Vance Maverick
@vancemaverick.bsky.social
Computer programmer and composer in San Francisco
vancemaverick.com
vancemaverick.com
This is my 60th birthday (and Björk's! Call me), so I'm reminded of Yeats's line about "A sixty-year-old smiling public man." ...
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43293/...
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43293/...
Among School Children
I I walk through the long schoolroom questioning; A kind old nun in a white hood replies; The children learn to cipher and to sing, To study reading-books and history, To cut and sew, be neat in every...
www.poetryfoundation.org
November 21, 2025 at 9:03 PM
This is my 60th birthday (and Björk's! Call me), so I'm reminded of Yeats's line about "A sixty-year-old smiling public man." ...
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43293/...
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43293/...
I was class of ‘86, and only dimly aware of this at the time. I can recall times when women told me about it then, and simply not registering till years later.
In honor of Larry Summers, I asked the female members of my college class (1987) to say if they had any experiences with sexual harassment by teachers/professors, back when this was tolerated as, I dunno, the cost of attending college, and OH MY GOD.
November 21, 2025 at 2:04 AM
I was class of ‘86, and only dimly aware of this at the time. I can recall times when women told me about it then, and simply not registering till years later.
I value music history, but for whatever personal reason have not felt the aura of historical places (as opposed to the works). The Spiegelgasse in Zurich did about as much for me as 221B Baker Street.
so many legendary music history sites that look like this, we don't value our culture part bazillion
OTD 1969 James Brown drags his road-weary band into King Studios in Cincinnati to record. Drummer Clyde Stubblefield bangs out a drum pattern Brown crafts into "Funky Drummer." Minor hit but it forms a foundational beat in Hip-Hop. The bldg remains vacant & standing but King left in 1971.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
I value music history, but for whatever personal reason have not felt the aura of historical places (as opposed to the works). The Spiegelgasse in Zurich did about as much for me as 221B Baker Street.
I wimped out near the end of the second volume, feeling that however well written, the book couldn’t possibly go anywhere. Maybe I was wrong!
read On the Calculation of Volume/III last night and today. as with the others, i zipped right through. i think this one appealed to me the most of the installments thus far. it really felt like there some interesting bits to chew through—the work is starting to hit its stride.
November 20, 2025 at 12:39 AM
I wimped out near the end of the second volume, feeling that however well written, the book couldn’t possibly go anywhere. Maybe I was wrong!
Thinking about this now, the setting of words was generally pretty natural, but at the level above, there were artificial pauses. It was clearly an aesthetic preference, not some kind of mistake….
Also not my show, though I enjoyed it. (From home, so the staging couldn’t have the same impact.) Fine performances.
I processed it through my own obsessions, like text setting (sometimes a bit arbitrary) and tunefulness (mostly inhibited)
I processed it through my own obsessions, like text setting (sometimes a bit arbitrary) and tunefulness (mostly inhibited)
November 19, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Thinking about this now, the setting of words was generally pretty natural, but at the level above, there were artificial pauses. It was clearly an aesthetic preference, not some kind of mistake….
“‘I steal language and ideas from Michael Clune.” — Ben Lerner” (front-cover blurb on Clune’s PAN)
Even as a Lerner enjoyer, not sure this makes me more interested
Even as a Lerner enjoyer, not sure this makes me more interested
November 18, 2025 at 8:45 PM
“‘I steal language and ideas from Michael Clune.” — Ben Lerner” (front-cover blurb on Clune’s PAN)
Even as a Lerner enjoyer, not sure this makes me more interested
Even as a Lerner enjoyer, not sure this makes me more interested
A car rolled by blasting a heavily distorted jazzy line that snaked around chromatically in intelligent bebop style. As it faded down the street, we got to the chorus, identifying it instantly as “Linus and Lucy”.
youtu.be/i127A-Fr6nw?...
youtu.be/i127A-Fr6nw?...
Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus And Lucy (Remastered 2025/Official Visualizer)
YouTube video by Vince Guaraldi
youtu.be
November 16, 2025 at 10:23 PM
A car rolled by blasting a heavily distorted jazzy line that snaked around chromatically in intelligent bebop style. As it faded down the street, we got to the chorus, identifying it instantly as “Linus and Lucy”.
youtu.be/i127A-Fr6nw?...
youtu.be/i127A-Fr6nw?...
I think my reaction was actually quite simple: the face of the subject is turned away from us, creating a distance which is rare in self-portraits.
No doubt there are counterexamples, but the ones I can think of involve role-playing.
