a sepia dream

the dolo episode

2012-01-08T19:49:00.002-05:00

the dolo episode.

we roll deep. alone.

love, s.s.

all that jazz

2011-12-31T14:44:00.004-05:00

s.s.

the hope episode

2011-11-09T11:11:00.003-05:00

the hope episode.

there is nothing naive about holding hope close.

love, s.s.

out of place

2011-11-08T16:58:00.002-05:00

'all families invent their parents and children, give each of them a story, character, fate and even a language' - edward said

out my mind (just in time)

2011-10-14T17:29:00.000-04:00

i.

ii.

s.s.

no room for doubt

2011-10-14T15:09:00.004-04:00

lianne la havas

s.s.

(i will not tell you)

2011-10-12T14:36:00.003-04:00

my skin rips

at the mention of your name

find your scent

across cities

see red

for days after

we touch

arms bruised

from carrying

this

question

s.s.

the shades of grey episode

2011-10-07T09:05:00.004-04:00

the shades of grey episode

there is nothing achromatic about the way we love.

s.s.

the entire universe

2011-10-03T17:00:00.001-04:00

"do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you." -rumi

california dreamin'

2011-09-29T18:08:00.002-04:00

s.s.

dénouement

2011-09-29T15:02:00.003-04:00

a mixette for the ones who feel the most.

wanting things - astrud gilberto

mreyte ya mreyte - racha rizk

atomic peace - alice coltrane

hold heart - emiliana torrini

the song of the sea - emahoy tsegue-maryam guebrou

draw the stars - andreya triana

atlantique nord - yann tiersen

clair de lune - isao tomita

love, s.s.

we are water

2011-07-30T23:29:00.016-04:00

shadi reminds me that human beings are comprised mostly of water.
i say it aloud: we. are. water.

i imagine my body as the ocean
hips propel movement
waves gather
rise up
climb rib cage extend
foam hands that
colonize throat
heart bobs like a stubborn ship
avoiding whirlpool fate

as my entire being is
pulled like a marionette
by the loving moon

s.s.

ars poetica

2011-07-05T19:07:00.023-04:00

we are the thin skin
tribe
bare bone warriors
caress the weary
kiss feet
rub wounds
we live in your houses
in shelves
under beds
rest in your ear
stay awhile
dance on tongues
we ride the light
frequencies
like fire flies
eat the darkness
disparage our efforts
we see through your pain
and
shower
wreaths made of words

s.s.

lunar love(r)

2011-07-04T11:28:00.002-04:00

your face carries moon
lineage
floats above shoulders
above houses
above cloud
eyes like two
secrets
veiled and bright
lips waning
waxing
dust song

s.s.

the sun is in your hands

2011-06-30T22:16:00.007-04:00

a freewrite using the lyric the sun is in your hands, player from bilal's sometimes

the sun is in your hands, player.

yellow
ripe
full.
sometimes bashful
sometimes brazen

long fingers
orbiting sphere

ushering dusk
with the tilt
of a palm

i am the light you hold

s.s.

the spring episode

2011-04-11T00:14:00.002-04:00

it's a new dawn, it's a new day.

love, s.s.

all sparkles from the jump

2011-04-07T20:56:00.000-04:00

blastit.

s.s.

v.3 (insomnia)

2011-04-07T09:45:00.006-04:00

in her dreams
his skin tastes like tears

her own voice wakes her up
whispering
'habibi, habibi.. where are you?'

s.s.

what the body remembers

2011-04-06T21:51:00.003-04:00

got

my ancestors words

clawing their way up my throat

trying to get out

like a song

whose melody i can't place

s.s.

dança da solidão

2011-03-23T19:39:00.009-04:00

a dear friend sent me this poem once. i found it again today.

s.s.

"don’t
surrender
your loneliness so quickly.
let it cut more
deep
let it ferment and season you
as few human
or even divine ingredients can.
something missing in my heart tonight
has made my eyes so soft,
my voice so
tender
my need of god
absolutely
clear.”

- hafiz

first

2011-03-21T21:56:00.004-04:00

he used to lick the salt from her shoulders 
now all he tastes are his own tears
 blankets cover heavy, body like corpse
 silence screams loud 
he won’t sleep
 crushed mango reminds him of her smile 
fruit makes him cry
 he prays/ swallows chilies whole to bring the heat to his throat 
wishing his words were the butterflies in her chest 
winter wind spits bitter 
still
 he envies the breeze that grazes her face 
whispers words to the sky 
wears scars like armour  
cracked and hard 
skin so thick
 he does not notice 
when her lips touch his feet

s.s.

a case of you

2011-03-04T11:30:00.006-05:00

looked at my arms
just to see the blue
proof of life
there's a little twinkle in my eye
that's you
my god, am i happy to be alive
s.s.

on winter, and pesistence.

