april-mayday

this is a piece of music called coming together made by frederic rzewski. it sets to music a letter written by samuel melville (surnamed himself after herman melville in a bob dylan way) , who was an inmate at attica correctional facility, a prison in upstate new york around 1971 when a riot broke out in the prison with inmates demanding adequate healthcare, sanitation, food and in protest against violent beatings. the riot ended in four days of very fraught negotiations culminating in the prison being stormed by state police. at least 43 people died. Samuel melville was one of those who died. he had been radicalised by south african apartheid when he was sent to work in bank offices in SA by his US employer -- he became politically active and involved in radical direct action. he was imprisoned for his involvement in a series of bombings in 1969. At attica, he was one of the key organisers of the prison riot. he was shot and killed by police when they retook the complex. the letter which si set to music in this piece was written by Melville on may 16th 1971. Alex showed me this piece of music a few years ago and I have listened to it a lot this month

the second thing on my list is this sculpture made by michael e smith. I don't have much to say about it, i have been looking at it like all the time

this is an emily dickinson poem called the grass so little has to do

The Grass so little has to do –
A Sphere of simple Green –
With only Butterflies to brood
And Bees to entertain –
And stir all day to pretty Tunes
The Breezes fetch along –
And hold the Sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything –

And thread the Dews, all night, like Pearls –
And make itself so fine
A Duchess were too common
For such a noticing –

And even when it dies – to pass
In Odors so divine –
Like Lowly spices, lain to sleep –
Or Spikenards, perishing –

And then, in Sovereign Barns to dwell –
And dream the Days away,
The Grass so little has to do
I wish I were a Hay

the fourth thing on my list is kind of broad -- been re-reading loads of midnight notes pamphlets, in particular this mad essay called the work/energy crisis and the apocalypse. u can find it on the mayday rooms archive here: https://maydayrooms.org/archives/midnight-notes/mn-journals/