Existential Developments

A few days ago, I mentioned reading “At The Existentialist Cafe“.  Finished it and now Kim is devouring this wonderful book.  Two items of note:

1. Author Sarah Bakewell frequently refers to books and films with relevant influences and connections.  One she mentioned was the 1949 film “Rendezvous in July” (“Rendez-vous de juillet”) in which French youth, driven by American culture and trends, adopt lumberjack-inspired fashion (a forerunner of today’s metrosexuals?).  Here is a clip from that film:

2.  Herman followed up with his previous mention of having seen Sartre’s and Beauvoir’s gravesites in Paris (about ten years ago?) by sending along photos he made of a postcard that appeared in the grass alongside, apparently from an admirer who had jotted down some sentiments upon a visit to Montparnasse Cemetery.

I am encouraging Herman to send his photos to Bakewell, so we shall see what happens.

More 1974 South Dakota: Pine Ridge and Wounded Knee

In the run-up to my 1973-74 assignment to study the White Mountain Apache tribe and reservation, I read — among much else by way of research — Dee Brown’s shocking and controversial book, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”. (Read it, if you haven’t already.) Wounded Knee was also the site of a prolonged and violent protest occupation and takeover by AIM (American Indian Movement) Sioux members during my Arizona Apache stint, making big news throughout Native American communities and nationally as well.  A film was also made on the subject later on.  More

After I hit the road in late 1974, I decided to make a point of seeing the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.  Although I spent very little time there, expecting to give it more time on my return leg (never happened, unfortunately), I did grab some images of the mostly empty landscape as an adjunct to my sojourn through the Badlands.

rDay Five-Hundred-Eight: Unintended Consequences

This evening’s dog-stroll’s incident started with noticing that the moon was clearly visible overhead. Upon capturing that image, the next was to attempt to relate it to the markings on the field where we were walking. Then the next variation was to try to juxtapose a solitary dandelion in front of me with the moon. Even though it was fairly obvious that I didn’t have the appropriate lens for the task, I nevertheless stretched out on the grass as low as I could go to frame both the dandelion and the moon. Here’s the sequence:

That’s where the trouble began. Kim, who was walking the perimeter of the field almost exactly on the far opposite side from me apparently noticed and came running. Thinking the old guy had collapsed on the spot, I guess. When I arose, defeated by the failed photograph, she had come to within about twenty yards of me, and then could see that my prone position was deliberate.

Anyway, we did continue our walk without further complications.  And Kim brought to my attention that the whatever-it-is-flowering bush in front of the kitchen window is suddenly going gangbusters.