2011-01-13T14:21:00.008-05:00

i remember a story once told to me:

when winter comes to the prairies all the animals hibernate until spring

except the buffalo

the nomadic animals put their heads down and march through the harsh winter winds

they never stop

& come spring, they get to the fresh water and sweet grass first.

let's be like buffalo, face the storm and reap the rewards

s.s.

just ask a woman

2010-05-06T19:53:00.009-04:00

the secrets women hold

they are in her hands

the black of her eye

they travel down her spine

s.s.

the sumptuous feast episode

2010-05-05T21:24:00.005-04:00

http://sophistiphunk.podomatic.com/

s.s.

the lost tapes (preview)

2010-04-09T13:02:00.003-04:00

more lost footage to come

s.s.

kahlil

2010-04-06T15:57:00.004-04:00

i love the work of director kahlil joseph.

simple & inspiring.

belhaven meridian - shabazz palaces

i need a dollar - aloe blacc

cheeba - shafiq husayn feat. bilal

s.s.

freedom

2010-04-02T11:17:00.001-04:00

s.s.

花樣的年華 (the years slipped past like flowers)

2010-03-28T12:55:00.005-04:00

he remembers those vanished years,

as though looking through a dusty window pane,

the past is something he could see, but not touch.

and everything he sees is blurred and indistinct.

s.s.

shedding skins

2010-03-28T10:28:00.011-04:00

shedding skins. flying high. evolution. love you badu.s.s.

the heart.ache episode

2010-03-13T23:21:00.003-05:00

http://sophistiphunk.podomatic.com/

s.s.

lubrification

2009-10-26T17:37:00.002-04:00

to all my poets
with dry fingers
rub your hands together
until oil drips on paper
once again

s.s.

bouge-toi

2009-10-05T19:29:00.007-04:00

move move move
even if it hurts
even if one leg is numb
even if you can't see
move
what will be your legacy?
how do you make people feel?
are your parents proud of you? do you sleep well?
move
even if the jungle is thick and impossible
even if both arms are sore
even if your throat is hoarse from screaming into a wall
move
even if it's slow
even if you have difficulty breathing
even if you're scared
move

s.s.

who's gonna save my soul?

2009-07-14T10:28:00.003-04:00

an amazing video/short film by chris milk for gnarls barkley.
s.s.

falling

2009-07-12T13:08:00.003-04:00

alicia keys with oumou sangaré!
boom.

s.s.

scenes from montmartre (pt 1)

2009-06-18T04:22:00.003-04:00

s.s.

no longer at ease

2009-06-02T06:41:00.006-04:00

Nneka. wow.

s.s.

face to the wall

2009-05-16T12:15:00.002-04:00

llorando

de cara a la pared

se apaga la ciudad llorando y no hay màs muero quizas adonde estàs? soñando de cara a la pared se quema la ciudad soñando sin respirar te quiero amar te quiero amar rezando de cara a la pared se hunde la ciudad

rezando santa maria santa maria santa maria

s.s.

ils auront allongé

2009-04-11T23:46:00.004-04:00

the air between them thick

& sweet

humid heavy

eyelids bow dutifully

tangled in each others musk

whose knife

will pierce the smoke first

s.s.

less surface, more root

2009-02-16T21:38:00.005-05:00

i must take my shoes off.

and be barefoot for some time. flesh on ground. palms open.

open. chest to sky. heart open.

all these layers are heavy. they do not protect.

no more.

all this sound. does not envelop. not like it used to.

no more.

all these distractions,

are no comfort. not sweet, like before.

no more.

& she ran & ran & ran

when she couldn't run anymore, she stopped

(looking up to discover an enormous wall blocking her path)

so, she turned around

only to find herself standing there

collapsing into her, she cried,

and she held her

until

she felt whole again

when she turned back

the wall had dissolved..

s.s.

sabali

2008-11-29T12:17:00.008-05:00

amadou & mariam.
i had the opportunity to see this beautiful couple
perform at the harbor last summer.
snuggled up close to one another, they somehow made the massive stage that looms over toronto's waterfront
feel like a small cozy kitchen. warm and good.
they would pause every few songs, perhaps perplexed by the stunned silences,
and ask: "aaaaaay! toronto! eeeeest- ce que ça va?" "are you alright?"
to which thunderous cheers would erupt.
an instantaneous group realization that these blind musicians where partly
counting on their ears to hear if we were feeling them.
it was on that humid dusky night that toronto let go of it's
trademark self consciousnesses and for once
screamed: ouuuuuuuuuuuuuui! ça va!
amadou et mariam;
merci, merci pour votre music. c'est tellement beau.

s.s.

harvest moon

2008-11-15T11:10:00.004-05:00

35mm.
the stretch of highway between calgary and canmore.
dusk.

captured by *s.s.

remembrance day

2008-11-11T20:54:00.010-05:00

november 11 is a day to remember.
i have been told to wear this poppy every year for as long as, well, i can remember.
however, i've noticed that the canadian government has a rather selective memory.
we are pressed to remember certain things- but other events in our not-so-perfect history are swept carefully under the rug.
that vibrant multi-coloured rug.
just turn the heat up on our rich 'melting pot'. shhh don't ask questions. soups almost on.
blindly remembering an event that you don't really know all that much about is one thing- but ignoring the obvious with eyes wide open is another.
so peace to all the vetrans and those who lost their lives in combat.
but lest we forget.
lest we forget the people who have lived in this country without ever feeling a sense of belonging.
lest we forget the chinese head tax and exclusion act.
lest we forget the inumerable atrocities commited (to this very day) to this land's aboriginal peoples.
lest we forget the women and men caught in the crossfire.
lest we forget those innocent victims of war. especially the children.
lest we forget the canadians who have been deported injustly.
lest we forget those who have been tortured for speaking up.
lest we forget the immigrants who must jump through ridiculous hoops to practice their trade(s).
lest we forget those who must navigate the vague, transparent, muddy lines of undercover racism.
lest we forget.
lest we forget.
lest we forget.

