still no phone

Image result for the half has never been told baptist

Finished reading Edward E. Baptist’s The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism last night before the Good Friday Service. Did you know Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on a Good Friday. It was in April, but it was Good Friday.

This book has changed the way I look at the USA and the world. What more can you ask for from a book? I found a 2016 course description of a class Baptist teaches at Cornell in the history of American Capitalism. I’m not that interested in capitalism but the syllabus has some books that I want to check out (link to a pdf of it).

I ran across this group this morning. This piece is by Philip Glass and is from his opera, Hydrogen Jukebox, which is the result of a collaboration with Alan Ginsburg who wrote the words:

Hey Father Death, I’m flying home
Hey poor man, you’re all alone
Hey old daddy, I know where I’m going

Father Death, Don’t cry any more
Mama’s there, underneath the floor
Brother Death, please mind the store

Old Aunty Death Don’t hide your bones
Old Uncle Death I hear your groans
O Sister Death how sweet your moans

O Children Deaths go breathe your breaths
Sobbing breasts’ll ease your Deaths
Pain is gone, tears take the rest

Genius Death your art is done
Lover Death your body’s gone
Father Death I’m coming home

Guru Death your words are true
Teacher Death I do thank you
For inspiring me to sing this Blues

Buddha Death, I wake with you
Dharma Death, your mind is new
Sangha Death, we’ll work it through

Suffering is what was born

Ignorance made me forlorn
Tearful truths I cannot scorn

Father Breath once more farewell
Birth you gave was no thing ill
My heart is still, as time will tell.

The people singing are the San Francisco Girl Chorus. I think they are amazing. They just released another album this year with Kronos String Quartet and Father Death Blues is on it.