The Venerable Niche Digest

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When you're trying to keep your family from killing each other but first you have to take a selfie and it's the 90's

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Happy 32 year anniversary as the Devine family 💜💜💜💜💜 (at Olive Garden)

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Music for your Midweek: Tiny Ruins "Me At The Museum, You At The Wintergardens"

We have a few clouds this summer day in Salt Lake, so this song is a good fit:

Nobody feels old at the museum

Nobody feels cold in the wintergardens

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June Mix: Tulip in a Cup

The drive from Fairview

R-E A-D-Y for a moody, dreamy summer.

1. Valentine - Fiona Apple

2. In The Devil's Territory - Sufjan Stevens

3. Sagres - The Tallest Man On Earth

4. Your Fool - Natalie Prass

5. Overwhelmed with Pride - Avi Buffalo

6. Another Saturday Night - Sam Cooke

7. Sunday Candy - Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment

8. Web - Thee Oh Sees

9. Silent - Radioactivity

10. The Worst Taste In Music [Extended] - The Radio Dept.

11. Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte - Eugene Ormandy: Philadelphia Orchestra

12. Black Star - Radiohead

13. Tangible Intangible - Fly Golden Eagle

14. The Moon Of Manakoora - Les Paul & Mary Ford

15. We Rule The School - Belle & Sebastian

Check out most of this mix through Spotify. Some tracks missing:

NOTES: 1. "No chance of growing up" 2. "Be still and know" 7. You can get this whole album for free! Check it out here. 11. The most beautiful beautiful. 12. Also:

13. Wish the song was around when I was at prom. Perfect for a slow dance. 14.

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Saturday Verse: "Life" - Alice Cary

LIFE

Solitude—Life is inviolate solitude—      Never was truth so apart from the dreaming      As lieth the selfhood inside of the seeming, Guarded with triple shield out of all quest,      So that the sisterhood nearest and sweetest,      So that the brotherhood kindest, completest, Is but an exchanging of signals at best. 

Desolate—Life is so dreary and desolate—      Women and men in the crowd meet and mingle,      Yet with itself every soul standeth single, Deep out of sympathy moaning its moan—      Holding and having its brief exultation—      Making its lonesome and low lamentation Fighting its terrible conflicts alone. 

Separate—Life is so sad and so separate—      Under love's ceiling with roses for lining,      Heart mates with heart in a tender entwining Yet never the sweet cup of love filleth full—      Eye looks in eye with a questioning wonder,      Why are we thus in our meeting asunder? Why are out pulses so slow and so dull? 

Fruitless, fruitionless—Life is fruitionless—      Never heaped up and generous measure—      never the substance of satisfied pleasure— Never the moment with rapture elate—      But draining the chalice, we long for the chalice,      And live as an alien inside our palace, Bereft of our title and deeds of estate. 

Pitiful—Life is so poor and so pitiful—      Cometh the cloud on the goldenest weather—      Briefly the man and his youth stay together— Falleth the frost ere the harvest is in,      And conscience descends from the open aggression      To timid and troubled and tearful concession, And downward and down into parley with sin. 

Purposeless—Life is so wayward and purposeless—      Always before us the object is shifting.      Always the means and the method are drifting, We rue what is done—what is undone deplore—      More striving for high things than things that are holy.      And so we go down to the valley so lowly Wherein there is work, and device never more. 

Vanity, vanity—all would be vanity,      Whether in seeking or getting our pleasures—      Whether in spending or hoarding our treasures— Whether in indolence, whether in strife—      Whether in feasting and whether in fasting,      But for our faith in the Love ever-lasting— But for the life that is better than life.

- Alice Cary                                                                           

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A space that only you can fill

The view from one of my favorite hidden walks behind the avenues

Some morning inspiration for your Thursday found in this New York Times article:

"Vous allez trouver votre place. You will find your place... somewhere in the world, there’s a gap shaped just like you. Once you find it, you’ll slide right in."

I know that I'm at risk of sounding like one of those girls, but I hope this is true. The article is entitled "How to Find Your Place in the World After Graduation". Well kids, I graduated from college three and a half years ago. Yesterday, I "celebrated" the 10 year anniversary of my high school graduation*. I'm ready for my ramblin' ways to come to an end. *One of my high school classmates wrote a song about our graduation called "June 3rd," so I will never forget the first day of the rest of my life!

