[AGL] social notes from here and from over there too

[Michael Eisenstadt]

it wont be many more times that one will be able
to go to Las Manitas when it plays art gallery.

the 2 sisters also own the 19th century bldg
on the corner of 3d across from the Trammell
Crow highrise. the restaurant served red and
white wine and as much Mexican junk food 
anyone might choose to stuff oneself with.
the restored 3d street building was where the
art was hung. the "art" included a large altar to the
goddess at the rear part of the bldg with much 
incense being burnt.

through the hand of cosmic indifference, this
is the same building my roommate once had 
as one of her many downtown art studios, 
specifically the back half. when i came to 
town the floor through was a Chinese 
restaurant, the only one in town. Fletcher
Boone told me that the upper storey was
once a Chinese owned doss house with
bunkbeds 25c a night

the title of this group art show was 
Mujeres en Nepantla

Nepantla gives pause. it turns out to be 
a metaphysically advanced notion that
encompasses the Mexican woman's 
quintessence. it is an Atzec word which
means "between two places."  As a Latinista 
you shouldnt have any trouble describing 
your own Nepantla, your journey between.

as for the art, it was week-end amateur
with 1 exception: Ambray Gonzalez who 
is half filipina and has not spent much of her 
life meditating on Nepantla. 

as we sat on the white wood bench
on the north side of the building the,
sky was streaked with pink bracketing 
the glass tower of the Trammell Crow
building. 

not many Ghettoistos and Ghettoistas
there, just us and Frances Morey in
green.

as we sat there outside the bldg,
someone carried in 2 framed black 
and white photographs of the late 
Raul Salinas. it was Alan Pogue
their photographer my roommate told 
me, he had nodded to her. i hadnt
noticed him.

Raul Salinas, had he been there, probably
could have contributed his own Nepantla