June 1 – August 21 – 2004 – Trici Venola—–“You’re so brave!” say friends and strangers. It doesn’t feel brave. It feels like leaping out of the way of an avalanche…that I started… by singing too loud—–This was a hard book to upload because of some memories it brought up, but the drawing is wonderful so I did it anyway. After a final breakup with an amour gone very wrong, a job fell through that I’d counted on, and later that summer I lost my apartment to a feral landlord. But new friends and old showed up to help, and by fall it seemed a bad dream. The term after Diyarbakir came to mean that time of terrifying and wonderful change.
The first photo of Ygor, family for almost 15 years. Found tiny & terrified, screaming in a mud slide during a storm, he became the official friendly greeter, snuggler, longtime companion of Pinkie, top cat of the whole tribe although he was smallest, always happy to be here. Goodbye little sweetheart.
YGOR & TASSELS
There I was drawing the tassels and almost missed the kitten! – Clive Ygor Littlefang The Sniglet & Tassels from Mike – 4 July 2004 13:18 Call to Prayer – Nizam is gone and so is the moon – I go between being sad at the loss of the romantic moonlight – even though it keeps me awake – and glad because it is finally dark enough to get some sleep—–Making a book- the second one- of all my drawings of the Kybele experience. Almost finished but on a whim included this drawing as the first page. The books were in the Kybele lobby for years, falling apart from hundreds of readings despite two rebindings. The oldest one was stolen in 2013, and the second, with this drawing, removed to safety.
TRAVELING COMPANIONS
Ibrahim – Blowing curtains in Diyarbakir – We spent 15 hours together in the bus with no language between us – [Nimet] Security – It was his family we visited in the first village. Nimet’s shoes——I’d been invited by the University- as a sort of hood ornament-on a goodwill bus tour of Eastern Turkey to attract students. The professors were flying to Diyarbakir, while Ibrahim the driver and Nimet the security man and I drove overland in a big yellow University bus. It was my first look cross-country, and despite the jiggling, I got these bits as they flashed by.
BOLU FROM THE BUS
Winding around the mountain highway in Bolu – Too much foliage to draw! – Above the clouds and in them – Windmills? – The pine trees have bright green spring edges – Distant villages of Europe & into Asia – Heading east in driving rain toward the ancient kingdom of Pontus – Also in the driving beat of Turkish music – Sheds? Tombs? – Valley of odd houses – Further East the land dries out with white sand dunes like flung sheets – The smorgasbord of trees I remember from 2000 in Antalya—–On a goodwill tour with my university.
VILLAGE INTRO- WAVING WOMEN
The security man’s village with his family waiting for the big yellow school bus—–Nimet’s village.
VILLAGE MEN RELAXING
The prettiest little stone house, bright colors & textures everywhere and every window a picture in green leaves & red tiles. Everyone was out in the muddy yard to greet us & before we left I saw the barn with the dairy cows & the new white calf.
COOKING CHICKEN
University bus trip to Eastern Turkey – our security man’s aunt cooked us chicken in about 5 minutes in the bright-painted kitchen, delicious chicken made on a gas-ring stove——The kitchen was painted bright turquoise.
ANNE
Near Kayseri – ANNE ——Anne means “Mother” in Turkish. It’s pronounced “an-NEH.” This lady was the matriarch of the family.
