a bit about it in “Guelaguetza 2007" (Recent Writings), and this Sunday, August 5, is election day in Oaxaca (though not, unfortunately for governor) with voting for local legislature and city mayors, including Oaxaca city.  I noticed that Bertha Muñoz is supporting a new guy for mayor, one Victor Raul Martínez, an APPO supporter.  Though not terrible photogenic, below, I hope he does well.

 

 

 

            I noticed among his supporters another favorite of mine, Margarita Dalton, a long-time friend of the Frente Común and women's rights advocate, below, center in the vest.

 

 

 

            Someone even tried to improve his image a bit on this scrap of campaign detritus.  Poor guy.

 

 

 

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            Finally, I noticed LA JORNADA ran a nice photo of our theater’s “art in resistance” installation in the zócalo, below.

 

 

 

 

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            Well, friends, I guess I've got a date with my scanner, so I better get to it.  More soon!

 

I love you all,

 

Bill Wolf

 

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   ...LAST MONTH'S LETTER