s.s.

slumdog millionaire

2008-11-10T22:59:00.002-05:00

slumdog millionaire
dir. danny boyle

i am excited to see this film.
s.s.

dear science

2008-11-02T18:04:00.010-05:00

dear tv on the radio,
you had me at 'ambulance'.
& your new album is just magical.
thank you for making your cover art and liner notes so beautiful.
people who still buy cd's (like me!) appreciate the attention to detail.
keep doing your thing.
love,
s.s.

post.script:
lover's day!

queen st. dreams

2008-11-02T11:17:00.007-05:00

dreams dreamed on & around the queen street area of toronto,
in the winter of 2006.

not ready.
(february 1st)
...luca dreams that she is walking with her ex lover.
he suddenly turns towards her, puts his hand over her heart,
and leans in to listen.
he runs away screaming...
***********************************************
it is a sunny day.
luca is walking in bellwoods with her current lover.
he puts his hand on her heart,
but before it is too late, she pushes him away saying
'no! you're not ready....'

mute.
(february 2nd)
...early the next morning, julie dreams that she is having
lunch with mr. lancaster (of whom she is quite fond)
he takes her hand and leans in, pressing his ear to her heart.
'i don't hear anything' he says.
julie begins to weep.
'i've turned down the volume- and now it can't be fixed...'

bird man.
(february 6th)
adam (the lawyer) dreams that he is enjoying his lunch
in the park by his office.
he looks towards the big tree where the bird lady normally stands.
much to his chagrin he sees himself in her place, which is strange,
because in actuality- he is terribly afraid of birds (and the like).

little italy.
(day unknown)
salvatore has a rather uneventful birthday.
that same night he dreams he is walking to buy an espresso,
same as every morning.
only in his dream everyone appears as he believes they should.
a group of school children pick him up and carry him up euclid st.
singing 'buon compleanno!'

s.s.

dead time

2008-10-26T19:27:00.003-04:00

written and performed by boonaa mohammed

on the other side of town

2008-10-26T17:58:00.004-04:00

Once there was a rich and famous sultan.
He had embroidered shirts and soft carpets. He owned a palace in Mogadishu on the shores of the Indian Ocean to catch the cool breeze. It was filled with precious jewels and silks from Arabia.
The most expensive incense burned in the rooms whether he was there or not.
Despite all his great wealth he was not happy and could not understand what was wrong.
He had many wives who bickered constantly, sons who fought with each other and daughters who sulked.
He could buy anything he could think of but he never felt happiness or contentment.
One morning after a sleepless night, he called to his servants and told them, 'Go and search until you find a truly happy man. When you find such a person bring him to me, I want to talk to him.'
The servants scoured the land and one day they noticed a poor man singing as he pulled water from a tiny well for his one skinny camel. He hummed as he milked the beast and shared the tiny bit of milk with the sultan's servants. Even with an empty stomach he laughed and joked.
'Are you a happy man?' the servants asked. 'What is there to be unhappy about?' the man answered. 'Please sir, come with me to the sultans palace' the oldest servant said. 'My master would like to meet you.' The poor man agreed and journeyed from the Haud into the great city of Mogadishu. He had never seen anything like it. There were so many people, so many colours, so many things to smell and taste. The sultan entertained him richly with wonderful fruits and sweetmeats, gave a lavish banquet and presented him with an embroidered goa.
'What is the secret of happiness?' the sultan asked, perched on soft pillows.
The poor man didn't know what to say, his tongue tanlged with his teeth and he couldn't talk.
He didn't know what made him happy when he lived in the desert- it was just the way he felt.
Disappointed, the sultan sent him away and the man returned to his camel and his milk bowl carved out of wood. He never forgot all the wonders of the sultan's palace...
and he was never happy again.

-somali story
as excerpted from 'desert dawn' by waris dirie

s.s.

a very yoko winter

2008-10-18T22:13:00.007-04:00

room piece I
stay in a room for a week.
do not take anything except water.
have someone whisper to you in
the end of the week.

room piece II
stay in a room for ten days.
do not eat.
smoke.
whisper to each other in the
end of the ten days.

