Stops and starts

I am wearing black today to symbolize my mourning over a certain event to take place downtown in less than an hour. Maybe I should have been more obvious; I saw people on the Metro this morning with stickers that read, “FUCK BUSH” and “BUSH=BIGOT.” Four years ago, I had actually thought about going to the inauguration out of sheer curiosity. January 20, 2001, was about five months after I first moved to D.C., and at the time it seemed like a novel circumstance, me living in the capital at the time of an inauguration. Well, here we are again, and I am definitely not going. (I might have been moved to go and protest, but I am at work today.)

[Yesterday I came across an interesting piece from The Nation about Thomas Jefferson’s humble inauguration in 1801. How did American presidential inaugurations become such ostentatious, almost regal affairs? See also Mark Fiore’s interactive inaugural map.]

Anyway, in other, lighter news: tonight Thom and I are going to the Kennedy Center to “experience another inauguration,” as an advertisement in the Post Express puts it. The National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, will premiere a new commissioned work by Philip Glass, Symphony No. 7 (A Toltec Symphony). Also on the program are songs from Gustav Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn, featuring baritone Matthias Goerne. Slatkin and Glass will host a discussion after tonight’s concert (which repeats through Saturday). It should all be cool, but I admit that my initial motivation was the special Express offer for $25 orchestra seats. Nice.

[Addendum (Jan. 22): On Saturday, Weekend Edition ran an interview with Glass about A Toltec Symphony. Excerpts of the work are also available.]

Remember how I auditioned for Ragtime last week? I found out last night that I didn’t get cast in the show. Oh, well, it’s okay. A long while ago I told myself I would spend some of my free time getting back into performing arts, and I’m glad I finally took a step in that direction. Now I’m all psyched about searching and trying out for other opportunities, be it shows or classes or what have you.

Speaking of classes, another of my long-term resolutions has been to learn more languages. I’d been meaning to try and learn sign language at some point, and so when I heard about free ASL classes being given at the D.C. Public Library, I had to check it out. It’s a pretty casual gathering. I’ve been to two sessions so far, and I’m enjoying it.