the other day my housemate, m, and i were returning from an errand. we had been talking about our respective heartaches, languishing, big ouch boo hoo, you know. walking towards our place after parking the car, we greeted a neighbor on the block over from us. Michael, a stylishly dressed middle aged Black man, was on his way to take care of the garden down the street. my housemate commented on his sweatshirt, a clothing maker herself. we got to talking and learned that he has been sewing couture fashion for years. he shared his plans for an opera performance on his stoop later this summer….complete with a quiche bake-off….a block party….and a fashion show.
the first time he created this extravaganza, before the pandemic, an 11 year old kid won the quiche bakeoff, with a collard greens quiche. we all wondered how this child knew the precise ratios required, Michael shared, grinning.
an enthusiasm,1 a sacred interruption. somebody said it’s time for me to share my genius with you. astonishing us just by being himself. i was stopped in my tracks. a brief encounter and our heartache soaked doom was softened, lightened. awe has a way of loosening that grip, quieting.
people keep reaching me, reminding me life is still cherishable by being so themselves. in his newsletter tribute to the fashion designer André Leon Talley, Saeed Jones wrote:
stoop opera. perfect quiche. looking good. feeling better. and want. yourself, splendor. what excellence does. remember how you’re still alive?
for more context on how i am using this word see https://skallison27.substack.com/about ↩
- An Ode to Andre Leon Talley“Luxury or nothing.” There is so much to say about Andre Leon Talley and nothing said will ever be enough. No one person, not even ALT himself, could be counted on to weave all of his glories and hitches into a complete, fitting and accurate garment. We will have to depend on one another to create this last ensemble. So, this morning, I just want to cel…