1963 winter
-yoko ono

música de bolso

2008-10-13T14:06:00.007-04:00

thank you jolie fleur for pointing me towards the work of mayra andrade;
she performs here on a side street in sao paolo with maryana aydar
this clip makes me so happy, because sometimes i just long to sit down in the middle of the street &
start singing...
s.s.

u-min

2008-10-12T15:21:00.005-04:00

ooohwee! these guys are doooope!
i first saw them in missy's "ching-a-ling" video &
jumped out of my seat with excitement!
i love that artists like missy, madonna and janet are continually giving these unsung dance heroes such great exposure. fantastic.
s.s.

twice

2008-10-09T19:21:00.003-04:00

beautiful..

a shadow puppet theater featuring the little girl, the big bird and the skeleton.
directed by johannes nyholm.
puppet masters: yukimi nagano, håkan wirenstrand, fredrik källgren wallin, erik bodin, elias araya, aime hellrand, henrik malmgren, andreas korsár and kurt lightner.

s.s.

life in outer space

2008-10-02T13:12:00.004-04:00

seu, seu, seu,
you are out of this world.
& when i close my eyes,
to your sweet, sweet, lullabies
for just a moment
i am too.

s.s.

a long way gone

2008-09-28T17:44:00.008-04:00

new york city, 1998

my high school friends have begun to suspect i haven’t told them the full story of my life.
“why did you leave sierra leone?”
“because there is a war.”
“did you witness some of the fighting?”
“everyone in the country did.”
“you mean you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?”
“yes, all the time.”
“cool.”
i smile a little.
“you should tell us about it sometime.”
“yes, sometime.” *

ishmeal beah and i are the exact same age.
this is where our similarities begin and end.
in 1993, while i was likely frolicking carelessly somewhere in the prairie fields of rural alberta, beah was fleeing from the attacking rebels in sierra leone. abruptly ending his own carefree childhood and beginning his new life as a soldier. thrust into a war he did not choose.
his book a long way gone should be essential reading for children and adults everywhere. especially those adults in positions of government, who make decisions that affect the lives of children everywhere, every day.
beah is a rarity indeed; an african relaying an african story.
his ability to describe even the worst kind of horrors coloured with his soft poetic voice is a testament to the triumph of light over darkness- good despite atrocious evils.
s.s.

*excerpt from 'a long way gone'

new medium(s)

2008-09-26T13:30:00.005-04:00

since music video channels no longer play music videos,
artists are turning to commercials for air/play time.
this is nothing new, it's more like cutting out the middle man i suppose...
i personally think it can be a great new medium
so long as we don't forget who's pimping who..& for what.

i used to love making paper dolls when i was a kiddie,
so this converse/n.e.r.d/santogold/julian casablancas collabo made me smile :)

s.s.

underneath it all

2008-08-24T17:45:00.007-04:00

"It's slightly ironic that oneof our most powerful shoots involved nudity. After all, nudity and scantily clad representations are typically what's wrong with how women of colour are usually presented.
Watch any music video, film,or reality television show and women of colour are usually presented in the same light: stripped down, over-sexualized and dehumanized. But what I realized during this shoot, as these women gracefully and confidently took ownership of their bodies, was that the issue never was about their physical bodies or about being naked.
Control, context, variety and ownership make all the difference.
When I see images of young girls bent over for a men's magazine or dancing half-naked for a rapper, I feel sad and angry. When I see nude images of women reclaiming their bodies and reveling in their beauty, I feel proud and inspired. It's about women of color having the power to decide how and why their bodies are being seen; about having ownership of their beauty and their self-esteem; and about having the opportunity to see a variety of real women- women who are of different skin tones, different ages, different backgrounds and different experiences."
-Simona Siad
(an excerpt taken from 'oh, one more thing' the last page of sway magazine)

bravo simona.
in an industry where the odds are often highly stacked against reality,
you were able to carve out a beautiful piece regardless of the resistance you may have faced
the issue is rich and full
the article is beautiful
it is a great step in the right direction
i am inspired, hopeful,
and so very proud to call you my sister!
love,

s.s.

(photo by alexis finch)

coco avant chanel

2008-08-23T14:25:00.004-04:00

coco avant chanel...
audrey tatou as gabrielle bonheur
tres interessant!

s.s.

buongiorno principe!

2008-08-08T12:39:00.002-04:00

this is why i love the sartorialist
andre benjamin shining like the sun in florence, italy

s.s.

magic

2008-08-07T20:02:00.008-04:00

the stress level's high
and the moral's low
and when it's lookin' like you're about to blow
your mind to the moon
stop what you're doin'
tap into your...

s.s.

keep it moving

2008-07-31T19:54:00.004-04:00

that day. that bus.
cheek pressed up against a window
one last look (try to remember it all!)
heart heavy and light at the same time
oh to be in transit again

s.s.

oh erykah

2008-07-31T19:50:00.000-04:00

yet another reason why i love this woman!

s.s.

king of hearts

2008-07-09T21:07:00.009-04:00

there have been whispers of a soft society
those who toil like cogs in a massive wheel by day
and gather by night to reveal their true selves...

in a perfect world,
you record an ep. it garners heaps of praise. like clockwork, you immediately follow with an lp.
and another, then another, and your music lives happily ever after amen.
but this isn't a perfect world.
so it's imperfectly perfect that shawn hewitt has taken his time with things.
after all... music lies in the journey, not the destination.
a follow up to the soft society ep will drop with the leaves this autumn..

perfect timing.

-s.s.

a sound supreme

2008-07-08T22:46:00.002-04:00

design: pablo alfieri
*thanks for this randy!

-s.s.

hurts so good

2008-07-05T23:05:00.002-04:00

oh millie!
i love this clip for so many different reasons.

*note: is that jeff from 'today's special' at around the 1:30 mark?

