Ma bell

Sarah and I went to the bell hooks book signing tonight in Chelsea. She had the idea that we should get there early, and we thought we did. Technically we hadn't. The chairs were full and there were people standing in the back already. These people failed to realize that there were four seats right smack dab in the front. So I got to sit front and center. It was enjoyable. I took with me a copy of Yearning: Race, Gender, and Cultural Politics, because it's my favorite book of hers. And upon telling her this, I discovered that it is also her favorite. That was nice of her to say.

Before the book signing, Sarah and I got some pizza and then hit this place called the Tomato Bar and Restaurant. She likened it to an Eastern European bar/restaurant in the 1970s. I took her word for it, as I've never been to Eastern Europe, let alone in the 70s. It was a nice place. The ambiance was pleasant. Shortly after we arrived there, she whipped out my paper and went through it. She made only a few marks on it (a "yes" or two), which she said is good. The exceptional marks came in my "blacks examining whiteness" section, so that was good to see. I have a little organization issue she said "but overall, it was a very good paper." That's a relief. It's kind of hard to sit there and go through that process, but I needed it. It's the kind of boost that will help as I start the semester on Monday.  Speaking of the semester, my classes are all finalized. I think.

Here are the classes (be happy that "Modernity and Its Discontents" is not among them...I am):  Spanish I Texts and Interpretations (Sociological methods course) The Sociology of the Fundamentals of Culture Gender, Politics, and History (Because I didn't get enough history last semester).  I'm excited about them all. I heard that Orville Lee (Texts and Interpretations prof.) is heavy into theory so be prepared. I know I'm not. Judith Butler gave me problems over the break so this should be interesting. Actually, I could have done it; I think I was just burnt. I needed a break. The culture class seems interesting. It's a requirement for sociology. However, I'm starting to consider remaining in Liberal Studies. I really want the experience of writing a thesis. Masochism. I'm giving myself until the end of the semester to decide. I picked up the syllabus for the gender class. I'm going to learn a lot.

I got the latest issue of Time Out New York tonight and found out that August Wilson will be discussing the revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which is on Broadway right now and stars Whoopi Goldberg and Charles Dutton (remember the show Roc?). And it costs $50. I'm going to see about getting a student rush price. It's also in previews right now, so I may have a chance. Anyway, Wilson is going to discuss the revival and sign stuff. I'm bringing my copy of Fences just in case you wanted to know. The weather.

It's currently -3 (wind chill). I discovered a problem when you're walking in these temperatures and it's windy like it was tonight. First of all, why I'm out at 10 p.m. in these temps is beyond me. I was sitting in Starbucks with my skull cap on, gloves and my scarf. My feet were cold and my fingers were cold (the gloves cost $3). It's time to go buy some winter wear. I'm going to fork out the dough for sweet mittens, a cool hat with ear flaps, and something to cover the bottom half of my face because when I got home, I discovered that there was blood on my lips. Not cool at all. My lips are important to me. Enough is enough. And I'm going to layer. It just takes so long. So for the problem. It has to do with breathing. Walking south down Broadway from the train, I was met with gusts upwards of 20 mph. Cold gusts, of course. Now, when my mouth is open, the wind hits the back of my throat, which inhibits the free flow of air. The resultant loss of breath is annoying and so I close my mouth to avoid this. This doesn't help, really, because what then happens is the air is forced through my nose. The frozen nose hairs in turn aid in the burning sensation that results from the flow of air up into my head. To relieve this pain, I open my mouth, thus beginning the cycle all over again. Once I'm dressed for it, I'll be fine. At least I'm not wearing shorts.