No doubt there are counterexamples, but the ones I can think of involve role-playing.
November 16, 2025 at 6:43 PM
I think my reaction was actually quite simple: the face of the subject is turned away from us, creating a distance which is rare in self-portraits.
No doubt there are counterexamples, but the ones I can think of involve role-playing.
No doubt there are counterexamples, but the ones I can think of involve role-playing.
Apparently not literally a self-portrait? The museum doesn’t claim that.
I don’t have a stake in this, but I was a little surprised to find the suggestion mattered to my reading of the picture. Would take an essay to chase down why.
www.centrepompidou.fr/en/pompidou-...
I don’t have a stake in this, but I was a little surprised to find the suggestion mattered to my reading of the picture. Would take an essay to chase down why.
www.centrepompidou.fr/en/pompidou-...
November 15, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Apparently not literally a self-portrait? The museum doesn’t claim that.
I don’t have a stake in this, but I was a little surprised to find the suggestion mattered to my reading of the picture. Would take an essay to chase down why.
www.centrepompidou.fr/en/pompidou-...
I don’t have a stake in this, but I was a little surprised to find the suggestion mattered to my reading of the picture. Would take an essay to chase down why.
www.centrepompidou.fr/en/pompidou-...
This is cute and quotable, but it’s not clear to me how it’s different from “No”.
Anthony Princiotti
“The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No'.”
- Aaron Copland
“The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No'.”
- Aaron Copland
November 15, 2025 at 12:27 AM
This is cute and quotable, but it’s not clear to me how it’s different from “No”.
No complaints about the performance. As for the composition:
- I think I did handle the rhythmic challenge of Rukeyser’s prosy free verse. (Not a knock! She’s subtle and I mostly honored how I hear it.)
- My form works but imposes an arch structure that isn’t really there in the poem.
- I think I did handle the rhythmic challenge of Rukeyser’s prosy free verse. (Not a knock! She’s subtle and I mostly honored how I hear it.)
- My form works but imposes an arch structure that isn’t really there in the poem.
I have some thoughts about how this came out, but mainly I'm very pleased.
November 12, 2025 at 5:42 AM
No complaints about the performance. As for the composition:
- I think I did handle the rhythmic challenge of Rukeyser’s prosy free verse. (Not a knock! She’s subtle and I mostly honored how I hear it.)
- My form works but imposes an arch structure that isn’t really there in the poem.
- I think I did handle the rhythmic challenge of Rukeyser’s prosy free verse. (Not a knock! She’s subtle and I mostly honored how I hear it.)
- My form works but imposes an arch structure that isn’t really there in the poem.
Now I have the recording of my setting of this poem! By Sarah-Nicole Carter, mezzo, and Phil Dannels, piano.
youtu.be/T4BxHEW5ALk
youtu.be/T4BxHEW5ALk
November 12, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Now I have the recording of my setting of this poem! By Sarah-Nicole Carter, mezzo, and Phil Dannels, piano.
youtu.be/T4BxHEW5ALk
youtu.be/T4BxHEW5ALk
Reposted by Vance Maverick
I've been working hard at the day job lately, on a project that has let me do a lot of fun software design and coding. Last week, I realized that there's a tiny subproblem (formatting some tabular output) which is actually somewhat challenging to get right....
November 8, 2025 at 10:41 PM
I've been working hard at the day job lately, on a project that has let me do a lot of fun software design and coding. Last week, I realized that there's a tiny subproblem (formatting some tabular output) which is actually somewhat challenging to get right....
I think this is the best!
November 8, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I think this is the best!
I’m going to have to read this, if only because every time I see it mentioned, I wonder again whether its title is an allusion to a poem that could hardly serve the theme without being forcefully recontextualized ;-)
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43285/...
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43285/...
November 8, 2025 at 8:13 PM
I’m going to have to read this, if only because every time I see it mentioned, I wonder again whether its title is an allusion to a poem that could hardly serve the theme without being forcefully recontextualized ;-)
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43285/...
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43285/...
I did not realize this was Saxophone Day! Dr. TM's suggestion is a good one, and I'll add some of the only music I've written for the instrument.
In my opera, the part of the spirit or fairy is played onstage by a dancer, and in the audible realm by a saxophonist.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=afQd...
In my opera, the part of the spirit or fairy is played onstage by a dancer, and in the audible realm by a saxophonist.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=afQd...