-s.s.

in due time

2008-07-03T22:14:00.008-04:00

signora,
between austria and italy,
there is a section of the alps
called the semmering.
it is an impossibly steep,
very high part of the mountains.

they built a train track
over these alps
to connect vienna and venice.

they built these tracks before
there was a train in existence
that could make the trip.

they built it because they knew
someday the train would come.

-signor martini
(under the tuscan sun)


s.s.


(ps)

slapademicks.

2008-07-01T23:12:00.007-04:00

freshcoastin', westcoastin', bestcoastin'
like cocoa butter
like cool breeze
like let your hair down type
like sun right up in your face
like umbrella in your drink
like green green/ blue blue
like sittin' on the dock of the bay type groove

download.

-s.s.

ps. dear jason. you're the only one allowed to remix sade. it's almost a sin. almost.

visual effects

2008-06-29T23:45:00.003-04:00

la double vie de véronique

-s.s.

easy (longin')

2008-06-28T15:24:00.006-04:00

****************************************
******************************
**********************
i don’t wanna shout for you
i don’t wanna raise my voice for you
i don’t wanna change my tone for you

i don’t wanna rush for you
i don’t wanna waste.away for you
i don’t wanna
don’t wanna

i don’t wanna hide for you
i don’t wanna spin around in (circles) for you

if you want to walk with me
it should be easy
easy easy

eeeeeeeeeeeeasy

i’d like to crumble for you
i’d like to rhyme with you
i’d like to..........................
i’d like to..........................

i wanna shine for you
i wanna fly with you (fly!)

but if you want to walk with me
it should be easy
easy easy

eeeeeeeeeeeasy

-s.s.

visions of violet

2008-06-23T23:12:00.005-04:00

superfly.

2008-06-22T14:31:00.005-04:00

...
some people don't have to force (it). for some the flow comes easy.

download.
s.s.

volcanoes and glaciers

2008-06-08T18:00:00.004-04:00

"it is frequently at the edges of things that we learn the most about the middle: ice and steam can reveal more about the nature of water than water alone ever could." -walter murch

this life is much the same.
it is only when things overflow, shatter, freeze or dissipate do we learn the truest nature of ourselves and the world around us.
we're all in this race together, but we can't be holding on to each other the entire trip.
and if at some point, your hand has slipped from mine, or mine from yours
we'll catch up later..
i'm sure.
and to you, my dear, hanging on to that edge
all alone
i feel you. head down taking a beating from the storm
but the point is to go through it, to walk through the rain
keep walking. keep on walking.
we're right behind you.

love.
s.s.

listen up

2008-05-18T19:16:00.000-04:00

summer is coming!

s.s.

caramel سكر بنات

2008-03-22T16:26:00.003-04:00

every once and awhile,
a movie comes along to remind me why i fell in love with the art of storytelling...

a film by nadine labaki

-s.s.

jazzy belle.

2008-03-15T22:06:00.005-04:00

1.) make a mixtape (or cd). put all your love into it.
2.) give it to someone.
3.) repeat. again & again & again.

yael naim

2008-03-10T22:23:00.005-04:00

"oui je suis si heureuse alors pourquoi la nuit je pleur..."

(thank you f.)

declarative sentences (like...you know?)

2008-03-04T22:59:00.002-05:00

-s.s.

& again

2008-03-02T22:57:00.004-05:00

fall again

sipping the dew from my eyes glazed with passion decayed
gulping a sigh with my lungs laced with soured delight
beating the life from my heart dipped in sugared defeat
wearing the souls of my feet cause you still walk right by

i’d like to fall again
bump my head and scrape my knees
let’s get lost again
and walk around aimlessly

breathing the words from my mouth kissed by syrupy lies
treading the edge of my nerves spiked with colicky cries
walking the line of my life straight in womanly curve
needing the silence of love secure with no words

i’d like to fall again
bump my head and scrape my knees
let’s get lost again
and walk around aimlessly

i’d like to fall again
bump my head and scrape my knees
let’s get lost again
and walk around aimlessly

i’d like to fall again
i’d like to fall again
i’d like to fall again
i’d like to fall again
i’d like to fall again
i’d like to fall again

words & sounds: saidah baba talibah ©2000

love rewind (everyday's the fourteenth!)

2008-02-16T15:47:00.006-05:00

a blues bar in chicago's south side, 1962.

rock and roll

2008-02-08T22:07:00.001-05:00

elvis presley ain't got no soul. bo diddley is rock and roll (c) dante

to the foot, from its child

2008-01-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

a child's foot doesn't know it's a foot yet
and it wants to be a butterfly or an apple
but then the rocks and pieces of glass,
the streets, the stairways
and the roads of hard earth
keep teaching the foot that it can't fly,
that it can't be a round fruit on a branch.
then the child's foot
was defeated, it fell
in battle,
it was a prisoner,
condemned to life in a shoe.

little by little without light
it got acquainted with the world in its own way
without knowing the other imprisoned foot
exploring life like a blind man.

