An Art Nerd's Night In: Back at it!

I never anticipated that blogging could entail such frustration and anxiety! I've missed posting so much. I would like to thank you for all the suggestions for hardware and software.  All the feedback was unanimous! MAC + WordPress = A less stressed me and a relatively glitchless blogging experience.  Here are a few things that were running through my brain last month:

Necessary Nerding
For an art historian whose focus is African American history, February was a tortuous month to have computer problems! I had so many posts to share. But since I'm black I'm declaring that all my months are Black History Month.  It's American history. It's women's history. It's Afro-Caribbean  history. It's military history. This is why the two Black History Month posts that I did have the opportunity to complete were titled "My Personal (black?) History." I was calling into question how the term made sense or nonsense for me and my progeny in the age of post-______, namely Post-Black (color doesn't matter now that there is a black & white President). I'm still questioning...to be continued in my Dissertation/First book.

The Obituaries
February was also a time for intense mourning: Etta James, Don Cornelius, Whitney Houston. My Twitter timeline echoed with a litany of  #worstblackhistorymonthever tweets. I was equally livid and confused. Spectators were turning their backs on serious teachable moments. Did Etta James's illness bring any awareness (funding or research) to Leukemia by the people who loved her music? Are you in the bone marrow registry?

Will the circumstances surrounding Don Cornelius's death create a deeper awareness and understanding of mental health--a subject still held in high contempt?  As I wrote on my Facebook page: There is so much cruel irony in the fact that Mr. Love, Peace, and Soul had no love or peace in his own soul.  Rest in peace Don Cornelius. Suicide doesn't just happen. It's a violent implosion that leads to an even more violent explosion. Know the signs... Find more details at storiesthatheal.samhsa.gov a site devoted to squashing the stigma of mental illness among African Americans.

And Whitney. I still have no words, only her songs and prayers for her mother and daughter. Sadly, Whitney's death taught me how judgemental, cruel, and witless people are. I mourned because she had a preventable and treatable illness: addiction and drug dependency. Those who say "I WOULD NEVER (insert judgemental and stupid comment here)" are those who have never reached the juncture to make such a choice. Watch what you say folks...

I think Whitney's death hit me so hard because of my Mum's untimely passing in August.  She was also a songstress. I spent (and sometimes still spend) hours thinking about how her death could have been prevented or if there was an option for treatment that would have kept her alive. After watching Whitney's funeral, I lamented to my brother that we didn't have any recordings of our Mum singing. He found an old VHS, which he's converted. Now I need to find the record that my Gramma recorded in the 1950s ...another story for another day.

What Was I Wearing?
While my computer was down, I got antsy. I started to sew. I will be posting my creations soon. Sadly, I accidentally erased 700 pictures from my drive. I'm still smiling though because that means there are just more outfits to create! My birthday was on February 7th and I wore a party dress all day even though all I did was run errands--imagine the stares LOL! My Valentine's Day Outfit had no red at all--my silent protest about the concessions of military wives.

I missed out on posting on why I have the blahs during fashion week, but it's not too late.

Gardens to Tend
Oh dear!  I have an open letter to write to someone who is allowing weeds to choke flowers and watching seedlings get trampled mercilessly.

And I know that cultural critics pounded at The Help ad nauseum, but I have a perspective that of course deals with how art historians will keep/teach those pictures and how they fit in the historical context of visual culture. By the way, Congratulations Ms. Octavia!

So much to talk about :)
Thank you all for the patience, support, and love.