Paul Attinello

Author: paulattinello

  • Nadir; and the problem of small talk

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    by

    paulattinello
    in ,

    At the lowest point of light, time, and the year: that dark still point before the cycle turns back upward. It was interesting to see some people get upset over the entire Mayan-end-of-the-world meme – furious that people would dare discuss something not scientifically proven. But of course part of its attraction for many –…

  • Blurs

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    paulattinello
    in ,

    As teaching ended last Friday, I am putting myself back together, after what felt like three months of scrambling to keep up. And yes, I know that there are many people in the world – more energetic, harder-working – who would have been easily able to keep up with what felt like a heavy teaching…

  • A late entry

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    paulattinello
    in

    So, Stop AIDS Newcastle – the student-run political organization, which includes some of my own music students, and a lot of medical students among others – had a jazz concert tonight, on a night when a bit of snow completely stopped the buses and made a fair mess of the town. Joe, one of the…

  • 2 December

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    paulattinello
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    The first of December is of course World AIDS Day, a definite part of my calendar – there was a parade, speeches, 'lanterns' made of paper and glow sticks; and I had appearances on radio and television (the television studios were up to date and startlingly high-tech – in my four minutes of being in…

  • Rachel’s

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    paulattinello
    in

    Last year sometime I acquired a late album by the pomo/minimalist/post-genre group Rachel's. Over the past few weeks I started buying their remaining recordings; then today I managed to find mp3s of the two remaining ones that couldn't be purchased anywhere any more. Lovely, often sad. Beautifully played. Something a lot of classical and miniimalist…

  • South

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    paulattinello
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    … a conference in New Orleans. On an airplane, headed from northern England, via Amsterdam and Atlanta, to the real heart of the very South. Unfortunately, I keep being surprised at the sloppy, smelly American passengers in my last couple of air trips to the States – and they always seem to be so loud,…

  • Hard

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    paulattinello
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    Sunday afternoon in Newcastle. Sunny and clear, shops and restaurants open, people walking along. A young guy, shaved head, talks on his phone, walking up and down. He goes to the corner of a granite building near the bus stop, leans over, retches – vomits, not much, some chunks of food in what is probably…

  • An LA

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    paulattinello
    in

    Today was a day of minor but busy actions – a plane ticket, unraveling the resultant bank transactions, e-mails, laundry. No real or serious work, as too many days since Thomas went back to Munich – my fault of course… but this evening I was feeling utterly relaxed, physically and mentally, watching some TV… and…

  • Magic, Inc.

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    paulattinello
    in

    Words from a favorite passage of a favorite novel came to mind today. In the midst of a modern, slangy conversation about a dangerous situation and what to do, the tone changes: "Jedson said suddenly, 'White prevails over black.' She answered, 'Certainly.' 'Everywhere?' 'Everywhere, since darkness is the absence of light.' He went on, 'It is…

  • Last days

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    paulattinello
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    It is – probably – the second-to-the-last day of real summer; tomorrow is probably, as it were, the closing firework display of good weather. Pleasant that it will be a Sunday, after Rumana's big party tonight. Of course the weather forecast from Monday onwards, and knowledge of how North Sea weather goes, gives just a…