those smooth toe nails
of quartz in a bunch,
got harder, they changed into
an opaque substance, into hard horn
and the child's little petals
were crushed, lost their balance,
took the form of a reptile without eyes,
with triangular heads like a worm's.
and they had callused over,
they were covered
with tiny lava fields of death,
a hardening unasked for.
but this blind thing kept going
without surrender, without stopping
hour after hour.
one foot after another,
now as a man,
or a woman,
above,
below,
through the fields, the mines,
the stores, the government bureaus,
backward,
outside, inside,
forward,
this foot worked with its shoes,
it hardly had time
to be naked in love or in sleep
one foot walked, both feet walked
until the whole man stopped.

and then it went down
into the earth and didn't know anything
because there everything was dark,
it didn't know it was no longer a foot
or if they buried it so it could fly
or so it could
be an apple.

poem by pablo neruda
translated by jodey bateman

-s.s.

thin skin

2008-01-20T21:27:00.000-05:00

"if i'm late it's 'cause i'm endin' my day
just when the sun shines
and still gently advising the arisin'
of the moon as it rolls around
into my soundproof dimension" (c) left eye

notes to a hermit:
*go outside (only when you're ready!) the sun will be good for your face.
*it's okay to use your outdoor voice indoors. and vice versa.
*a secret: your secrets taste sweeter on the tongue of someone else.
*resist the urge to say nothing to no one.

s.s.

the year of them

2008-01-01T21:05:00.000-05:00

i really enjoyed this article.
it's sweet & right on point.
especially in the wake of my recent departure from all *those* social networking sites.
happy new year to you all!

-s.s.

dignificada

2007-12-31T12:28:00.000-05:00

r.i.p. ms. bhutto.
june 21 1953- december 27 2007

-s.s.

film. the most lethal weapon!

2007-12-20T00:07:00.000-05:00

i have a soft spot for danny glover. he reminds me of my dad a little.
here are some reasons why he's kind of awesome:
1. he was appointed goodwill ambassador for the united nations development program
2. he met his wife at what is now san francisco state university, where he proceeded to wait for a class of hers to get out, just so he could talk to her.
3. he openly admits that he did gone fishin' and operation dumbo drop strictly for the money.
4. he is friends with fidel castro and hugo chavez.
5. oh yes. and he is one of only two actors to survive a hand-to-hand confrontation with a predator. the other being arnold schwarzenegger.
i recently discovered that he will be directing a film about the life of toussaint l'ouverture and that it's being produced by glovers own studio.
don cheadle, mos def, chiwetel ejiofor, jonathan rhys meyer and angela basset are all slated to star in this biopic which already has a fair bit of controversy surrounding it.
what i find most amusing in the american coverage of this deal, is how the $20M to finance the film is being described as 'dirty, filthy, money'. hold up.
what is the average hollywood film budget anyways? where does the money come from to finance these films? why aren't all film producers as scrutinized?
i'll be following this story/film closely in the coming months.

-s.s.

seaching (c) mjb

2007-12-16T00:13:00.000-05:00

i'm just reminiscing over the art of the duet..

-s.s.

dreams for sale

2007-12-10T23:02:00.000-05:00

-s.s.

my moon, my man.

2007-11-08T21:11:00.000-05:00

mr. spacek pointed to the moon, and said matter-of-factly;
'his face. you can't see the face in the moon?'
'no' she replied...

life moves at such a dizzying pace now,
and i cannot tell my dreams apart from my reality.
wake up, then go to sleep, wake. sleep. sleep. wake.
i'm fascinated by these brilliant people that i work with.
i'm humbled by my friends and fam.
i want to eat everything. i'm so hungry.

...the man sitting next to her on the subway smelled so sweet that it took everything she had not to rest her head on his shoulder...

it's cold. it's cold outside man. it's cold inside man.
mustn't forget to talk to strangers. it's the most important thing.
i met a man who was 96 years old the other day. after stubbornly refusing my hand to help him up the stairs, he giggled and said,
'you know! it's always the ladies who offer!'
i told him he didn't look a day over 80.
i also met an architect, who told me that she's had this reoccurring dream ever since she was a little girl.
she builds the most magnificent sand castle, only to be washed away by the tide.
i can tell it haunts her.
i've got to fix my record player. that'll warm me up.
i try jedi mind tricks on my phone, but still it won't ring.
except a seven am wake up call.
i answer anyways 'hello? hello.'

she went to sleep (or was it that she woke up?)
and when she looked out her window she finally saw it.
the face in the moon!
-s.s.

best costume ever.

2007-10-31T22:42:00.000-04:00

felt: $5.99 needle: $0.99 thread: $2.99
a homemade costume? priceless.
my mom killed it every year.
she always came up with everything from scratch too!!
here's to originality. & to coloring outside the lines.
& to being the only damn crayon in class.
thank you for the time you put in to us maman.
i would not be who i am today were it not for you.
love,
s.s.

happy birthday, new york subway!

2007-10-27T11:37:00.000-04:00

this weekend marks the 103rd anniversary of the opening on new york ciy's underground transit system, which is now the largest in the world.
alot of history on those rails.

magnum photos

-s.s.

favorite scenes v3

2007-10-23T15:16:00.000-04:00

INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - LATER
Bobby Darin sings "DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE" on the RADIO. Carolyn SINGS along as she drives. Her face has lost its usual resolute determination; she's actually enjoying herself spontaneously, and the lack of her usual self-consciousness allows us to see just how beautiful she is.