November 7, 2025 at 5:42 AM
I did not realize this was Saxophone Day! Dr. TM's suggestion is a good one, and I'll add some of the only music I've written for the instrument.
In my opera, the part of the spirit or fairy is played onstage by a dancer, and in the audible realm by a saxophonist.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=afQd...
In my opera, the part of the spirit or fairy is played onstage by a dancer, and in the audible realm by a saxophonist.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=afQd...
There has been a long-anticipated insurgent campaign to replace her -- I think this means we will get a new establishment candidate (meaning the insurgent will have a different problem to solve)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nancy Pelosi won't seek reelection, ending her storied career in the US House.
November 6, 2025 at 4:00 PM
There has been a long-anticipated insurgent campaign to replace her -- I think this means we will get a new establishment candidate (meaning the insurgent will have a different problem to solve)
I caught a video ad for a product called Reputation Defender, in which the protagonist suffers some kind of calumny but then is made whole so that a search for him shows a "successful businessman". His name in the ad is William Blake, so one can imagine the misunderstandings....
November 6, 2025 at 5:52 AM
I caught a video ad for a product called Reputation Defender, in which the protagonist suffers some kind of calumny but then is made whole so that a search for him shows a "successful businessman". His name in the ad is William Blake, so one can imagine the misunderstandings....
Maybe George Oppen's Collected? With most poets, I jump around in their collections and focus on individual poems. With Oppen, I remember just reading with pleasure from beginning to end like a novel.
let's talk poetry...
tell us about your favorite collection (read or written)
or if youve read my work & wanna ask me wtf i was on when i wrote something (or if just wanting insight to a particular piece or entire collection)
or link to a fave poetry podcast or book review
- whatever you want.
tell us about your favorite collection (read or written)
or if youve read my work & wanna ask me wtf i was on when i wrote something (or if just wanting insight to a particular piece or entire collection)
or link to a fave poetry podcast or book review
- whatever you want.
November 5, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Maybe George Oppen's Collected? With most poets, I jump around in their collections and focus on individual poems. With Oppen, I remember just reading with pleasure from beginning to end like a novel.
Opera/lied people, New Wave Opera in Portland is looking for singers and composers!
@lisaneher.bsky.social seems not to have announced this here yet....
www.newwaveopera.org/work-with-us...
@lisaneher.bsky.social seems not to have announced this here yet....
www.newwaveopera.org/work-with-us...
Work With Us!
Interested in performing with us or having one of your own works performed? Get in touch with us today! We are always excited to meet artists who share our mission
www.newwaveopera.org
November 3, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Opera/lied people, New Wave Opera in Portland is looking for singers and composers!
@lisaneher.bsky.social seems not to have announced this here yet....
www.newwaveopera.org/work-with-us...
@lisaneher.bsky.social seems not to have announced this here yet....
www.newwaveopera.org/work-with-us...
Nagged by the thought that I was quoting something as I sketched a piece, realizing it’s Parsifal
(and I haven’t been to the current production — it’s in the air)
(and I haven’t been to the current production — it’s in the air)
November 2, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Nagged by the thought that I was quoting something as I sketched a piece, realizing it’s Parsifal
(and I haven’t been to the current production — it’s in the air)
(and I haven’t been to the current production — it’s in the air)
Nobi is doing much better. And you know the saying "fortune is bald behind"? For some reason, since this urological procedure, I find myself thinking about it as he strolls around the house.
My cat has just gotten home from a few days at the vet. He’s still a bit woozy, but apparently recovering (a kidney/bladder thing). He’s not ready for pictures, so here’s one from a few days ago.
October 30, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Nobi is doing much better. And you know the saying "fortune is bald behind"? For some reason, since this urological procedure, I find myself thinking about it as he strolls around the house.
Change one letter, ruin a candy:
Horehound (I swapped the first and second h's)
Horehound (I swapped the first and second h's)
Change one letter, ruin a candy:
Milky Wax
Milky Wax
Change one letter, ruin a candy:
Stickers
Stickers
October 29, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Change one letter, ruin a candy:
Horehound (I swapped the first and second h's)
Horehound (I swapped the first and second h's)
My cat has just gotten home from a few days at the vet. He’s still a bit woozy, but apparently recovering (a kidney/bladder thing). He’s not ready for pictures, so here’s one from a few days ago.
October 29, 2025 at 2:39 AM
My cat has just gotten home from a few days at the vet. He’s still a bit woozy, but apparently recovering (a kidney/bladder thing). He’s not ready for pictures, so here’s one from a few days ago.