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Music for your Midweek: Moses Sumney

Moses Sumney opened for a bunch of Sufjan Stevens shows. And killed it, apparently. He's great great. Take a look:

Also, this song is breaking my heart on the regular:

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"We made another video!" or "The Importance of Being Earnest"

"To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up."

                                          - Oscar Wild

We've got another video for you, and it has us looking quite serious and sincere. My deepest apologies. Oscar Wild was right; being natural is the hardest thing. But I think it actually turned out quite pretty, and Julia is great, as always.

There are a bunch of songs we want to cover, but few that are suited to us. Suggestions are always appreciated! And click here to see our first video.

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Saturday (Friday) Verse: "May 29" - Joanne Kyger

May 29 Something sent me back and forth across the room, I didn't find what I looked for, I didn't know what it was, why did I have to move. The clarity of the image. I can cease talking at the dinner table. The two things are not related, but I do not know what to say. In the visual world I can see them trudging up the hill, I have never been concerned with the pressure of sounds. There was a long time in silence. For myself, I can tell you that certain things give me limited pleasure for short stretches of time. But I do not know where to put them, they are sure to die, later than I, being metal or wood, broken hinges and chipped, the horses step on them, how far can they be thrown and pounded. "Beauty is so rare thing." He is weak as I hold his arm he leans on me as we walk by the ocean. We forgive you for never giving him the gift he wanted. He died in the park, out over the ocean he talked of music, it is him I like the best. I shall not do that again.  - Joanne Kyger

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Music for your Midweek: Oberhofer - Live at KHJK

I still love these goofy scamps. 

Follow them on Twitter. They are funny enough!

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Plight of the Modern Man

From here

I re-found this article by Jonathan Harris in one of my million tabs of bookmarks. I can't relate to his journey. But it's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who feels clueless sometimes. Below is a quote from the article:

“In life, you will become known for doing what you do. That sounds obvious, but it’s profound. If you want to be known as someone who does a particular thing, then you must start doing that thing immediately. Don’t wait. There is no other way. It probably won’t make you money at first, but do it anyway. Work nights. Work weekends. Sleep less. Whatever you have to do. If you’re lucky enough to know what brings you bliss, then do that thing at once. If you do it well, and for long enough, the world will find ways to repay you.”– Jonathan Harris

And here is this cover for good measure because it always makes me cry. If you don't read the article, at least listen to this because they are essentially saying the same thing:

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Saturday Verse: "I Cannot Count My Life a Loss" - Ina Coolbrith

I CANNOT COUNT MY LIFE A LOSS 

I cannot count my life a loss,     With all its length of evil days. I hold them only as the dross     About its gold, whose worth outweighs:     For each and all I give Him praise. 

For, drawing nearer to the brink     That leadeth down to final rest, I see with clearer eyes, I think,     And much that vexed me and oppressed,     Have learned was right, and just, and best. 

So though I may but dimly guess     Its far intent, this gift of His I honor; nor would know the less     One sorrow, or in pain or bliss     Have other than it was and is.

- Ina Coolbrith                                                                              

     "Ina Coolbrith was born Josephine Anna Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois, the last of three daughters of Agnes Moulton Coolbrith and Don Carlos Smith, brother to Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. Coolbrith's father died of malarial fever four months after her birth... Coolbrith's mother then married Joseph Smith, Jr., in 1842, becoming his sixth or seventh wife... In June 1844, Smith was killed at the hands of and anti-Mormon, anti-polygamist mob. Losing her faith and fearful of her life, Coolbrith's mother left the Latter-day Saint community and moved to Saint Lous, Missouri, where she married a printer and lawyer named William Pickett... In 1851 Pickett traveled overland with his new family to California in a wagon train. On the long trek, Coolbrith read from a book of Shakespeare's works and from a collection of Byron's poems." - Wikipedia

Ina socialized with Alfred Lord Tennyson, John Muir, and Ambrose Bierce to name a few, later becoming "frienamies" to all of them. She mentored a young Jack London while working as a librarian. She led a fascinating life. Read more about her here. 