ANGLE ON the GLOCK 19 sitting on the passenger seat amidst some CDs.

Carolyn takes the gun and holds it at arm's length, admiring it as she continues to SING.

EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - CONTINUOUS

The Mercedes turns onto Robin Hood Trail.

INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS

Carolyn's POV: We turn into the Burnham driveway. A 1970 PONTIAC FIREBIRD with racing stripes blocks our access to the garage.

CLOSE on Carolyn: She doesn't like having things in her way.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Lester's REMOTE-CONTROLLED MODEL JEEP is zooming across the floor of the family room, expertly maneuvering corners and narrowly avoiding crashing.

Lester is sprawled on the couch in his underwear, drinking a BEER and controlling the car. His working out is beginning to produce results. The room, too, seems changed: sloppier, more lived in.

Carolyn enters through the kitchen, flushed and angry. She just stands there, staring at Lester. After a moment, he looks up at her.

LESTER

What?

CAROLYN

Ah, whose car is that out front?

LESTER

Mine. 1970 Pontiac Firebird. The car I always wanted and now I have it. I rule!

CAROLYN

Where's the Camry?

LESTER

I traded it in.

CAROLYN

Shouldn't you have consulted me first?

LESTER

Hmm, let me think... No. You never drove it.

(then)

Have you done something different? You look great.

CAROLYN

(brusque)

Where's Jane?

LESTER

Jane not home. We have the whole house to ourselves.

He smiles at her playfully. She stares back, annoyed. It's the same look she had at the beginning, when he dropped his briefcase, but whatever power that look had is gone. Lester just LAUGHS.

LESTER (cont'd)

Christ, Carolyn. When did you become so... joyless?

CAROLYN

(taken aback)

Joyless?! I am not joyless! There happens to be a lot about me that you don't know, mister smarty man. There is plenty of joy in my life.

LESTER

(leaning toward her)

Whatever happened to that girl who used to fake seizures at frat parties when she got bored? And who used to run up to the roof of our first apartment building to flash the traffic helicopters? Have you totally forgotten about her? Because I haven't.

His face is close to hers, and suddenly the atmosphere is charged. She pulls back automatically, but it's clear she's drawn to him. He smiles, and moves even closer, holding his beer loosely balanced. Then, just before their lips meet...

CAROLYN

(barely audible)

Lester. You're going to spill beer on the couch.

She's immediately sorry she said it, but it's too late. His smile fades, and the moment is gone.

LESTER

So what? It's just a couch.

CAROLYN

This is a four thousand dollar sofa upholstered in Italian silk. This is not "just a couch."

LESTER

It's just a couch!

He stands and gestures toward all the things in the room.

LESTER (cont'd)

This isn't life. This is just stuff. And it's become more important to you than living. Well, honey, that's just nuts.

Carolyn stares at him, on the verge of tears, then turns and walks out of the room before he can see her cry.

LESTER (cont'd)

(calls after her)

I'm only trying to help you.

you got a fast bike/ i want a ticket to anywhere

2007-10-17T14:15:00.000-04:00

the ultimate in voyeurism.
my face feels wind burned
& my eyes sting after watching this clip.
filmed. directed. & edited. by lucas brunelle. nyc. 2004.

is this a broken social scene song that he used? does anyone know?
oh. i snatched this clip off of fredrik skogkvist's blog! he is one of the minds behind this video.
-s.s.

happy times, again

2007-10-12T13:42:00.000-04:00

e.lectricity

2007-10-04T00:22:00.000-04:00

el mocambo.
pre or maybe post show.
sometime. 2007.
photo by shoe fleur.
-s.s.

boogie woogie

2007-10-02T15:54:00.000-04:00

"one night i was layin' down,
i heard papa talkin' to mama.
i heard papa say, to let that boy
boogie-woogie. 'cause it's in him
and it's got to come out."
--john lee hooker

-s.s.

favorite scenes v2.3

2007-10-01T01:56:00.000-04:00

RALEIGH
You’ve made a cuckold of me.
Everyone looks at Raleigh and Margot. Silence.
MARGOT
I know.
RALEIGH
Many times over.
MARGOT
I’m sorry.
RALEIGH
And you’ve nearly killed your poor
brother.
ETHELINE
What’s he talking about?
MARGOT
It doesn’t matter.
RALEIGH
She’s balling Eli Cash.
Everyone looks surprised and extremely uncomfortable.
ETHELINE
Oh, my goodness.
RALEIGH
May I have a cigarette?
MARGOT
What?
RALEIGH
Shall I repeat the question?
MARGOT
You don’t smoke.
RALEIGH
(bitterly)
I bloody well know that.
Raleigh stares at Margot in silence. Margot sighs. She
reaches into her pocket and takes out a pack of cigarettes.
She gives one to Raleigh. He puts it in his mouth.
RALEIGH (CONT’D)
And a light, please?
Margot takes out some matches and lights Raleigh’s cigarette.
90.
CONTINUED:
(CONTINUED)
RALEIGH (CONT’D)
Thank you.
Raleigh stands up and walks away, down the hall, out the
door. Silence. Margot lights a cigarette for herself.
Etheline looks disturbed.

