Kirmizi_ada

This week, a trans-Atlantic shout-out to my friend Liz in Bernal, who rocks my Erdball gently and steadily. And one for Russell in Oaxaca. I can’t wait to see you wiggle your feet in my bed and smile at me with your eyes closed. And Dor on 120th St. for holding space for me in your wild and precious life. And for Mom, Bob, Alica, Aunt Judy—all of my friends who have birthdays between November 10th and 20th; isn’t it cool that you all have birthdays right about nine months after Valentine’s Day? For my dad: I see you in my own body every morning. And for DD who refreshes the mystery every time I see her. For Chris, who has the most generous laugh in Berlin. For Graziano, who showed me that empty ballroom, that tea house, that tiramisu. And Chantelle, who has been a more prolific source of humanity for me than the humanities over the past six years. For SLR in Seattle, I think, who I hope will someday be my roommate again. For SAC, with love spraypainted red. For Corey, fine gentleman and early-Marxian visionary. For Koray, who lets me beat him at tavla. For Thomas, who didn’t have to let down his hair. And for Donnie, who is getting older but you could never tell. For Vassil, with all the ways he welcomes. For Travis, oh Travis—du verschlägst mir den Atem! For my Berlin high-school students, whose essays comparing Fahrenheit 911 and Loose Change would get any US public high-school teacher put on some FBI watch-list somewhere. For Wiebke and Ursel, my virtual bodyguards here in rough-and-ready Norddeutschland. For Hüzüriye, who makes me talk faster, lest I become listless. And Noah, whom I imagine singing me to sleep. For Julie who is holding down Texas until the rest of us get our asses down there. For my Gramma who lights up the twenty-first century. And for my other fearless and sleek MCs-of-the-future like Susan in Seattle, Justine in Oakland, ARM in Boston, Jen in New Bedford, Erik inside or outside the Beltway, Don way up there in Twin Peaks with his fahncy Chrome bag, Priscilla in Oakland (die haushoch gewonnen hat!), Yael (who is everywhere simultaneously), Lindsay teaching almost everything in Springfield, Electric Jones on his high branch in Chinatown, J-A singing in the Netherlands, Eyra, Luis, Raquel—I love you and wish you happy thanksgiving, in good spirits and warm company.