Jay Wrote

of what sacrifice Should you grasp that desiccated rib of basketry  from some high and rocky shelf or commodify a shard with camera; take too the stony yellow dust  that abrades emerging gasps at birth and colors each breath of prayer.  In time’s fading light  scuff another’s memory or echo  disperse it like spores from a puffball; your steps like stitches  that pierce and hold and sunder. A rock.  A village. A ruin. JW (bouncing off Gertrude Stein) LET US DESCRIBE.         Let us describe how they went. It was a very windy night and the road although in excellent condition and extremely well graded has many turnings and although the curves are not sharp the rise is considerable. It was a very windy night and some of the larger vehicles found it more prudent not to venture. In consequence some of those who had planned to go were unable to do so. Many others did go and there w...

Violence in Minnesota. A series. Written as the days go by.  I’d change some in light of others’ wisdom and changes in what we see. Violence in Minnesota. A series. 1 Unless you are already suffering trauma from violence, you must see the video of the killing of George Floyd, at least fast forward through it. Especially if you are white. Look once and remember it forever. It is horrifying. Look at the other video (Washington Post had this) that shows what happened before the assault on Mr. Floyd began. Remember that for many people it is only just barely an act of imagination to think Mr. Floyd might be their son, neighbor, teacher or self. Violence, trauma, violence, trauma, violence, trauma. George Floyd. Violence in Minnesota. A series 2. Violence is American as cherry pie. H. Rap Brown. I am not going to cover the ground of state- sponsored violence and neglect that is the sweatshop that built the powder that is exploding in Minnesota and elsewhere now. It doesn’t have to be ...

Out of the Shadows. From the Datebooks of James E. Wilkinson, Jr. Photo taken by the shadow himself, atop C&O freight car, Barrett W. Va., April 19, 1941 Introduction These are excerpts from Jim Wilkinson‘s 1941, ’46, ’47 and ’53 date books. His writing was small, and while not messy, hard to read at times. I excerpt without attention to grammar fixing only a few times to assure that meaning gets across. He’s my dad and I have learned much about him from these and the research done to provide context and understanding of what he wrote. Some parts of his gnomon (the part of a sundial that casts the shadow) were very familiar - like his reading habits and his shoulders that we see on the boxcar in our first photo. Others were hidden and only in looking back can I now make out hints of his emotional life. Chapter 1: JEW Jr. His Background and 1941 JEW, Jr. at 6 months. Jim was born in 1918, eldest son of (Elva) Gertrude Schultz and J. Edgar W...