Here is what we have today. A cat with a glint in his eye. 2 pages from my 2004 visual journal. Due to my work-induced brain cloud I can no longer remember what I have and have not posted of my current book. And I don’t have time to scour the archives to check. Also I’m in the last 100 pages of Fall On Your Knees and I can’t breathe. I do, however, always have time for a poem or a book excerpt. How do you like this one from my current book?
…Frances grabbed it, turned to the last page – as is her habit with all books – and read it aloud. Lily has understood everythng in the happy-death prayer except for one word.
“What’s a viaticum?”
“It’s a holy word for clean underwear.”
“Can I see the book now, Frances?”
Lily reaches , but Frances pulls the book away and explains, “When you’re about to die and the priest comes and gives you extreme unction, he takes a set of clean underwear out of your drawer and blesses them. Then he puts them on you. Or if it’s an emergency and there’s no priest, anyone can bless the clean underwear. That’s where Fruit of the Loom underwear comes from, it comes from the Hail Mary when you say, ‘Blessed is the fruit of thy loom, Jesus’ ”
Now you know why I carry a clean pair of underpants in the trunk of my car. One never knows when Extreme Unction may need to be performed and having the necessary supplies can’t hurt.
It’s a long 3-day weekend. I’m desperate for unclogged spraypaint nozzles and I’ve sprayed my way through the black and white cans. Time for a return trip to Home Depot for more aerosal. I hope they have pink this time. Tomorrow around 3:18 pm that’s where I can be found. When you’re headed into a long weekend it’s best to be armed with spraypaint. I have some new stencils to try out and a new strategy for keeping the nozzles unclogged on my new cans. We’ll see if it works or not.
great pages, can’t wait to see what you do with the spray paint and stencils.
Along with the underwear you need to throw a bag of candy corn in your trunk because Viaticum = “food for the journey”. Since I am a literal person I know if I have to give anyone last rites I will be throwing a handful of candy corn in along with the prayer – just for good measure. Candy corn lasts a long time.
Can’t you spray those puppies upside down after each use? That is supossed to keep them unclogged.
I love Julien’s site! and that exhibit with the boatloads of polaroids on the wall? Wouldn’t that be the coolest thing to do in the house on one wall? It reminds me of Christian Boltanski’s work for some reason. Even though his is totally different it gave me the same feeling. And that is what art is right? All about feelings.
You rock girl. A year ago you never would have done this and now people “wait” for your words. AND for gradeschool portaits!
Haa! That’s a great excerpt!
I love the writing you’ve used and the layered look of the top page. And thanks for all the great links you share – hours of inspitarion. Have a happy week-end, I can’t wait to see what you do with the spray paint!