Confessions of a Bathrobe Blogger

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Portrait of the Artist as Fragile, Yet Strong

Black bohemian/
With Modernist disjunctures/
And life’s discomforts.

Beauford Delaney (1901-1979), by Van Vechten, 1953.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman

Ladybird’s portrait/
Subdued luminosity/
Revealed in color.

Ladybird Cleveland (b. 1927), by Van Vechten, 1954

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Reflections On a Genius

Her savage conscience/

Is like an invasive weed/

That roots out evil.

Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006)

I always think about the brilliant Octavia Butler during this time of year--she died on February 24, six years ago. I have, in the past, posted passages from her works--especially her speculations on leadership. It seems as if folks are in the mood to ruminate--on local leadership, on the fate of Muhlenberg hospital, and on the future of the PMUA. I think very seriously about all the issues that come before the council. Here are my favorite Butler quotes, once again.

"Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears. To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool. To be led by the thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen. To be led by a liar is to ask to be lied to. To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery."

"All struggles are essentially power struggles. Who will rule? Who will lead? Who will define, refine, confine, design? Who will dominate? All struggles are essentially power struggles,and most are no more intellectual than two rams knocking their heads together."