Nothing is the like something else

and nothing repeats exactly the same.

We can say what goes around comes 

around and the past is never  past

but now we are in a time like no

other time—this is the last time

we have to correct the course

our path is the last one up the mountain.

We have been given many opportunities

to learn from history and to read and learn

and grow from knowledge…..

but some how we have gained stupid.

We prefer to ego driven celebrity worshiping

fanatics with out ideology. No real dreams for

change are offered—we are locked into a battle with

Disneyland dreamers who have cotton candy for brains and

hearts made of stone…frozen veins filled with corn oil residue.

What next??? after we destroy the Capitol??? do

we shop around for another Capitol— one that

suits the insurgents of the 21st century—

Does Trump stand on the dome with golden hair

and a red tie or is the dome a figure of Melania in high heels and a

tight skirt and 6 in heels spinning round and round

—She the new Columbia the neo-liberal gal from Slovenia

who twists and turns celebrating the real men of America

hmmm? what next?? cruel world…hang on the best is yet to come

and where is Mike Pence now?

Some say in a cave with mother looking for the bible so 

he can thump out the code for a trip to heaven—

Some say he fears for his life—

Now we wonder who will fear for our

life??? …

as covid-19 lurks around the every corner

hmmmm???

A. Lincoln’s Birthday

Feb. 12th marks the day of A. Lincoln

one of the great leaders of the nation.

Now as we watch the nation unravel post-

Trump — the impeachment trial 

proceeds—the daily cycle of news

keeps the focus on the nations flaws

and failures.  The voices of insurrection

have reared their ugly heads and to

put them back in the dust bin of history

will be a challenge for the next 

generation. So for some hope

I quote the last paragraph of

Lincoln’s second inaugrual  address:

“With malice toward none; with charity for all; 

with firmness in the right, 

as God gives us to see the right, 

let us strive on to finish the work we are in; 

to bind up the nation’s wounds; 

to care for him who shall have borne the battle, 

and for his widow, and his orphan—

to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, 

and a lasting peace, 

among ourselves, 

and with all nations.”

Atlantis is a movie by Ukrainian director Valentyn Vasanovych. The movie takes place in 2025 a year after the victory over Russia. We see the grim view of Ukraine–economically, environmentally, and morally devistated by the battles. The work is dystopian — however the work reveals a reality of war that as Americans we rarely want to recognize. I was impressed by the visual depth and breadth of the movie—it is about men and war and the women in the movie give hope if there is little to be had—to stay or go –to abandon the already abandoned— is the question—check it out–it is on our virtual movie space now at TSL check it www.timeandspace.org

Virginia Woolf was born 1882

and died 1941.

Nearly 5 decades have passed since my

first reading of Virginia Woolf—

then I was stuck and awed by her genius

and innovation.

She liberated me from so many things.

BUT As I look

back today 

so much has changed

including me.

 —Now I am more aware

of the history and the place

of this great writers work.

Having been visited in the night

by many many thoughts

it has occurred to me that today

it is impossible to say all that needs

to be said about Virginia Woolf and

her importance to many of our lives.

Literature is key to living…

Words last.

Now to proceed. 

Mrs. Dalloway published in 1925— signaled the

birth of “stream of consciousness”—

Virginia Woolf broke the rules of the narrative with this book—

and this interior journey which takes place on a day in June

with Clarissa Dalloway has become a major literary work.

 —as we near the 100 year

celebration of the publishing of MRS. DALLOWAY

—I want to place the work in time and space.

Here goes:

1914-1918 World War 1 a war that used — small arms, machine guns, poison gas. & trench warfare as the tools of war 

—killing and wounding over a million British soldiers.

1915 GANDHI returns to India —marking the beginning of the end of  British colonial rule.

1917 The Russian Revolution

1916  the birth of DADA—a movement in art that brought radical changes to music, dance, literature, theater, and art names such as Duchamp,, Schwitters, Satie, Nijinsky,  Ball, Breton, Arp, Dali and more emerge—these creative people are  seeing a world through another lens—often fractured—and non-narrative—music of Schoenberg developed the twelve-tone technique for example  and  Eric Satie’s music was the dawn of minimalism — Ballet was liberated by Nijinsky, 

theater was assaulted by Alfred Jarry’s Ubu ROI, 

and the visual arts looked more like the casualties of WWI— artist’s images were busted, shredded. grotesque—and abstract.

1918-1920 The Spanish Flu epidemic killed millions

Well Into the 1900s, homosexual activity remained illegal and punishable by imprisonment.

1921 Wittgenstein wrote the Tractatus Logico Philosophus 

saying language is vague 

and what we mean is never certain 

and the essential work of words 

is to assert or deny facts. 

The World of Philosophy was up-ended by this work.

The early 1900’s John Maynard Keynes —Virginia’s friend and member of Bloomsbury circle brought major changes to economics—Keynes radical idea said government should spend money to mitigate recessions and depressions of post WW 1—giving birth to ides such as FDR’s New Deal here in America.

Now to begin again….