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The Man

what did the man do with time

wasted it

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Hard to live without

"Into the dark or the blinding light, 

either way you can't see a thing."

- Karen Dalton

This is the first Karen Dalton song I fell in love with. It was written by Tim Hardin and covered a million times, but hers is my favorite version:

Karen Dalton released only two albums: It's So Hard to Tell Who's Going to Love You the Best and In My Own Time. Neither of which contained any original songs. She's been compared to a folk Billie Holiday or Bessie Smith. She's the best singer you never heard of. A sad soul. And truly something else.

A new alum, Remembering Mountains, is being released next week o of Karen Dalton songs, and these are her own. Her lyrics were left behind, and several artists have created them into full-fledged songs. It's beautiful. Listen to Patty Griffin's contribution here, and Sharon Van Etten's contribution here. When my dad passed away, we had mountains of papers, books, clothes. A huge physical shadow that had to be sorted through. That's all there will be for future friends and family to know him by. There were lovely things that have become treasures, but also handfuls of caffeine pills and bottles of nasal spray. Very human. Still tender. Everyone leaves things behind, and future generations create their own narratives of who the deceased are to fill in the gaps. Even if it's not lyrics, it could be your journal, your mementos, your messy sheets. What will be created out of what you leave behind?

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Fantastique

I watched "Dior and I" last night with my mom and Christian, and loved it.This documentary follows Raf Simons as he takes the reigns of fashion house Christian Dior, 8 weeks before their Fall 2012 fashion show. Even thought the actual show took place almost 3 years ago, I was at the edge of my seat, anxious to see how everything would come together.

I recommend you watch it if you get the chance. I especially love how it brought a new sense of humanity to this side of fashion. Dior is HUGE. From ready-to-wear, to their makeup line to hand bags and shoes. All based on what their exclusive clientele want. The film touches on that when an unnamed client demands that one of the key seamstresses fly to New York for a fitting. You can't deny a customer who spends $350,000 a year on your brand... But haute coututre, just feels different. Separate from money. It is true art. And look at the result! This is the man that made Jennifer Lawrence look more beautiful falling on the stairs then she did standing up. "Sublime,"as they say in the film.

Kanye knew what he was talking about, "...they don't make 'em like this anymore". He loves Dior. Or at least, the Dior girl. And maybe I'm wrong and stupidly buying into the vision that the film sells. But I love it anyway. Nothing inspires me more than seeing people do what they love, and doing it well. When I cam home, felt so inspired. I had a stack of books that I needed to tackle, and I knew right away which one I would start with Eccentric Glamour.

I love Simon Doonan. He is a hoot. He writes regularly for Slate where he is hilarious, offensive, and charming. So fun to read. I've only read the introduction to this booked, and I'm already converted. And I know he has some wisdom that I need to incorporate into my life. This girl thinks so too! Can't wait to start/finish this book. Review to come soon!

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Music for your Midweek: Flume - "Get Free", "Gravel Pit", "Insane"

Guess I got the heart of a frat boy. It's fine. And it's practically summer anyway, so you can almost get away with listening to this ridiculous music. Ever since I've moved back to Salt Lake, I haven't gone to any dance parties. That's the most annoying part of growing up, I guess. You're not supposed to like that stuff.

Anyway. Here is Flume spinning some tracks, for nostalgia's sake.

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"...I've a Mother there"

The day before Mother's Day, I was privileged to visit the Sacred Silence exhibit at the BYU HFAC Gallery. I would encourage you to take the time to visit, but I just received word that the show has ended and the exhibit was taken down last week. Needless to say, I can't really give a sufficient summary or review. Just know that it was beautiful. And it made me a little sad. But also hopeful? Hopeful that there can be more dialogues like this in the church. I wish you all could have seen it.

You can read a review and description of the exhibit in the Salt Lake Tribune here. See a few photos from the exhibit here.

Katie West Payne's work helped me to re-examine what it is to be a woman, She created a safe space that encouraged peaceful contemplation. I hope that more of us as members of the church will take the time to delve into our questions, and not be afraid of our natural curiosity. Visit Katie's blog if you would like to learn more about her work, and read through some of the quotes, scriptures, and images she used in her pieces. A favorite below: