June

By Connor Lassey. Source:
http://bosguy.com/2012/06/01/happy-pride-2/

Just a few minutes shy of July, I wanted to make a brief summation of June and it's theme. This month has flown by while reading Nobody Passes and Making Gay History, both books have offered different perspectives on Queer discussion. First, the trajectory traced in Making Gay History, offers a view of the LGBT movement in the US from its' commencement, when many lived their lives hidden. In total it covers the 20th century. The book mainly concentrates on the gay and lesbian aspect, transgender and bisexual doesn't enter much into the framework.

My aim for this month was precisely that, present recourses through which one can better glean the Homophile movement, given that it is Pride month. The clearer one understands the diversity inherent within the world we all reside, the higher the possibility for improvement. Given the in-depth point of view in Making Gay History I highly recommend the book, the pace is quick and there is an electric quality within the pace of the story, as the narrative progresses, that truly captures and transports the reader.

With Nobody Passes I wanted to stray further from normative gender expressions. For example, the second one by Nico Dacumos "All Mixed Up With No Place To Go: Inhabiting Mixed Consciousness On The Margins", centers on gender and mixed consciousness. Forget community and niche, the narrator endeavors to reveal to the reader the blurry lines of gender, fitting in and identity. Transgender, butch, bisexual, lesbian, Chicana, immigrant, all these categorizations and more are placed under the microscope and questioned. And what about a queer, black rapper? Ralowe T. Ampu AKA G-Minus speaks of his experience within the Homohop movement, his evolution as an artist. His experiences offer a colorful view of a community that is not widely disseminated; for example, I didn't know about Homohop. This book is replete with mixed angles that challenge normative society, lifting a veil that uncovers a race, the human race, that is proliferated with diversity.

Hence, it is evident that these two books offer good material and food for thought, not only for the Queer community but also for everyone that exists in and around the LGBT collective.

Haiku: Tokugawa Period

Ooooh how the sun is shinning in these parts. It is oh so very hot. The rains that were pouring these passed weeks are nowhere to be seen. It's about that time to dust away the bathing suit, throw it on, and head to the beach for some cooling down. With that, here is a Haiku to versify the day.


Come to me– with each other
Ware to kite
let's play– little sparrow
asobe yo oya no
without any mother.
nai suzume.

–Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828)
Trans. by Harold G. Henderson

Source:
http://nevsepic.com.ua/art-i-risovanaya-grafika/page,2,1143-raboty-ot-hirosige-utagavy-171-rabot.html

Now I hope the rest of you out there have a sunny and lovely day wherever you are.

Source:
http://nevsepic.com.ua/art-i-risovanaya-grafika/page,2,1143-raboty-ot-hirosige-utagavy-171-rabot.html

*From the Anthology of Japanese Literature compiled and edited by Donald Keene.

The Haiku: Matsuo Basho

Spring is slowly giving way to summer and before that happens I would like to capture the essence of spring, present and passing, while welcoming the warm summer months. This being said, I am going to dedicate the month of May to the Haiku. Definition from The New Oxford American Dictionary:

 haiku |ˈhīˌkoō; ˌhīˈkoō|

noun ( pl. same or -kus )a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world.• an English imitation of this.ORIGIN Japanese, contracted form of haikai no ku ‘light verse.’

Matsuo Basho, Autumn. Source:
http://montanawriter.com/2010/12/31/poetry-review-matsuo-basho/

I find the Haiku beautifully expresses nature in a concise and vivid form. Every couple of days during this month I will share a Haiku ranging from Matsuo Basho and his school to the late Tokugawa period or Edo period (1603-1867) in Japanese history. All of the works featured will be taken from my Anthology of Japanese Literature compiled and edited by Donald Keene. Since I have both the english translation and the romanized japanese words, I will be included both, the english and the japanese. The first is going to be by Matsuo Basho, one of the most famous and iconic Haiku masters. 



A village where they ring                     Kane tsukanuno bells! –oh, what do they do             mura wa nani wo kaat dusk in spring?                                haru no kure.–How very cool it feels:                        Hiya-hiya to taking a noonday nap, to have           kabe wo fumaetethis wall against my heels.                 hirune kana.

Matsuo Basho. Source:
http://petrumihaisacu.blogspot.com/2012/03/basho-haiku-o-primavara-nevazuta-de.html