(re)fresh

2007-09-22T01:07:00.000-04:00

you know that exhilarating feeling that you get
when you dive into water?
the moment right after you break the surface,
but right before you make a move?
like, aaaaaaaaaaaah
that's kinda how exile's beats make me feel.
-s.s.

blu&exile/so(ul) amazin' (steel blazin')

there have been no words.

2007-09-19T22:08:00.000-04:00

...

i had to re-post this. thank you su, for sharing...

"i cried when i saw those building collapse on themselves
like a broken heart.
i have never owned pain
that needs to spread like that.
there is no poetry in this"
suheir hammad

-s.s.

speakervision

2007-09-18T10:08:00.000-04:00

alot of friends are involved in manifes.to this week (sept 20-23)
come down & support!
congratulations to everyone who made it happen, you've all done great work.
i'm really looking forward to rod skimmins & his live mixtape show, where a bunch of artists perform/record a 'mixtape' on the fly. unpredictable. irreverent. always a good time.
& i really really can't wait to finally see ms. muldrow!
her sophomore album is one of my favorites.
dudley perkins and georgia anne muldrow make their toronto debut as a dynamic duo this saturday night. weeeee!

-s.s.

it's mathematical. music.

2007-09-17T22:55:00.000-04:00

-s.s.

changes (autumn is for dreamers!)

2007-09-17T20:27:00.000-04:00

dear you,
autumn is my favorite season. maybe it's the crisp, cool air that brings a flood of memories.
back to school.
back to work. back to something. newness. autumn is tricky. because just before it starts, it's over.
how many times do we reinvent ourselves throughout our lives?
how many times is it out of necessity?

the toronto international film festival just wrapped. &
i 've fallen in love with the cinema all over again. the unique thing about this particular 'fest, is that there is no hierarchy. everyone is equal.
one minute, you're kicking it outside a theater, and someone gives you tickets to a show they cannot make.
& just like that, you are sitting among the biggest filmakers, actors, and lovers of cinema in the world.
it's a magical time. i really can't fully express how heavy these screenings are.
experiencing a brand new film in a giant theater among hundreds of other human beings is something everyone should get the chance to experience at least once in their life. because it feels so good.
to laugh together, to gasp together and in some instances, to be so completely moved in silence together.
please watch for these films in the coming months------------------>

lust/caution*
dir. ang lee
although this film is one of the most visually stuning pieces i've seen in a minute, it was tang wei's performance as the female lead in this stunning work that took my breath away.
favorite: the score is perfectly dark, i was haunted by it for days afterwards.
*spoiler alert! if you're a fan of 'less is more' when it comes to trailers like i am, you won't like this one.
it gives too much.

i'm not there
dir. todd haynes
i'm so glad to have seen this picture. it's already reached classic status in my mind. i think i'll be revisiting in for years to come. for sure.
each scene was so strikingly different from the last, & woven together these remarkable moments not only form a coherent piece- they make up a masterpiece. i've got too much to say about this film, so i won't say much at all.
cate blanchett steals the whole damn show with the strongest piece of acting i've seen in many years.
& each time charlotte gainsbourg appeared on screen, i cried. her hearbreaking portrayal of sara dylan will be etched in my memory for a long long long time. genius.
favorite: christian bale in black & white. still photos. so good.

son of rambow
dir. garth jennings
we've all romanticized some aspects of our youth in some way or another.
somehow, writer/director garth jennings completely captures the essence of being a kid. minus the kitsch.
& although i'm not a boy, it was all so... relate-able. pop rockets! scratch & sniff! rambo!
this movie was brilliant mix of hilarity and ones kaleidescope memory of childhood.
favorite: any man who wears white trainers with a suit to their own premier is pretty darn neat in my books. 10!

-s.s.

a sepia dream

*the dolo episode*

all that jazz

*the hope episode*

out of place

out my mind (just in time)

no room for doubt

(i will not tell you)

*the shades of grey episode*

the entire universe

california dreamin'

dénouement

we are water

ars poetica

lunar love(r)

the sun is in your hands

*the spring episode*

all sparkles from the jump

v.3 (insomnia)

what the body remembers

dança da solidão

first

a case of you

on winter, and pesistence.

just ask a woman

*the sumptuous feast episode*

the lost tapes (preview)

kahlil

freedom

花樣的年華 (the years slipped past like flowers)

shedding skins

the heart.ache episode

lubrification

bouge-toi

who's gonna save my soul?

falling

scenes from montmartre (pt 1)

no longer at ease

face to the wall

ils auront allongé

less surface, more root

sabali

harvest moon

remembrance day

slumdog millionaire

dear science

queen st. dreams

dead time

on the other side of town

a very yoko winter

música de bolso

u-min

twice

life in outer space

a long way gone

new medium(s)

underneath it all

coco avant chanel

buongiorno principe!

magic

keep it moving

oh erykah

king of hearts

a sound supreme

hurts so good

in due time

slapademicks.

visual effects

easy (longin')

visions of violet

superfly.

volcanoes and glaciers

listen up

caramel سكر بنات

jazzy belle.

yael naim

declarative sentences (like...you know?)

& again

love rewind (everyday's the fourteenth!)

rock and roll

the dolo episode

the hope episode

the shades of grey episode

the spring episode

the sumptuous feast episode