This is not actually representative of our weather recently. In a bizarre twist the likes of which I’ve never seen before, we’ve been having clouds and rain the past few days, and temperatures at night have been downright chilly. It’s amazing and wonderful, and probably proof that I have superpowers.
Last night we made our way to the open-air theatre for the performance of Nâzım, Fazıl Say’s oratorio composed as a tribute to the legendary poet, Nâzım Hikmet Ran. In addition to Say taking his usual place at the piano, he also shared the stage with none other than Sertab Erener and baritone Güvenç Dağüstün, as well as the Antalya Symphony Orchestra and the State Polyphonic Chorus. It would be unfair to say that Genco Erkal simply “recited” the poems of Nâzım— he truly brought them to life.
The entire event was wonderful, but of particular note was the section entitled “Hiroshima,” a sort of poetic requiem for the children who died in the bombings.
I come and stand at every door
But none can hear my silent tread
I knock and yet remain unseen
For I am dead, for I am deadI’m only seven, though I died
In Hiroshima long ago
I’m seven now as I was then
When children die, they do not growMy hair was scorched by swirling flame
My eyes grew dim, my eyes grew blind
Death came and turned my bones to dust
And that was scattered by the windI need no fruit, I need no rice
I need no sweets nor even bread
I ask for nothing for myself
For I am dead for I am deadAll that I need is that for peace
You fight today, you fight today
So that the children of this world
Can live and grow and laugh and play
I’ve been looking around trying to find video of the little girl they had singing this solo, as her performance was spine-tingling. Long story short, if you ever get the chance to see this beautiful and touching oratorio, it’ll be time well-spent.
New photo project: 100 self-portraits over the course of a year, with accompanying text by Dante.
I’ve never felt I could do a 365 justice, nor do I want to attempt it. Taking a photo of yourself every single day means you have to do it even when you’re ill, or too busy to do it well, or just not feeling it for whatever reason. In most cases, it seems to become a chore, something people do just for the sake of saying they did it. No one is on their A-game everyday all year round, and to be honest, at this point A-game is the only thing I’m interested in. If that means I take a photo every three days instead of everyday, or take eight in a day when I’m on fire and then skip it for a month when I don’t feel it, then that’s fine. I never want this to be about quota over quality. At the same time, the challenge of a framework is good to push the work ethic. “X amount of photos within Y timeframe” has worked well for me in the past, as it holds me to a number while giving me the flexibility not to take photos on days when those photos would be mediocre at best.
Why self-portraits? Because with all the attractive people around me, I hardly photograph myself anymore. Like my friend Rachel remarked, it’s easy to feel like you’ve forgotten how to capture your own image. And I don’t want to forget.
The set is here; one photo up so far, but you can hook up to the RSS feed on that page and watch them roll in.
Starting June off on the right foot by giving something back— a free promotional desktop for the Hidden Anatolia project. Available in a variety of screen resolutions, in your choice of English or Turkish.
This is just my way of saying thank you to everyone who has fueled the project so far, and to encourage others to do the same. You can be a patron of the independent art movement, and get cool stuff in return! Check it out and take part.
Now, on with the desktops!
2560×1440 English
2560×1440 Türkçe
1920×1200 English
1920×1200 Türkçe
1920×1080 English
1920×1080 Türkçe
1600×1200 English
1600×1200 Türkçe
1600×1050 English
1600×1050 Türkçe
1280×1024 English
1280×1024 Türkçe
1280×960 English
1280×960 Türkçe
1280×854 English
1280×854 Türkçe
1024×768 English
1024×768 Türkçe
320×480 English (iPhone)
320×480 Türkçe (iPhone)
240×320 English (mobile)
240×320 Türkçe (cep telefonu)
