Dear Universe,

Love,
Elli

Say It Plain

Today, we made history. Today I sat on the floor, surrounded by my community, hugging my friends, and was moved to tears by the story we have created. Today I am proud, and hopeful, and brimming over with love for all that we are, have been, and will be.

Here, the words of poet Elizabeth Alexander as we welcomed our 44th president, Mr. Barack Obama:

"Praise song for the day.

Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others' eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.

A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, "Take out your pencils. Begin."

We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, "I need to see what's on the other side; I know there's something better down the road."

We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by "Love thy neighbor as thy self."

Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.

What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light."

Prettiest Tree

I know it's been nothing but videos around here lately, but I promise you're gonna like this one. Here is my old high school friend John and his lovely lady, Leila, performing a little Ben Sollee song called "Prettiest Tree on the Mountain."

I had the luck to watch these two sing and play last April at an open mic at the Skunk in Vermont. Since then they've moved to Portland on the left coast and left New England bereft in their absence, both in music and charm. Watch this video, and wait til their smiles at the end, and I swear you'll miss them too.

Grey Goodness

When I was in college, DJ Dangermouse released an unauthorized mashup called The Grey Album combining the Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album. I remember hearing about it from a friend who was inexplicably tied in to the hip hop music scene from within the iron gates of our culturally-insulated campus. Something made me think of it again recently, and I checked it out today and found that it is totally badass. Dangermouse drops some serioues beats, but since EMI dropped some serious cease-and-desist battle cries you can't access anything but bootlegged home vids on YouTube. No matter. The following is particularly radical, especially after about 3:45. Check it ouuut.

Ringing It In

Last night's house party was full of great people, good drinks, fun costumes, much shouting and joy, a bit of dancing and best of all, a little live bluegrass from the fellas in the back bedroom. Check it out.

Here's Andrew on cello, John and Alan on banjo, Kevin on guitar, Brian on washboard percussion, and Bill on upright bass. These boys are magic.

Happy New Year, everyone.