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contours provocations
journal - 2001-0626 - tue 2100 Paragraph 175; Disconnectness; "Parce Mimi Domino"; "Ny Batteri" A couple of days ago, the mail brought a promotional flyer from HBO. A gloosy, slick multi-page fold-out obviously aimed at a gay audience. Highlighted programs include "Sex and the City," "Six Feet Under," "If These Wall Could Talk 2," "Dragtime," "Trick" and a "Live Madonna Concert." Possibly HBO is fearful of losing too many viewers to Showtime. The most impressive item mentioned was a movie - "Paragraph 175." The title is a reference to that part of the Nazi penal code that outlawed homosexual activities, institutions and gathering places. An estimate of those sent to the camps is between 10 - 15 thousand. The film offers the accounts of six survivors of the Nazi era. Even after the war, few were willing to discuss their experiences since homosexual activities were illegal in the US, UK and the USSR. Hence, the plight of gays in the Holocaust was almost unknown until recently. I had dinner earlier this evening with someone. Several times during the meal, I felt totally disconnected from the conversation. As though the words are flowing back and forth, but only on occasion do they reach their target. I'm puzzled by this, and am not at all sure what it means. Should I talk less? Ask more questions? Listen more intently? Attempt to intice more comments? Shut up and play with my food? Throw rice at the server? Have the server throw rice at me? Again with that feeling of disconnectedness. I'm not sure what it means. What do I do about it? One of the most powerful ingredients of Sunday's QAF was the music during the last portion. It was very unusual and not like anything I'd heard before. It literally sounded like a tenor sax jazz solo over Gregorian chant. Last night, I looked at several QAF forums, and discovered my idea was fairly accurate. The piece was "Parce Mimi Domino" by the group Hilliard Ensemble with the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek on a CD called "Officium." Oddly enough I've heard of the Hilliard Ensemble but know very little about them. It was a somber, haunting lament that perfectly matched the action. Notes that seem to pierce the soul. For the last week or so, I've been listening to 3WK at work. Alternative is the keyword here. I think I read a comment that said, "Should only be listened to by people wearing plaid shirts." Within that period, I've heard a very odd song that caught my imagination. The words sounded vaguely Latin. And for a while I considered that it might be Latin played backwards. Today I paid more attention and wrote down the info offered by 3WK. I then looked at my note, and it said, "Sigur Ros, Ny Batteri, Agaetis Byrjun." Turns out it is a group from Iceland - "Sigur Ros." The language is Icelandic. The song is "Ny Batteri," and the CD is "Agaetis Byrjun." It is every bit as hypnotic as "Parce Mimi Domino." PAX!
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