_____________________________________________

—for many Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway

by far exceeds James Joyces’ Ulysses—

Joyce takes us on a journey too—

a day in the life of Leopold Bloom.

Woolf was aware of James Joyce’s book 

she wrote to T. S. ELIOT—

that she had read 200 pages and quit reading it

“never did any book so bore me” 

she then returned to reading Proust’s 

Remembrance of Things Past.

————————————————————————

So much to say so little time—JUST AN ASIDE——

Virginia Woolf was key to the feminist movement 

with her book called a ROOM OF ONE”S OWN

declaring that women need their own space was 

the beginning of women gaining a place in a man’s world

for my generation.

FOR ME: Virginia Woolf

has been a major influence on my work as 

a director and writer for the theater. I have 

produced 3 events around Woolf’s writing.

in 1974 , & 1976 & 1978 using sections from 

THE WAVES and THE MOMENT

Woolf’s Language is what makes her perfect 

for the stage. —————

_________________________________

Now to begin again——

Clarissa reflects past, present and future

just like now—as we now are forced

to be in her position

to reflect on our lives—

as the pandemic of the 21st century now

visits us and pushes us into our own 

self exploration. 

—it is a perfect

time to re-consider the importance of

this book and —Virginia Woolf—

as we change so does this revisiting

Mrs. Dalloway.

VIrginia Woolf’s Birthday 

Born in 1882 died in 1941

Woolf—one of the great writers

of the 20th Century

Mrs. Dalloway published in 1925

challenged the way we read novels

today—the stream-of consciousness

style of the lead character, Clarissa 

Dalloway is a great illustration of

this new invention.   Virginia Woolf

gave me a new way to view the world

of words—I celebrate her genius

and continue to be awed by her

writing.  Thanks to Virginia we have

A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN—declaring

that women do need a space of their

own—1929 this book was published

and things have not been the same 

since. IF you love women you will

love Virginia Woolf—she understands

passion and the struggle to reach

independence—

AN aside—last Saturday we had a 

discussion on Mrs. Dalloway and 

people want to read another book

by Virginia.

—next time we will discuss

TO THE LIGHT HOUSE for a virtual

meeting in March—contact

us at TSL if you are interested 

www.timeandspace.org

Here we are early in the new year of 2021. TSL continues to remain open we have the TSL Gallery open, the STUFF STORE, & Virtual movies + Discussions that happen via ZOOM. Coming next is a discussion on V. Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. The year-end contributions to TSL have been very generous. This generosity means that we continue our work here–with new ideas coming for the Spring of 2021. We will be starting an apprentice program as well as outdoor events & as the vaccines are distributed we hope to open our theaters “inside”. We miss our TSL loving audience –that is for certain. Right now the nation is reeling from the attempted coup that occurred on this past Wednesday. We hope that we can find ways to settle our differences by the ballot not by violence. Many in the nation feel cheated –the past has left many of us out. Time to tell the truth and hold people accountable.

Mrs Dalloway:

A book discussion (via zoom) on Jan. 23

at 1pm join Linda Claudia & TSL

for a discussion of Virginia Woolf’s 

Mrs. Dalloway—written nearly 100

years ago it is a novel about Clarissa

Dalloway a 51 year old woman who

takes us on a day’s  journey —she lives in

London it is June 1923 post war- post

flu epidemic—she is preparing for

a party that evening—we journey

with her by the stream of consciousness

(style of writing)—this style born in the early

part of the 20th century—for many Woolf

by far exceeds Joyce’s- Ulysses (a book

about a day in the life) of Leopold Bloom.

Clarissa reflects past, present and future

just like us now—as we now are forced

to be in her position

to reflect on our lives—

as the pandemic of the 21st century now

visits us and pushes us into our own 

self exploration. Join me—it is a perfect

time to re-consider the importance of

this great writer —Virginia Woolf—one 

of the writers who definitely shaped my

life as an artist.—I first read her book

50+ years ago—and the work is always

fresh and asks me to revisit again and 

again- as I change so does the reading.

A conversation held on zoom to with Quintin Cross, Sam J. Miller, Jacob Walthour and Linda Mussmann–a look at 15 years ago when Hudson was engaged in the battle of the cement war here in our community.

We discuss the issues that still linger in this small city called Hudson, NY–including but not limited to –gentrification, gig economy, drug abuse, housing, diversity, airbnb’s, lack of opportunities for young people, living wage, and more.

check the you tube to listen in and if you would like to watch 2 square miles–the movie by Barbara Ettinger you can find it as well on youtube for free.

Manifesto 10-10-2020

written by Linda Mussmann

performed by Claudia Bruce

Flannery O’Connor

A southern/Catholic writer.  Born in Georgia 

(March 25, 1925 – August 3, 1964)

TSL features a documentary on this 

amazing writer—it is excellent if you 

want to catch up on one of America’s

genius wordsmiths.  I met O’Connor 

in the world of movies—WISE BLOOD

a brilliant movie based on her first novel.

Check it—see it read it—O’Connor is

a person who is enchanted with “freaks”

and Jesus.  What more can I say.