There’s an Alice Neel exhibit at the Met. Years ago, I went to a marvelous dinner party. Among the guests was one of these lads and his wife. When my companion, Pei Yi and I were invited, I got in touch with a friend who was the Scholastic editor of a monthly arts journal for teenagers. ”Who’s Alice Neel?” I moaned. My friend gave me one of her journals about Neel. I read all two pages and acquitted myself, I hope. In the Met photo, the Neel son at the party is on the right. He didn’t see well but made delicious cocktails. Pei Yi eyed me, guessing that I’d swatted up for the dinner party. He and the son got into an interesting discussion about the Rudolf Steiner School that the son had attended. The son was enjoying himself (fine food, lovely wine, charming hostess) and started to talk about his father’s escapades. The son’s wife called a halt to that and steered the conversation to ecology.

Michael Collins, the astronaut who flew the Apollo  11 around the moon in 1969, has died. “I have been places and done things you simply would not believe. I feel like saying: I have dangled from a cord a hundred miles up; I have seen the earth eclipsed by the moon, and enjoyed it. I have seen the sun’s true light, unfiltered by any planet’s atmosphere. I have seen the ultimate black of infinity in a stillness undisturbed by any living thing.

The New York Times claimed it published a complete list of Oscar nominated films, documentaries etc. Did I miss Farah Nabulsi’s The Present? It’s a Palestinian short film directed, produced and acted by Palestinians. The Present is both Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-nominated. 

You can see The Present on Youtube.

The following information is from Farah Nabulsi’s website. Her films are based on Palestinian realities. 

The Present sheds light on how Palestinians are deprived of the basic right to freedom of movement. Starring renowned actor Saleh Bakri, it won the Audience Award for Best Film at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2020 (World premiere), the Jury Award for Best Live Action Short at the Cleveland International Film Festival (North American premiere), and has since gone on to win upwards of 25 Audience and Jury Awards at numerous International film festivals as well as being licensed to Canal+ (France), Pacific Voice (Japan), Telefonica (Spain) and Netflix (Global). 

 Farah Nabulsi:”The arts play a crucial role in changing the world and I believe film precedes them all. It gives voice to the silenced, thereby helping build the empathy and understanding needed to effect change.”

Her films have been officially selected to international film festivals around the world and her novel approach has been endorsed by the likes of Noam Chomsky, Hanan Ashrawi, John Pilger, Ken Loach and others.

Farah is currently working on her first feature-length film.

IMB

Compassionate Choices has fought for years for end-of-life options. Let’s have a shout out for Oregon. That state enacted an aid-in-dying law 23 years ago. California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico (as of  March 15) Vermont, Washington and Washington, D. C. have followed suit. Come on, New York!

On Friday, Judy Woodruff’s PBS News Hour features two journalists’ expressing their opinions about the political and social scene. Jonathan Capehart is an attractive, handsome, assured Black man who works for the Washington Post. Articulate, witty, and very serious, he made me more aware once again how hard it is to be Black in the U. S. A. Mr. Capehart referred to the recent Black killings by police. He talked about Blacks wanting the justice that’s granted to Whites. He said he was afraid to leave his apartment. Driving is dangerous for Blacks. They are questioned by cops without reason. This reminded me of a Black family that lived in my building. Whenever the father and son entered the elevator, the Black father always went in front of his big Black teenager son to shield him from White eyes.

Coppelia is open! It’s a hot Cuban diner on 14th Street and Seventh Avenue. You can sit outside in the tiny enclosed porch or inside in the colorful, Cuban decor. The wait staff is efficient, friendly but not too, and the food is great.

Years ago, I made a brief trip to Cuba. Flying from Miami to Havana was like crossing a pond. Havana is a magical name and I was going there. It reminded me of Venice before it was surrounded by cruise ships and inundated with tourists and touristy paraphernalia. BUT the food was deeply disappointing. Maybe all the good Cuban cooks have moved to 14th Street and Seventh Ave. 

Back to Coppelia’s menu. I have a dear crazy friend who maintains a diet of kale, fries and two ice teas. At Cappelia her detailed instructions are followed without a murmur. I go for deeply fried chicken coated in buttermilk and a Modelo.

A Judson group, GOT, discussed being single. Its original name was Getting Old Together, upgraded to Getting Older Together. Our increased life span is one of the surprises of the current century. Medicine is grappling with it and we older folks are too. After questions i.e. how do I join zoom? The moderator brought up health, self care and exercise. Have you lost or gained weight. Eating properly? What about drinking? Getting exercise? Mental health? Up to date on doctors’ appointments? She mentioned loneliness, making new friends and keeping old ones. In addition, we talked about eating out, socializing on line and meetups. After Covid, what future plans do you have for a more normal life? Being single is becoming a norm.

NYMYSTERIES.COM  April 2, 2021 

Baptista’s painting of the Christ, my friend was exhibited in Riker’s Protestant chapel in 1971. It was sponsored by Minister Daniel Shank. In addition to being the Protestant minister at Rikers, Reverend Shank was prominent in AIDS awareness at a time when it was raging throughout New York City.

A friend and I made a quick visit to MOMA. It’s open! I’ve  spent a lot of time in MOMA so I looked for old friends: Jackson Pollack and The Black-American migration to the north.

Palm Sunday was rainy. I joined a Presbyterian service under the Washington Arch. Splatter, splatter. It was wonderful.