“Another Step”, by the Martin Lechner Band, with two lyrics that I wrote

"Another Step", the new album by singer Martin Lechner's band with Dave Feusi on tenor saxophone, Roland Köppel on piano, Patrick Sommer on bass, and Andreas Schnyder on drums, begins with two songs that Martin and I wrote together: "Black Bird" and "Magpies". In each case, two older eight-line poems of mine caught Martin's attention, and he began to set them to music. But then he wanted more lyrics, so I had to find my way back into two poems that had long since seemed finished to me. But I managed to write more than he needed, and then he picked out parts he liked and put them in the songs. (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 16 May 2024)

 

Putting my raincoat into my backpack in case I end up in “the meddle of the mudstorm” (“Finnegans Wake”, 86.20)

This morning, I checked the weather report and saw that rain was forecast starting around 6 pm. Since I wasn't sure I would come home before the "Finnegans Wake" reading-group meeting at 6 pm, I put my raincoat into my backpack. After I did end up coming home at 4:30 pm, I decided I might ride my bike back to the meeting. Although the weather report no longer forecast rain, I took my raincoat along anyway. During the meeting, just as we were discussing "the meddle of the mudstorm" (86.20), there was a cloudburst outside, and I was happy to have my raincoat "tospite the deluge" (86.23-2) on my ride home. (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 15 May 2024)

Phrases Emily Dickinson wrote in 1862

These are phrases from Emily Dickinson poems that R. W. Franklin dates to 1862: "this brief drama in the flesh" (279); "Thunder - in the Room" (292); "Recordless Company" (303); "the Juggler of Day" (321); "Some Transatlantic Morn" (326); "That Phraseless Melody" (334); "In Leagueless Opportunity" (342); "Not all Pianos in the Woods" (347); "She dances like a Bomb" (360); "Some rumor of Delirium" (361); "a fond Ambush" (365); "Sufficient Dynasty" (375); "Syllables of Velvet" (380); "Drums off the Phantom Battlements" (406); "A pleading Pageantry" (414); "The Gnat's supremacy" (419); "a baffling Earth" (447); "A Geometric Joy" (456); "a Wake of Music" (462); "The Cruel - smiling - bowing World" (496). (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 14 May 2024)

The community of dancers by the stage at the Tamikrest concert in Basel on 12 May 2024

Down in front at the Tamikrest concert at the Gannet in Basel last night, a small community of dancers formed during the show. There was me, an old white guy in my Tamikrest T-shirt; there was a pair there together – a stocky bearded light-brown man and a turban, and a white, ponytailed woman in a black outfit; there was a thinner brown man in a long-sleeved black button-down shirt; there was a small young light-brown woman in a white top that shone when the black lights were on; there was a brown woman who was the best dancer of all, with her long curly hair bound on top of her head. (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 13 May 2024)

Oum at Volkshaus Basel (11 May 2024) and Tamikrest at Gannet Basel (12 May 2024): Dancing and running into students

Last night I went to the Volkshaus in Basel to hear Moroccan singer Oum with her sextet (oud, trumpet, saxophone, bass, percussion). I danced right fron the beguining. The rhythms were unfamiliar to me, but I could usually find one instrument to guide me. And sometimes I just swayed to the vocal melody. My Moroccan student Nora from my 111-words class was also there, delighted to finally see one of her favorite singers. Tonight, then, I went to the Gannet in Basel to hear Malian band Tamikrests. It was my second time seeing them, and once again I danced all night – and ran into my student Fionn, from the same class! (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 12 May 2024) 

Press inquiries about my Taylor Swift seminar

For my Taylor Swift seminar this semester at the University of Basel, I have received about fifteen press inquiries from newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations. Until the other day, they were mostly from Switzerland, with four from Germany (one of which I turned down because it came with only a few hours' notice for a live radio discussion). But now I have also received an inquiry for an email interview from the newspaper "El Mundo" in Madrid. It's been quite an experience, but as I recently said to University colleagues , I am looking forward to teaching Emily Dickinson this fall and not being asked for interviews about her. (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 11 May 2024)

Martin Lechner and Band at the Bird’s Eye in Basel, 10 May 2024

At their concert at the Bird's Eye in Basel last night, singer Martin Lechner and his band (Dave Feusi, tenor saxophone; Roland Köppel, piano; Patrick Sommer, bass; Andreas Schnyder, drums) played jazz standards, pop songs from the eighties and nineties, and original tunes. Two of the latter featured my lyrics ("Black Bird" and "Magpies"), and I enjoyed them a lot, but as with Samara Joy's wonderful performance of "Guess Who I Saw Today" at the Volkshaus in Basel last month, Martin was at his very best in two songs where he could dig into the role of a clearly defined character: the standard "It's Only a Paper Moon" and Radiohead's "Creep". (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 10 May 2024)