"Often while traveling with a camera we arrive just as the sun slips
over the horizon of a moment, too late to expose film, only time enough
to expose our hearts." - Minor White.
Images by Minor White "Windowsill Daydreaming" 1958, and "Sun Over the Pacific, Devil’s Slide, California" 1947.
"And then I began to see...", A press check of a signature of "Hoop Dancing", at Arizona Lithography, Tucson, Arizona (c) Fall 2009 Stu Jenks.
["Hoop Dancing", the book, should be available for shipment upon my return from Chicago. Go to my website at www.stujenks.com to order the book. And may all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving.]
(Meditation for the day: "It is what it is, and it ain't what it ain't")
From The 2009 All Souls' Procession, Tucson, Arizona (c) 2009 Stu Jenks
[All images by Stu Jenks, except the bottom one of me in a kilt, taken by Tom Willett]
"Beaufort, South Carolina, 1955" (detail) by Robert Frank
[Taken by me at the MOCA in Downtown Los Angeles in September. I had permission. Sadly, the images from "The Americans" series were very poorly lit, not like the same images I saw in August, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. There, they were exquisitely lit. This, and others in the series are perfect photographs: The woman's radiant face, the sun behind her, the light pole that echos the Cross. Perfect. Other memories from MOCA: LA that day, were a class of tweens taking a tour of the museum and having their teacher or a docent tell them that the poorly-crafted, arrogant, nightmares-on-a-wall they were seeing, were actually good paintings. The look on the kids' faces was priceless. Remember, it was a child who told the townspeople that the Emperor had no clothes on. Sadly, the schoolkids weren't in the room with "The Americans." I bet they would have looks of awe on their faces, not wrinkled-up noses. Hopefully they got to see them before they left.]
"When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice." - Robert Frank.
"Infrared Bozo at 'I Love Teryyaki & Sushi', San Francisco, California" (c) 2009 Stu Jenks
"Mom, I saw U2 with Cathy the other night in Phoenix. We had a wonderful time."
"I'm so glad," she says. It's after dinner. Mary's in bed. She's in good spirits in spite of the scary-waking-visions she's having these days. Today is a day when the dementia makes her feel special rather than cursed. She mentioned to me earlier to make sure I go downstairs and get the $50 in an envelope that is on a chair. There is no downstairs, no $50, no chair. I told her I would get the envelope on my way out tonight.
"They sang this song called 'Walk On.'"
"I know that song," she says. She begins to sing a song. I think it's a Roger Miller song. After a bit, I stop her, to finish my story.
"It's a different 'Walk On," I say, regretting immediately that I had cut her off.
"Oh," she says, but looks at me intently without any shame. Just with love and great interest.
"It's a wonderful song," I say, "About those who have died and have gone before us to the Other Side. I thought about Dad and how I miss him, and I thought about you and how I'm going to miss you when you die."
"I hope so," she says.
I don't tell her that I cried though most of the song, not because I feel any shame about that. I just don't want to break down in front of her, right now.
"I'll miss you a lot, Mom."
She then gets this faraway look in her eye. I know the look. She's getting ready to say sometime very loving, very sweet. If she can get it out.
"I know ...it's selfish of me,... but I told someone today,... that I don't know... what I would do... without Stu."
"You don't need to do anything, Mom. I'll be here for you. Always."
"Thank you, Stu."
I let the Love hang in the air. I don't speak. I don't mess it up. I just let the Circle of Love spin between us. Through us. Through all of us.
"...You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been
A place that has to be believed to be seen
Walk on, walk on" - U2
[Photos of U2 were taken from their website.]
HoCoFest 2009, Hotel Congress, Tucson, Arizona: (c) Stu Jenks 2009
[Just a few selected images from HoCoFest 2009. From top to bottom: "Club Congress Lamp", "Alana Sweetwater", "Al Perry and a Cowboy", "Cracker", "The Whole Hoco", "The Hotel Congress Sign", and "From the Hotel Congress Roof." And thank you, Dave Slutes, for the job. And sorry to the Calexico fans: I hurt my right foot a few weeks before the Hoco, and I could only endure some much pain. Hopefully, next time.]
"Barney Stu, Imperial Beach, California" (c) 2009 Annie Gordon & Stu Jenks
[A Barney is an inexperienced surfer, after Barney Rubble. Annie took the shot. I fiddled with it later. Many thanks to Matt Bagby, my instructor that day. The best teacher ever. And I just called Maui to begin the process of ordering a blue Sunset Softboard. Much better than the rentals I've gotten. I am truly stoked, to get my own board. Truly.]
[Wonderful shot by Master Nocturnal Photographer Brent Pearson, taken on the Fourth of July, 2009, in Southeastern Utah. Wish I could have been at four places at the same time on that night, but I was with good friends from The Rooms, so all was well. Happy July, everyone.]
"Maritime Museum, San Francisco, California" (c) July 4th, 2009 by Cathy Spann
[This images were taken by Photographer Cathy Spann, last night, in San Francisco. Great stuff. As she said, "Very Francis Scott Key." Very much so. Both ancient and modern at the same time. Lovely.]
